One years old's 1st Hunt and 45lc/410 success

[JerryKo]

Ok so my beagle,..."Beagle" (kids named her ), just turned one this month.  I didn't spend any time with her in the field,shame on me, except for letting her run in the fenced in back yard with some yard bunnies.  The great part is she must have come from good blood.  Good thing, because this was another one of the boys CHRISTmas gifts that I sold some fantistic Handi rifles for.

Anyway.  I missed two(longer than 35yds) at full sprints, and the other three where from about 25 to as close as 5 yds.  The rifle/shotgun is a dream to carry as set up in my Long Tom W&H receiver and stocks.

The first I shot was a jump shot that I put her on the trail and let her "find" the rabbit.  It was the first time she ever got to "catch" one and it was real funny to see her disbelief!  Beagle ran the second all the way back to me, and I shot it on the sneak at about 5 steps away in heavy brush.  I let her finish up to the downed rabbit just to make sure it was the one she was trailing.  Good girl!   The third I jumped and missed a hurried shot, but put her on the trail and I made my way to the end of the brush and waited for it to flush.  It did,...but quicker than I expected and it made it to another brush pile where is sat in heavy cover.  I fired anyway where it sat, and couldn't believe a few pellets found the mark at that range through the brush.   Again I let Beagle find the rabbit, and by then she was just like"Well its about time", and went looking for a live trail.

For my lack of "training" she is really going to be a joy to have on my hunts anyway.  I haven't had a dog to hunt with since before my Father passed away, and have always just jumped shot any rabbit I could kick upsince then.  It sure is good to have a dog around again.  She "ran" at least three that I never saw, and wouldn't have know they had been there.

She has a long way to go, but has earned a spot in my heart after her performance.  As well as the 45LC/410!

The shell I was using is the only one that showed sustained patterns past 15yds.  3"Remmy Express 13/16 of #5 I'm pretty sure.  I forgot to look at the box this morning before I left.  Now with a full choked 20" 410 I normally just use the 2 1/2" with 1/2 once of #6 Remmys.  And they have been great bunny and squirrel getters.

I'm really glad to have this forum to post on.  I hope you guys enjoy the read!   My boys are about the only other ones who enjoy the stories, and most times they're in them, so they already know the story!

Jerry

[JerryKo]

Oh,...I forgot to add that I only hunted from about 830 to about 1030 and it was raining for about the first half hour.  Handi and barrel got a good wipe down with Hoppes elite field cleaner and looks perfect still.  No rust to be seen anywhere.  I sprayed the action with compressed air and a light spray of rem oil aerosol down through the hammer opening and a drop of elite oil on in the firing-pin hole.

Jerry

[Lucky Joe]

Good story, I've had some good beagles in my day too. Best one was Susie, never forget her. Keep it up it's a great sport.

[AtlLaw]

Darn Jerry, that looks great!  I always loved runnin rabbits with beagles.  Liked to eqt 'em to!   

Good dog.   

[petemi]

Hi Jerry, I know the feelin'.  It's great when a pup works out.  I had five beagles at one time, and now I'm down to two.  The best and the worst of the five.  The best, Abigale, is "Jerry-atric"...(Pun)...old, about 12.  The other is middle age, but isn't really worth a poop.  A friend at the animal shelter called me one day and said they were gonna zonk a beagle.  I said "No way, I'll take her."  Big mistake.  She's a "run offer and deer chaser".  I don't think I ever killed a bunny over her by herself.  Abigail, on the other hand, isn't even a real beagle, she's beagle and something larger, long haired with beagle colors.  Hardiest, best dog I ever had.  She was dropped off in front of the farm.  She'd run herself half to death chasing snowshoes, then break through the ice on one of my little streams, lie down in the icewater and drink.  The dogs always have had a corral sized dog run and a heated kennel (when necessary...below zero) with insulated dog boxes.  I'd go down there,...No Abigale.  I'd call her and a snow bank in the run would burst open and there was Abigale snoozing under the snow.  A couple of days ago,  The three of us went out with the Handi .357 and .38s....no bunnies......I suspect it'll be Abigails last hunt.  She wanted to run and couldn't  I was sorry I took her out, and brought her home very soon.

Pete

[JerryKo]

Lucky Joe, you are right it is a great sport.  Ever since my first hunt I was hooked.  I liked the action and not getting too cold.  My first rabbit fell to a mosserg500 12ga that I couldnt even get to my shoulder.  Lucky hip shot! 

Richard,  best eating was my Grams red rabbit stew.  Sure do miss her too.  Been hunting a long time without dogs, but it is so much more fun with em.  I'm looking to deep fry some soon, just to try.  Usually I boil them, marinate with italian dressing from a bottle and grill them a little.    Getting hungry...

Pete,  I hear ya brother.  I remember my Dad's first male dog.  He would start barking and running a straight line to the woods, and Dad would just start yelling words I 'd never heard him say before.  Dog got lost more times than we shot rabbits off him.  Longest was two weeks.  Dad never gave up and finally got him back on Thanksgiving day.  He sure loved that dog even though it would chase the first thing it smelled.

The best I remember was Dixie.  She was found as a 1yr pup with a lot of spunk and no collar.  We put up signs of lost dog but nobody claimed her.  I took her out the first chance I got and she would just run the heck out of those rabbits.  My Dad did more hunting with her than I did and he told me stories, and how all the other guys loved to hunt with her.  She'd retrive lost rabbits and bring em back and lay them by you, and run rabbits till you shot em or they holed up.

I'm looking forward to some more hunting times this weekend!

Jerry