2-24-13 Sat.

2-24-2013 Sat 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Weather:
W 5, overcast, 34 ˚, 29.94 falling, 8 – 12” snow cover
Location:
Camp Douglas and La Farge, WI
Bagged:
nothing
Partners:
None
Comments:

I started the day off at a rabbit hunting trial in Camp Douglas. The trial was held at the Ragged Rock Beagle Club in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. I was once a member and active participant with the club, but with the death of Freeway and the age of Abby and then the on again off again hunting abilities of Roxy, I just stopped going. Now just within the past couple of weeks Roxy has really started to come on and this has gotten me back into the rabbit hunting mood. I have really missed it and I definitely want to participate in more trials and hunting rabbits, besides ice fishing has gotten boring and very crowded.
I got to the club and rekindled some old friendships and hopefully started some new ones. I went along on two of the casts and was even able to handle a couple of the dogs, which I truly enjoyed! At the end of the trial I even took one of Ron’s dogs home with me for a tryout. I am at three dogs now, and the township does not allow any more than that, so the dog I am trying out is for Dick. He has expressed an interest in getting a dog, and hopefully Lacy will foot the bill.
After the trial I took her and Roxy over to La Farge for a little rabbit chasing. The only thing I knew about the dog was that she was a good dog, could chase rabbits and she may come when called. Since this dog had no idea who I was, nor did I have any idea what she was all about, I was a little hesitant to unleash her and let her go. I found a fairly small piece of cover and let her and Roxy go, and go she went. She definitely had rabbit on her mind. She was quite a searcher and within about ten minutes she had a rabbit up and running and circled back to the brush pile from where she had stirred it. I was impressed and Roxy was left in the dust.
I checked one other potential spot out, but I did not let her out on account it was a much bigger area and I did not want to risk losing her the first day. I did hunt Roxy there and she jumped a couple of rabbits, but never she made much of a chase out of it.

Observations:

I did find a few rabbits at La Farge, but they were not in any great numbers. The snow conditions were pretty good; there was probably 8 – 10 inches with a good crust and then another inch or so of powdery wet snow on top of that.