Rabbit, with a side of Redear

The last day of rabbit season was one that paid homage to the quarry. The old hunter and his aged, one-eye beagle went home empty-handed. Now, a new season is upon us and there are big fish to catch.

Something had been running my beagle a long way up the road to my neighbor’s wood. My friends John and Debbie would see her and bring Daisy home. I thought my dog was running deer until I took her hunting at the neighbor’s.

I drove down a long lane that splits two crop fields and let Daisy out of the truck. Quickly, she hit a hot trail and was soon bawling in the woods to the north. When the rabbit hit the fencerow back, me and Mr. Remington would be waiting.

Soon, the chase turned in my direction and I could get a glimpse of something streaking b the beagle close behind. Could this be what has been luring my dog so far from home?

I let the pursuit go on while I went about jumping my own rabbit. Just past the cobblestone creek crossing, out ran a rabbit. I screamed in rapid succession, “Right here, right here, right here.” Those words and my excitement tells daisy that I have jumped a cottontail.

Daisy came to my call and the chase was on. The rabbit took her along the north edge of the woods down the east fencerow. I took up sentry at the old dump, but the rabbit doubled back the same fencerow.

The rabbit made another turn and was headed my way through heavy briars. Just before the rabbit got there, my cell phone began ringing. The cottontail broke cover through the open woods without giving me a shot.

This time the rabbit took the old hound across the road and into the Lick Creek bottom. She got so far away that I strained to hear her. At long last the sound of the dog began getting closer. I saw the rabbit cross back, but too far away.

This was turning into a 40-minute run with every set-up I made being the wrong one. I was running to intercept, but always in the wrong place.

Once again, the bunny took the beagle to the big creek and this time, I would be where it crossed the first time.

I saw the rabbit coming my way, but then it turned and ran straight down the road. When Daisy got there, I put the leash on her and led her to the cobblestones for a cool drink.

Perhaps, this was a fitting end to a very good rabbit season.

Bob May and I took advantage of a warm day last Thursday to go fishing. He fished shallow and I deep. My quest was for the big, bottom hugging redear, but it seemed not to make a difference. We each caught two redear measuring from over nine to 10-inches.