Due to the loss of my two female beagles Blackie and Gertie in August of 2002, I acquired another Beagle pup from the same breeder who produced Gertie. Once again Grandpa has played a significant role in my Beagle acquisition. Grandpa picked the pup up from the Breeder for me, and housed her in his Kennel. In the two weeks that it took me to pick up this pup she was named Princess. My lovely bride decided that it should be Princess Leah.
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Princess was never supposed to be a full time house dog, but she is very close to that now. There are advantages to having a dog that is house trained. There is a much better bond between her and I than there has been with any of my other dogs. My wife is certainly more tolerant of this dog than she has been several of my other hunters.
It looks as if Princess will hunt as well as any of the dogs I have kept in the kennel. She was born in June of 2002. She ran her first rabbit to the gun in December. If I was a better shot she would have had her first rabbit in November.
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I am quite proud of this rabbit, as it is my first with a pistol, and the first I have shot in front of Princess. This rabbit was taken on 12-31-02. I fully intend to write an article on rabbit hunting with beagles and handguns, but I have yet to accomplish this. |
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I normally try to look at the camera, but I was shooting this with the timer. This is the third or fourth shot I attempted. Hunting solo has a few disadvantages. Not the least of which is the post hunt photography. This is my first double with a pistol, and also my second and third rabbit with a pistol. This was done on 1-11-03, on public land. That last point is what I am most proud of in this photo. |
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This goofy looking character is my father. I am told there is a strong resemblance, but I don't see it. In any case, this is another bunny that fell victim to Princess the house dog 1-18-03. Dad, like most others, hunts with a shotgun. I can't complain, as I missed this bunny with my pistol a few times before he finally brought it to rest. |
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I forgot to take the camera with me on this trip, so I had to wait until I got home to get the photo. I was very lucky this day (1-25-03), and was able to kill these two rabbits with my pistol. These were harvested in a state game area near my home. I am always amazed at how few people take advantage of the opportunities that our taxes and license fees finance. If you are a hunter in Michigan and don't rabbit hunt you are missing out on one of the best times to be in the woods. |
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I was once again lucky on this day. The day before I complained to Stacy that I was getting so good with the pistol that I was going to have to start hunting with a sharp stick if I was going to keep from bringing home too many rabbits. This day proved that I am not good just lucky. This rabbit was shot well beyond shotgun range with only one shot. The next two rabbits went by well within the range I feel comfortable shooting, and I missed both of them 10 times. My skills are not what I would like them to be. |