How Long Do They Run?

[rabbitearl]

Sorry yall, I agree with dog,I ve seen runs longer than 2 hr.I would say anything less than 30 min the rabbit is sick or your not in NC thick stuff.In other words Lp could not do any trials because your 30 min dogs would have all the rabbits catch.Been doing this for 38 years and I see maybe 3 or 4 hundred dogs a year.Never seen a 30 min pack here in NC.I do alot of two couple pack and I ve seen alot of pack could not run the rabbit 10 min.I ve seen some that were catch less than 30 min but a dog jump it and it ran in another dog mouth.

I would love to see a trial.100 dollors to enter 4 dogs of yours and you ve got 30 min or less to catch the rabbit to win.Here in NC thick stuff.Who ever does it the fastes in less than 30 min wins the money.Now I wonder why all these format don t do a trial like that.Be easy to judgeThere just like me.I ve never seen it.

I tell you what.Put it on video were the dogs jumps the rabbit until it catch in less than 30 min and I will believe.

[dog]

believe me , we do not have an over abundance of rabbits here either , we get alot of preasure here and im telling you when you jump , that rabbit dont run 60 or 70 yrds and start slowing down . i have watched dogs jump a rabbit and watched that rabbit run 200 or 300 yds flat out before he even started slowing down and start playing his tricks , we watched a rabbit last season from 400 yds or more with snow on the ground , dogs where pounding him and he stayed probably 200 yds ahead of them , he would stop for a few seconds and take out of there like he was just jumped and the dogs were still 150 yds behind him , these rabbits get ran hard and they dont waste any time putting distance between the dogs and they will keep it there , not alot of cover and i think it is their only defence ! if your dogs can catch a rabbit that runs 400 yds straight out before it turns then my hats off to you and your dogs ! come on up and run with us , prolly wont need to bring a gun though because i probably havent had a dozen rabbits in the last 3 seasons run less than 300 or 400 yds before they start swinging around . we jumped one last year out from under our feet with snow on by the time the dogs got to us to start the track we were watching that rabbit run dead away at about 150 yds across an ankle high field , that thing never stopped once , disapeared over the hill and we were watching the dogs run and that thing came up the opposite hill , still running hard and we watched him go dirrectly in a hole probably 400 or 500 yds from where he jumped and to the best of my knowledge that rabbit never stopped running the whole time ! my buddies first comment was " think hes been ran before ? "

[Lop sided beagler]

Well you NC's must have enhanced rabbits as we don't get cotton tail running hard for 2-3 hours. I agree with buck:

OK. Clarification needed. If we say a rabbit is running or we have a rabbit race for 45 minutes, an hour or an hour and a half or even 2 and a half hours, what do we mean? In my book a "race" is just that, a "race". It is open, loud and fast. There are loses but only a minute or so. A race is not hot and now but steady, hard running. If you run for 10 minutes and your dogs are gomming around for 10 minutes, then you are not doing something else other than running. More like, well, you should know what I mean.

I have seen videos on this site of dogs running a rabbit and it takes them 10 minutes to cover 50 yards. They bark a lot and seem to be moving but really not going anywhere. The opposite of that is something like the videos that Tsa ha la (pardon the spelling Charley) had of the Georgia hunt. Now those were running dogs.

I think the Augerhead had it right, we are talking about a rabbit here. A very small creature being pursued by animals 15 times its size, weight and strength. It simply is physically unable to match up in a sustained race.

We don't play games here we enjoy the chase and the thrill of young blood. We don't keep the dogs who cant push! I would love to have races as you NC's describe but with my pace dogs, however I have yet to encounter a rabbit willing to do so in Michigan, Ohio, or Kentucky. Perhaps someday ill be able to make it to North Carolina to see these steroid bunnies!

[dog]

Ohio here , Muskingum co. to be exact ! still trying to figure out where 3 hours came from ! we all have the right to believe what we want , like i said its public land , all you have to do is dump them out and you will see ! but im telling you , you better have them in shape ! you can call them rabbits on steriods or what ever you want to call them , i just call them rabbits , nothing special , just rabbits ! been running them on that land for years ( even before it was state owned ) have always ran like that out there ! im done talking about it , no need to prove anything to anyone ! i know what i run , how they run it , how it runs and how to read a watch ! just feel sorry for you guys that never get to do it , obviously you dont know what your missing !

[Casey Harner]

"seems you always have some smart ass remark to anything i say on here , my dogs run a track just fine , i believe i watched a video of your " TRUCK " one time on here and in my opinion you ought to unhook the trailer , it was a five min clip and the dog didnt move 50 yds , like i said its an open invitation , its all public land but you better get him in shape , we have hills over here , big hills ! ive seen more than one dog loaded up after a couple runs because they were sucking wind and ready to drop ! any time you want to give it a try you come on over , i'll show you a couple of rabbits that will run for 2 hours and a pack of dogs that will drive them for that same amount of time , i have a feeling i'll only have to show you a couple of them though and you will be heading back to your flat ground like the rest of them do ! just hope "THE TRUCK " can stay on the same circle with them !"


This is the message I got in pm from "DOG"

I love it when I state my opinion, and I get someone's thong all in a wad!! lol

[rabbitearl]

Somebody get that dog out.Hes running to much rabbit.

[Casey Harner]

Somebody get that dog out.Hes running to much rabbit.

I hope I never hear that while running!!!

[dog]

im bettin you wont ! so much for saying what you had to say in a pm , if you want to make it public thats your decision , it dont matter to me , i was just trying to follow board rules and keep our bussiness between us and off the board !

[scott calkins]

i have found in my experience that cover has a lot to do with how long rabbits stay up. i have run two spots that have a moist clay based soil and high water table the rabbits dont have holes in this type of soil and the running is awsome great runs one of these spots was were jamie golden used to live in otsego. and christmass tree farms usally get long big runs . the other thing i think some guys dont give there dogs enough time to work hard checks they just asume rabbit must have holed . and they call the dogs and move them. i have one of those good hard check dogs and have been with guys that do this and after a few min hes got the rabbit up and runing again. ive seen it a lot. jmo but i run hare any chance i get and they dont hole so iam use to them long hard checks .

[Casey Harner]

i have found in my experience that cover has a lot to do with how long rabbits stay up. i have run two spots that have a moist clay based soil and high water table the rabbits dont have holes in this type of soil and the running is awsome great runs one of these spots was were jamie golden used to live in otsego. and christmass tree farms usally get long big runs . the other thing i think some guys dont give there dogs enough time to work hard checks they just asume rabbit must have holed . and they call the dogs and move them. i have one of those good hard check dogs and have been with guys that do this and after a few min hes got the rabbit up and runing again. ive seen it a lot. jmo but i run hare any chance i get and they dont hole so iam use to them long hard checks .

nice post scott. I agree! I like those dogs that can stick with the check and find that rabbit.... I personally like a tight check dog, but on those bad conditons, a dog might need to move out to find the scent again... Brains!!!!

[ANTHONY KERR]

Well you NC's must have enhanced rabbits as we don't get cotton tail running hard for 2-3 hours. I agree with buck:

OK. Clarification needed. If we say a rabbit is running or we have a rabbit race for 45 minutes, an hour or an hour and a half or even 2 and a half hours, what do we mean? In my book a "race" is just that, a "race". It is open, loud and fast. There are loses but only a minute or so. A race is not hot and now but steady, hard running. If you run for 10 minutes and your dogs are gomming around for 10 minutes, then you are not doing something else other than running. More like, well, you should know what I mean.

I have seen videos on this site of dogs running a rabbit and it takes them 10 minutes to cover 50 yards. They bark a lot and seem to be moving but really not going anywhere. The opposite of that is something like the videos that Tsa ha la (pardon the spelling Charley) had of the Georgia hunt. Now those were running dogs.

I think the Augerhead had it right, we are talking about a rabbit here. A very small creature being pursued by animals 15 times its size, weight and strength. It simply is physically unable to match up in a sustained race.

We don't play games here we enjoy the chase and the thrill of young blood. We don't keep the dogs who cant push! I would love to have races as you NC's describe but with my pace dogs, however I have yet to encounter a rabbit willing to do so in Michigan, Ohio, or Kentucky. Perhaps someday ill be able to make it to North Carolina to see these steroid bunnies!

Come on if you like. I can put you on some cottontails that can keep running like the Energizer Bunny ! On a 2 hour race there are minute plus checks in the thick cover, but the rabbits that run in the taller trees can really give you some good long races crossing power lines going from block to block. I have seen rabbits stiffen up and be caught in 40 minutes, but it is not the norm. It is hard to run check free here in all the briars, devils cane, and honeysuckles with any dogs. I'm pretty sure that we compare in style of hounds and speed that you MI hunters run. All the blood lines that I have originated well above the Mason Dixon line.

[scott calkins]

well dont know about cotton tails but can run hare for hrs. and thats a fact. so iam glad i live close enough to hare to run.

[scott calkins]

ive also run swampers in lousiana and miss and had great races . but paris texas had some of the best cottontail races ive ever had. hands down

[scott calkins]

if i get the time off and some extra moneys i might have to take ya up on that invite would like to see these hare hounds run there always looking for good running as you can see by my posts i have run all over and love seeing good hounds and people. and aint scared to get beat. always looking for the next cross to better my kennel . ive run in the mnt in newyork on hare and hills in ohio and kentucky and faired just fine. but never been to nc.

[Bunnyblaster]

i have found in my experience that cover has a lot to do with how long rabbits stay up. i have run two spots that have a moist clay based soil and high water table the rabbits dont have holes in this type of soil and the running is awsome great runs one of these spots was were jamie golden used to live in otsego. and christmass tree farms usally get long big runs . the other thing i think some guys dont give there dogs enough time to work hard checks they just asume rabbit must have holed . and they call the dogs and move them. i have one of those good hard check dogs and have been with guys that do this and after a few min hes got the rabbit up and runing again. ive seen it a lot. jmo but i run hare any chance i get and they dont hole so iam use to them long hard checks .

I would have to agree on the cover comment. In the thick stuff our races seem to last longer and I gotta think it's because it gives the rabbits a chance to put a little distance between themselves and the dogs. Now in a little more open country you see the rabbit take off on a dead sprint to gain some ground on the dogs before they turn and head back. I also see these rabbits hole more often when they make the return trip and I would have to assume it tends to tire them out quicker.