sturmruger
Member
My wife and I went to visit her parents this weekend. It was a beautiful weekend to be outside. Saturday was a little gloomy, but it was still warm enough to get some target shooting in. Sunday was sunny and 60 degrees, it was absolutely the nicest day so far this year and I knew that my dog and I would have to go out and work over the rabbit population.
Nikki is not your typical rabbit dog; she is a good sized German shepherd. For the first few years of her life she was terrible gun shy. If I so much as took out my 10/22 she would be in her dog house immediately. One night I was out stalking rabbits in the front yard. She didn't see the rifle in my hands and was out in the yard too. I shot a rabbit that managed to get away and run over by her, she grabbed it and finished off on the spot. I let her keep that one hoping that she would start to figure out what I was doing. I think that was the point she started to associate my gun with her getting fed. She no longer fears gun fire, or any of my rifles. As soon as she sees me out with a gun she instantly thinks that it is time for her to get to work and find some rabbits.
My father in-law has a good sized pasture that he does not have any cows in at the moment. This is one of my favorite places to hunt because the brush isn't so thick and it is easier to see the rabbits as they run away. We went out into the pasture and started to work through all of the old machinery and other piles. We managed to get 4 rabbits in about 60 minutes. We scared up a few more after the first 4 but they always ran out the wrong side of the pile so I wasn't able to get a good shot.
I was really surprised at the kind of range I was getting with my 12 ga Mossberg 500. I shot two rabbits running away from me at about 40 yards! I was using my 22 inch bird barrel with 8 shot and no choke installed because I forgot them at home. Other then rabbit hunting I have never hunted much of anything with my shotgun. I am learning more and more about what distances I can shoot and what kind of lead I need to give a running rabbit.
In the end it was a fun and relaxing weekend. I was very proud of my dog she is getting really good at flushing out rabbits. I am thinking about getting a beagle so that Nikki has some help. From what I have read beagles are much better at rabbit hunting then Nikki will ever be. Does anyone here use a beagle for rabbit hunts??
Nikki is not your typical rabbit dog; she is a good sized German shepherd. For the first few years of her life she was terrible gun shy. If I so much as took out my 10/22 she would be in her dog house immediately. One night I was out stalking rabbits in the front yard. She didn't see the rifle in my hands and was out in the yard too. I shot a rabbit that managed to get away and run over by her, she grabbed it and finished off on the spot. I let her keep that one hoping that she would start to figure out what I was doing. I think that was the point she started to associate my gun with her getting fed. She no longer fears gun fire, or any of my rifles. As soon as she sees me out with a gun she instantly thinks that it is time for her to get to work and find some rabbits.
My father in-law has a good sized pasture that he does not have any cows in at the moment. This is one of my favorite places to hunt because the brush isn't so thick and it is easier to see the rabbits as they run away. We went out into the pasture and started to work through all of the old machinery and other piles. We managed to get 4 rabbits in about 60 minutes. We scared up a few more after the first 4 but they always ran out the wrong side of the pile so I wasn't able to get a good shot.
I was really surprised at the kind of range I was getting with my 12 ga Mossberg 500. I shot two rabbits running away from me at about 40 yards! I was using my 22 inch bird barrel with 8 shot and no choke installed because I forgot them at home. Other then rabbit hunting I have never hunted much of anything with my shotgun. I am learning more and more about what distances I can shoot and what kind of lead I need to give a running rabbit.
In the end it was a fun and relaxing weekend. I was very proud of my dog she is getting really good at flushing out rabbits. I am thinking about getting a beagle so that Nikki has some help. From what I have read beagles are much better at rabbit hunting then Nikki will ever be. Does anyone here use a beagle for rabbit hunts??
