Showing posts with label small game hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small game hunting. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Rabbit Hunting Dog

Do you have hunting dogs? What kind?

When we went small game hunting a couple weekends ago, we had a beagle hunting with us.  While we were hunting hubby said that he wished we had at least one more dog with us. He says, beagles work better in a pack. Later that day, after we were done hunting, he asked me how I felt about getting a beagle to hunt with. I'm not sure. He said it would be an outside dog. He believes that beagles that are outside dogs are better hunters.

This week after our hunting adventure, we have been talking about hunting dogs. But there are so many hunting dogs. How do you know which one to get. I used to have 2 german shorthaired pointers, male & female. The male took 2nd level at a field test. He was was a good bird dog, but his talent was not utilized.

As we have continued to talk, we have decided that we will get a puppy, a beagle. Now the question is do we get a male or female. Hubby grew up with beagles and had good luck with males. I have always favored females. Hubby is also interested in getting a female and breeding her at some point with his father's beagle.   I'm just not sure what I want to get this time. Hubby keeps going back and forth on it also. I guess we will just have to see what there is when we get to a breeder. However, we have decided that if we get a female her name will be Sage. We have not picked a name for a male.

I would like to wait until after the new year. 1. So I don't have to do deal with a puppy and the Christmas tree. 2. Hopefully then the ground will be frozen and we can get the puppy housebroken by the time the ground gets muddy again in the spring. My FIL knows we have been talking about getting a puppy and he has mentioned getting us one for Christmas, so I may not have a choice when we get the puppy.




So I will keep you posted on the puppy topic.




 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

New Adventure

Yesterday, we ventured out to the woods and brush in search of small critters. This was my first time small game hunting. My husband has always said how he actually loves small game hunting even more than deer hunting. I couldn't understand it....

Hubby, FIL, Miller (FIL's beagle) and I started hunting on this cool November morning. We were not 10 minutes into our hunt and  hubby shot a pheasant.
He was shocked. According to hubby and FIL, that have not seen pheasants in the area in many years.

We walked on in search of rabbits and more pheasants. Miller started hunting and we started seeing rabbits. Both FIL and hubby were not shooting at them because they wanted to give me all the opportunities to shoot  one. However, I quickly discovered that I do not have the fast reflexes to shoot a rabbit or pheasant. (no pun intended) :(

I had opportunities to shoot at 4 or 5 rabbits and one pheasant. I just could not get my gun up in position and the safety off fast enough. I was bummed out. But every time I saw a rabbit or a pheasant, I got the adrenalin rush that hubby was trying to explain to me. It was not the same adrenalin rush for me as seeing deer, but enough to give me the itch to try it again, but not with out some practice pulling my gun up faster.

I'll keep you posted on my practice and my next small game hunt.