Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny: 2009 COTTONTAIL SEASON ENDS

TALLY HO!! TO THE LOYAL ORDER OF THE BIG WOODS HARE HUNTERS OF THE ALLEGHENY.

THE EASTERN COTTONTAIL WILL SHINE AGAIN!!

The 2009 "first" cottontail season is now history.

The season was another great time to enjoy the great outdoors. My great hunting friends and I enjoyed more than 112 hours on 22 days afield during the course of the season. No, this is not a great amount of time spent. But, you know, we are all slowing down. The hounds chased more than 81 cottontails, most of them good to great runs. The hunters, although not as skilled as the hounds by a long shot, killed nine rabbits, missed 12 and only lost one or two. The excuse for not killing more rabbits has to be one of "we have lost the killing spirit in our old age".

The weather for most of the first season was warm and dry. At least two days were deemed hot.

One of the highlights of the season was a day at John Norberg's Laural Mountain Winery. The hunting was great, the runs were good but the wine tasting was better.

Another highlight, I got to meet and hunt with Wayne's brother Allen. We had a slight run in with a porcupine which Allen dispatched. Luckily no hounds took any quills. The hounds seem to be getting smarter, especially when it comes to the porcupine. They, the hounds, did have a chase or two which were deemed not to be cottontail rabbits. One day I did see the deer but on another day we still do not know what they might have been chasing. I killed a gray fox on the road that very evening and so I deem this an omen. The red gods of hunting allowed me to get even just this once.

All in all we all had a very enjoyable first cottontail season. At least it was for me. I hope everyone else who hunted with me feels the same.

For the next two weeks (Nov. 30-12) we have to endure deer season. The "second" cottontail season will open on Monday, December 14, 2009. If we get some tracking snow we will be out scouting for hare sign.

If no snow we will be back hunting the Eastern cottontail.

Jim Hanson (L), Jim Kazmareck (R) and I spent many enjoyable hours afield during the "first" 2009 cottontail season.

I "harvested" this cottontail while hunting with Jim Taylor (L), Vic Taylor and Jim Hanson near John Norberg's winery. Kaz was with us earlier in the day. The hounds, Kipper, Blacky, Sheeba, Angee and Jim Hanson's big hound Lucky did a great job on this run.

Later, after a good day afield Jim, Jim, Vic and I enjoyed some wine tasting and a bottle of John's best. The museum was great too. We certainly enjoyed John's hospitality and are looking forward to returning to the Laural Mountain Winery.

Wayne Wilson bagged this big cottontail in the "Big Valley" near Mt Zion Hill on SGL (State Game Lands) 330 after a great run by Wiggles, Patch, Gracie, Tia and Wayne's hounds Freck and Frack.

On Monday, November 2, while hunting by myself I managed to bring down this cock pheasant. Of course it was a magnificent shot.

Friday, October 30, 2009 Jim Taylor and I hunted SGL 244 near Emerickville, PA. The hounds (Angee, Sheeba, Kipper and Tia) had a couple of good runs. Jim brought down two pheasants as show in the picture. A hen pheasant on the left and a cock bird.

On November 12, 2009 Jim Hanson (L), Jim Taylor (r) and I hunted SGL 54 near the village of Sugarhill, PA. Also seen in the photo are Gracie (L) and Speckles (R). It was a beautiful "blue bird" day.