ADVENTURES BEYOND ADVENTURE!

FROM THE WILDS OF PA,

THE ALLEGHENY HIGH PLATEAU and the ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST

WHITE RABBIT HUNTING AT ITS FINEST!

ADVENTURES BEYOND ADVENTURE!

The mountains came alive on the Allegheny in March of 2018. Real winter weather set in which made for some of the finest chasing and observing of the illusive snowshoe hare for 2018 and the winter season.

Mid-March found the majestic snowshoe hare starting its semi-annual molt from white to its brown summer coat.

HERE WE WILL PRESENT OUR BEST VIDEOS AND PHOTOS.

03-17-2018 The illusive varying hare or snowshoe hare seems to be starting his molt.

This hare came down the road at full speed. I thought he was going to run me down.

Video may be enlarged by clicking on the video.

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The video below was taken in February 5, of 2018.

In the dark phase, its fur is gray-brown, darker on the rump and down the middle of the back, the throat buffy and the tail dark brown above and white beneath. In autumn, the dark hairs gradually fall out and white hairs replace them. This molt is irregular and might occur in patchwork fashion, but it usually begins on the feet and ears and works upward and toward the rear until the entire pelt is white (except the ear tips, which stay black). A complete change takes about 10 weeks. In spring, another molt occurs. This time, brown hairs replace white, starting with the head and back and ending with the ears and feet by late spring.

Cold temperatures and ground color have nothing to do with the pelt's color change. It results totally from phototropism—in other words, it depends on light. As days get shorter in fall, for instance, a hare's eyes receive light for shorter and shorter periods; this stimulates the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain. During molt, the pituitary shuts off pigment production in the new fur, which therefore grows in white. In spring, lengthening days trigger the reverse of this process. The above according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Breeding season for snowshoe hares runs from mid-March through August. Pregnancy lasts 36 days. When labor approaches, female hares become highly aggressive and intolerant of males. They go to a birthing area, where they have prepared an area of packed down grasses. Females give birth to litters of up to 8 young, although the average litter size is usually two to four young. Litters born late in the season tend to be larger than litters born in the spring. Females may have up to four litters a year, depending on environmental conditions. Males and females become mature within a year of their birth. The preceding according to the University of Michigan.

The following two videos were taken on January 20th, 2018 in the laurel patch. The first is of the hare while the second is Sammie pushing the hare along.

A majestic snowshoe hare darts across the skidder trail while trying to escape the wrath of the undaunting beagle pack.

A snowshoe hare leading the hounds on a merry chase on the high plateau of the Allegheny. The hare is molting.

This majestic snowshoe hare was watching us while we were watching him on the Allegheny.

In the swamps of the Allegheny, March 15, 2018.

This following video was taken on one of the best days of chasing the illusive snowshoe hare on the Allegheny during the extreme season of 2018.

The fresh snow on the ground and fresh snowfall throughout the day made the scenting conditions ideal for the beagles. The hounds could not be denied.

The beagles chased the magnificent snowshoe hare for seven (7) hours.

I had to intercept them to make them stop.

The hills came alive with the sounds of beagle music on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2018.

While hunting on Collins Pine Company property, the weather could not have been better. It was a great day on the Allegheny.

2018 was a great year on the Allegheny.

The trusty beagles enjoyed many great chases and the hare watchers enjoyed many "Tally Hos!"

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