2010 MAINE HARE HUNT

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For the very first time ever, six members of The Loyal Order made the historic trip to the Western Mountains of Maine for six exciting and fun filled days of hunting the elusive Snowshoe Hare.

(Left to right)

Captain and Board Member of The Order, Kaz; Charter Member of the Order, Jim; Board Member, Ray; High Hare Man, Joe; Board Member, Wayne; and Charter Member and Senior Advisor, Andy.

For the very first time in the history of The Loyal Order of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of The Allegheny six (6) loyal members would make the pilgrimage to the mecca of hare hunting, the great hunting state of Maine. The Pine Grove Lodge in Pleasant Ridge, Maine was our intended destination for six days of hunting the elusive and omnipotent Snowshoe Hare.

The five-hundred plus mile trip would prove difficult as torrential rain haunted the caravan all the way to Maine. Not only the driving was bad but getting the hounds out and fed made for a damp (to say the least) endeavor.

Once we reached the upper regions of Maine the rain stopped. They had not received a drop in Pleasant Ridge being outside the very edge of the storm.

The next six days of hunting would be filled with mixed emotion as the hunters had dreamed of fresh tracking snow and winter like weather. Not the case, as warm, Spring like conditions would be the norm for the week.

Hunting in places with names like "Cobbs Camp", "White Rock", "Hutch's Mountain", "Morse Pond", "Stink Bait", and "Cyr Road", the hunters would encounter many different kinds of terrain, from rocky mountains to cedar swamps.

The warm weather presented difficult snowshoeing conditions. The snow pack would soon become soft and slushy. With the snow pack melting underneath from the always warm ground, the snow would not hold the weight of the snowshoeing hunter on many steps.

The hounds, all ten (10), worked tirelessly in their attempt to chase the snowshoe hare. Many many good runs were enjoyed by the hunters on each and every day. Wayne's hound Freck, is in contention for "Moved Improved Hound of the Hunt" with LTC Wiggles up their too. Wayne's hound Wendy is a shoe in for "Rookie Hound of the Hunt". Andy's hound, Nellie, and LTC Gracie are in contention for "MVH" of the Hunt. So, all in all the hounds did a great job.

The hunters on the other hand were not as proficient as the hounds. With only two long guns and one short, I don't think the hunters were all that serious. I killed one hare and Ray killed another. The desire to kill has long left this band of hare hunters. The love of the beagle on the trail of an Omnipotent Hare and the music they make is what IT is all about.

With the "Extreme Season" now over it will be time to train and condition young hounds and keep old hounds in shape. We (the members of the Loyal Order) may make a couple more trips to the High Plateau this spring in hopes of seeing a hare in the the act of "varying" (turning brown).

It has been a very rewarding and fun filled year. We can only look ahead to next season.

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The camera looks over BWHH Wayne's shoulder during a day of hare hunting in the Western Mountains of Maine. The weather was warm and unseasonable.

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BWHH Andy enjoys the scenery, the hound music and the warm weather on a mountain in the Western Mountains of Maine during the 2010 Maine Hare Hunt.

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BWHH and Senior Advisor to The High Hare Man, Andy, gets his bearings from his "old fashioned" but always reliable compass. Andy uses a Garmin Rino 530 for navigating and uses Tracker collars and a Tracker receiver on his hounds.

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Two great hounds!

Of course the author of this blog is biased, but Patch (right) and Gracie (left) did an outstanding job. Patch is eleven years old and still going strong after all those years which include many thousands of hare chases. Patch came up missing in action during one of the hunts and radio contact was lost. (Patch wears a Wildlife Material's tracking collar and her master uses a Tracker radio receiver.) A signal from her collar was finally received as we neared the Pine Grove Lodge. A bobcat hunter had found her, called my house, found out where she was staying and took her to the lodge. Later we put tags on the hounds with the lodge's phone number. Something we usually do.

Gracie is in contention for MVH (Most Valuable Hound) of the 2010 Maine Hare Hunt.

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With a chair made from his snowshoes, The High Hare Man relaxes during a day in the Maine Woods. The weather was extremely warm and spring like.

(Below) During the travels of the BWHHs to Maine the hounds get a chance to relax. This particular scene is in Fishkill, NY. Other scenes just like this are seen often during the trip. Ten great hare hounds made the trip. All hounds did outstanding work and they will be rewarded handsomely. Very few of the hounds suffered injuries. The snow pack, some times frozen hard and later in the day soft and mushy, made travel for both hounds and hunters difficult.

(Below) Before departing for the wilds of Maine, Extreme BWHH Kaz was awarded the Captain bars of The Loyal Order by the High Hare Man during one of many outings to the High Plateau of the Allegheny in preparation for the trip to the Western Mountains of Maine.

Captain Kaz will be responsible for all things Captain in The Loyal Order.

(Below) BWHH Ray stands in thick cover where he shot this beautiful specimen during a great day afield in the heart of Maine.

The "B Team", consisting of Kaz's little hound Kelly, Wayne's Wendy, Andy's Molly and Joe's Wiggles and Tia did a great job on this high mountain near Morse Pond in the Mountains of Western Maine. The rocky terrain and a loose snow pack of a couple of feet made climbing the mountain a real feat. Climbing down the mountain was even worse.

(Below) Extreme BWHH Wayne W., like everyone else, prepares electronics for the hunt. BWHH hunter Wayne uses a Garmin Astro on his hounds and guides himself with a Garmin Rino 530.

(Below) BWHH Ray waits for the hare to appear as the hounds do an outstanding job during the six days in Maine.

(Below) The beautiful mountains of Western Maine.

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Six veteran members of The Loyal Order of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny in the Western Mountains of Maine. The six hunters had their hounds and themselves ready for what ever the mountains of Western Maine persented, or so they thought.

From left to right: Jim H., Wayne W., Joe E., Andy H., Ray W., and Jim K..

THE END