The Pittsview hunt, the Saturday before New Year 08 was an interesting one.
"Interesting" is such a good word. It can mean so many things to so many people.
The original plan was to hunt Seale, a plan Cuz canceled at the last minute because he heard one of the deer hunters was going to be in Birmingham, leaving Pittsview unpopulated by the least desirable branch of hunters.

We all met at the store in Pittsview. Josh and Drew, friends of Dustin, were budding teats when we first met Josh. Now they were on the verge of young buck status. Josh brought three of his dad’s dogs, all pups, with him thus guaranteeing an interesting hunt.



At the end of the day, Brag and I were trying to cheer Josh up.
When Josh lost his dad’s dogs, Brag and I tried to make him feel better.
We told him they always show back up. Leastways, most of the time, though I did only get Suzie’s collars back and Hover hasn’t seen hide nor hair of his CoCo.
Besides, we told him, the first time Uncle NoPass loaned us his pack, we lost every dang one of them. Ok, both of them, though it still took days and miles to retrieve them

was in Pittsview.

"We got five"
Details later

posting has been a little slack over the holidays and beyond.
2 and I have been busy working on the "Rabbit Run" estate, my new, currently inactive, horse farm. The fact that a devout rabbit hunter should own acreage that is totally devoid of rabbits and rabbit habitat is proof of God's sense of humor.
I think it's payback for all the grief I gave Brag, my dog owning partner, when his wife went horse crazy.
We would drive by pasture land and I would point out what a waste of good land. And that horses were nothing but expensive lawn ornaments. I would ask pointed questions like what the current expense was. Did you know that horses need to have their teeth filed among other things that consisted mostly of burning hundred dollar bills?

And I still stand by that. While I wouldn't own a horse personally, I am perfectly willing to take a couple of hundred a month to let other people keep their lawn ornaments on my property.

2 and I have currently been cleaning the west paddock of a dead tree and brush. 2 bought a Ryobi pole saw for part of the pruning. The lady at the building warehouse busy trying to sell 2 an extended warranty on it.
2 asked what the store warranty was
The lady said 30 days, no questions.
2 told her he didn't need a extended warranty, he planned to wear it out long before the 30 days were up.
It's beginning to look like 2 is good for his word

my rabbit hunting friends.

GF gave me both a pair of briar chaps and, what has become my annual, pair of boots with the admonishment that the least I could do is try to get them to last until next Christmas

I say.
We can justify it as being "free-range, grass-fed, organic, locally produced, locally harvested, sustainable, native, low-stress, low-impact, humanely slaughtered meat."

this morning was a pleasant despite the fervent hopes of the your host, Rimfire, that Lucy had froze her little beagle/ basset butt off. Not to mention that I hoped she’s was really hungry since I had no intention of feeding her till this evening.
I may as well have held my breath instead of giving her an earful. The sound of soft snores let me know that Lucy had drifted off to sleep.

Holding my breath was a good idea. Not only were snores emanating from the box she rode in, but a “Eu de gut pile” with a hint of swamp muck also filled the pathfinder. Much of the ride was with the windows down

Now about Tuesday’s rabbit hunt.

I got a call this afternoon from Chamber's County road worker, Joel Welch. He had found Suzie's collars on the side of county 54.
No sign of Suzie

The good?
I'm getting the shock collar back

The betting is either Suzie is a member of a deer pack or, more likely, a tree sitter derided he didn't like hunting dogs on his property

Ok, I had to help GF paint on Saturday and couldn’t go with Brag to run the dogs. As a matter of fact, Brag couldn’t find anyone who was free to go.
Anyway, Brag stopped by “Rabbit Run” after running the “girls” at the Tuskegee National Forest and reported one really short race. The rabbit ran for only a few minutes and then straight into a hole.

He also said that our new pup, “Penny” was getting a dose of the “pine limb” when we go on Tuesday.
I noted that on Thursday’s hunt with Cuz, Plunker and Rye that Penny had taken off after what I’m assuming was trash since the other girls promptly back down the trail to me.
Brag told me that she really misbehaved on this trip, repeatedly trying to follow trails that the other girls showed absolutely no interest in.

So Penny gets the collar on Tuesday. And on Monday, I stop by Seminole Deer Processing in Phenix City (*Warning! Crass commercial message) where you get quality deer processing at affordable prices.
I plan to get a fresh deer leg from Jimmy and do a little “aversion therapy” with Penny.

who would have liked today’s hunt would have been my cardiologist, Dr. Bubba with Auburn Cardiovascular.

Up and down hills, high stepping in chest high briars and vines, Cuz, Rye, Plunker and myself cut the first circle.
We didn’t jump a rabbit till we were back at the truck. That one was less than twenty yards from where we parked.
Sigh!
We had a good thirty minute race that the girls never really lost the trail of before Cuz killed it as it sprinted down a lane heading for a wide open clear cut.

The day was shaping up fine.

he was going into gracious retirement for his 80's



Rabbit hunt tomorrow

take a kid rabbit hunting, but he hasn't had the required hunter education course?
Has a neighbor indicated interest in hunting, but needs the hunter education course?

Well, they can still get a license in Alabama to go hunting

of the, still, young 07-08 Alabama rabbit season. And the Florida Boy hadn’t been lieing. We had four good races their that morning. Even I got one, a young sager that stopped in shallow ditch with just his head and ears showing above the edge.



Penny, the newest addition took off with the pack on three different races with her high pitched voice joining in before she would break off and come back to me, trotting down the trail with a “did you see me huh did you?” attitude.
I do believe that she will make it.

Lunch was Irish stew and Jalapeńo cornbread, supplied by Tiny, camp cook and teat taskmaster.
We hunted near one of Tiny’s deer stands that afternoon. It had been thoughtfully been volunteered

like hunting rabbits all day, traipsing around, up the hills and down the hills, in briars, vines and shoulder high brush, then coming home and being met at the door by your lovely bride,

was talking to Cuz about all the rabbits he was seeing near one of his deer stands.

It's on tomorrow morning

t' shirt and cap order. And a few others. If you want to order, do so before Monday.
All but Vern and Plunker need to confirm size, color and style
T' shirts will be ordered Monday.
The caps are in.