Rabbits, Rabbits, and More Rabbits.

[Kayak_Runner]

Been hunting rabbits about every other weekend since December. January has been particularly good. Our last two outings my young brother and me busted 5 one weekend and 7 the other. No dogs, just simple walk and stop, and thrashing brush piles. Finally started cooking some this week for a wild game dinner at the house, Rabbit Hassenpfeffer <- recipe link. 

[MOPanfisher]

Rabbit hunting used to be one of my favorite things but when I gave up my beagles last year I sort of lost the desire.  Ate rabbits lots of different ways but my favorite was always floured, browned in an old cast iron skillet, then steamed until tender, make gravy with the drippings. 

[Kayak_Runner]

Squirrel cooks up well with the same method. 

[MOPanfisher]

Oh yeah.  I may see if I can rekindle that favorite of all hunting for me this weekend.  I would rather roam the woods squirrel hunting that deer hunting any day.  Darn deer seasons mess up my favorite time of the year for squirrel hunting.

[mic]

I loved rabbit hunting back in Kansas when I was a kid.  They were pretty safe with me shooting though.  LOL

[ollie]

Looks like it has been a good year for rabbit hunting.  A friend of mine has been doing well also.  I myself have never really like rabbit, but I love me some squirrel.  

[Kayak_Runner]

Me and two of my buddies went again this past weekend north of St. Louis. Only took 3....should've left with far more, but bad shooting, position, & wiley rabbits got in the way. 

 

The 3 we did get gave great shots, full sprint running open ground on snow. 

[MOPanfisher]

I have been that guy before.  Some days they would be way out in front of the dogs doing the hop and stop routine, other day they would come by flat out getting it.  I used to carry a Savage .22/20.  Some days couldn't miss other days well I definitely could miss.

[mic]

On 1/22/2016 at 2:01 PM, MOPanfisher said:

Rabbit hunting used to be one of my favorite things but when I gave up my beagles last year I sort of lost the desire.  Ate rabbits lots of different ways but my favorite was always floured, browned in an old cast iron skillet, then steamed until tender, make gravy with the drippings. 

This may be stupid to some of you, but one of my bucket list items is to hunt rabbit with dogs.  I might enjoy fox also, but I'm a softy for foxes. I think I would really enjoy the interaction, the sounds, etc, etc.  My dad has a nerve condition that makes it impossible to handle a firearm, and my grandpa quit hunting after 5 invasions in the Pacific during WWII (he had "done enough killing").  So I only hunted small game with my friends, and I really enjoyed it.  I don't hunt anymore, mainly because I don't have a great place to go in IL and MO out of state license is to expensive for rabbit and squirrel.  I loved hunting birds with dogs, so I would assume the same would apply for rabbits. 

[MOPanfisher]

I always enjoyed hunting with Beagles, took me a little while to learn how to do it.  Had a buddies beagles and I followed them things everywhere and never killed a rabbit.  Wasn't until later I learned to hang around the jump point or identify likely run routes and wait for them to circle back.  Not nearly as much walking as bird dogs, usually were plenty of rabbits, you could hang around close enough to your buddies to talk, just don't be moving or making too much noise when the rabbit was coming toward you.  When my buddy got eaten up with duck hunting he gave me his beagles and I kept them for years and finally got a couple more of my own.  I got to where I didn't hunt them enough to keep them in good working shape, and got a diagnosis that seemed like I was going to be out of the hunting game, so I gave them away.  Some days I sure wish I had them back.  had one fat beagle that if you killed a rabbit in the briars would go in and bring it back to you, usually they either want to rough it up, or once its dead they don't care any more.  had some awful good days in the field with my dogs, take a break and the beagles would climb up in your lap to be petted.  Good Times.