The American Beagler Forum

Hey guys just wondering what do you prefer to Hunt hare or cottontail ? and why?
I prefer snowshoe, but have to drive 4hrs one way to hunt them, I live on Long Island,NY and train the dogs on cottontail and hunt them from nov thru feb. Snowshoe hare hunting to me is like cottontail hunting on steroids, everything seems like a bigger scale, and the runs can go 1/2 mile each way often, and the season is Oct thru march!!
On the other hand I like to hunt cottontail because it keeps the dogs honest and makes them run a tight line, but man there is nothing like watching a white hare running full speed on bare ground, I think every rabbit hunter needs to see that at least once!!!
www.bellmorekennels.com

Hare!! Hands down!!

Hare-best running around.

junk piles, holes,100 yard dashes cottontails are rats...HARE EVERY WEEKEND IN WINTER THAT's HUNTING!

cegibbs wrote:junk piles, holes,100 yard dashes cottontails are rats...HARE EVERY WEEKEND IN WINTER THAT's HUNTING!

"junk piles, holes,100 yard dashes cottontails are rats." Sounds like the start of a list of excuses for bad dogs.

I too prefer running hare but unfortunately I would have to drive a day just to turn loose in hare country.

I hunt cottontail, I want to try hare
I love hunting/running cottontail, the way they twist,turn,double back ect... is fun to watch the dogs work them out and bring them back to the gun, to me thats what it is all about

RunninHard wrote:I hunt cottontail, I want to try hare
I love hunting/running cottontail, the way they twist,turn,double back ect... is fun to watch the dogs work them out and bring them back to the gun, to me thats what it is all about

RunninHard , What part of Michigan do you live??

We come up to the U.P every October( 1100 mile trip one way) . You should try running Hare and you will love it. If I lived as close as you to Hare .....I'de be running them like I was hooked on Crack.

I love pounding hare. The bad part is I only get to do it once a year for a very quick week, it seems. After growing up running fox, bear and coon, I like the "balls to wall" type of running. I also think my hounds are more suited for hare verses cottontail.
Maybe one of these days I'll retire and move up there. NAH, I forgot they don't have sweet tea up there!

hounddog
Jim Umbarger

I run cottontail rabbits. thats all we have around here. I got the chance to hunt swamp rabbits feburary 2011. I'd pick swampers over cottontails any day of the week.

Never had the chance to run hare yet. Hopefully I'll get to run them Spring 2012 up in WI

Bellmorekennels wrote:Hey guys just wondering what do you prefer to Hunt hare or cottontail ? and why?
I prefer snowshoe, but have to drive 4hrs one way to hunt them, I live on Long Island,NY and train the dogs on cottontail and hunt them from nov thru feb. Snowshoe hare hunting to me is like cottontail hunting on steroids, everything seems like a bigger scale, and the runs can go 1/2 mile each way often, and the season is Oct thru march!!
On the other hand I like to hunt cottontail because it keeps the dogs honest and makes them run a tight line, but man there is nothing like watching a white hare running full speed on bare ground, I think every rabbit hunter needs to see that at least once!!!
http://www.bellmorekennels.com

I prefer to hunt swampers in MS then would come hunting cottontails in IN so I don't have to kill any of my rabbits then when all I want to do is run my dogs I prefer the great snowshoe hare in my home state of MI! The reason is swampers and cottontail taste great on the dinner table but snowshoe's are like trying to eat a piece of leather.

no question about it hare
if i could iwould only hunt hare

T LEE wrote:

RunninHard wrote:I hunt cottontail, I want to try hare
I love hunting/running cottontail, the way they twist,turn,double back ect... is fun to watch the dogs work them out and bring them back to the gun, to me thats what it is all about

RunninHard , What part of Michigan do you live??

We come up to the U.P every October( 1100 mile trip one way) . You should try running Hare and you will love it. If I lived as close as you to Hare .....I'de be running them like I was hooked on Crack.

I live near Port Huron we do have some hare in the swamps in the north (1 hr drive), just not enough to go and look for them, They were planted there from the DNR

Hare all the way, that hiding in a hole stuff is for the birds. Deep snow and a cold nose.

what taste better cottontail or hare

I prefer running snowshoe by far. They don't hole, great big long runs, and seem to leave more scent than a cottontail. There is nothing like a 3-4 hour run that sounds like a sight chase I prefer to eat cottontail but both are good for stew or spaghetti sauce