THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 2020 ISSUE OF

The article is presented here for your reading enjoyment with the added feature of color pictures.

The article is posted here with the authority of the author.

From the World Headquarters of the

Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny.

EPIC ON THE ALLEGHENY

Written and Photographed

Joe Ewing

High HareMan

Of the

Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny

Snowshoe hare in the laurel patch listens for the hounds.

The hounds have turned. I hear them coming over the mountain with the ringing howls of Geronimo and Sidney. The beagles are singing together like a finely tuned duet. I hear them in the distance with their voices ringing and echoing off the snow-clad Allegheny. There has never been a finer song written and the melodies cannot be duplicated.

The hounds of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny are at it again. The pack of hare hounds are in the remote forests of Pennsylvania on a beautiful winter day in February and it’s that time of year we affectionately call the “extreme season”. The seven members of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny standing on this mountain side live for chasing snowshoe hare with beagles.

There can be no greater time of year to chase hare. The “extreme season” is a true hare hunter’s dream time of year. February weather is punishing on the Allegheny and the conditions separate the men from the boys and hare hounds from lap dogs. The regular Pennsylvania hare season ended weeks ago but the wily snowshoe hare seldom fails to give the hare hounds a run for their money. If everything works out the hounds will be tested for hours on end. No namby-pamby or wishy-washy beagles need apply. It’s all about the dogs.

Mark and Roy were the first to “Tally-Ho” this snowshoe hare as it raced across the forest service road at full speed with the pack of beagles hot on its trail. The hare made a 300-yard circle through parts of the National Forest, across the ridge and back across the forest road, almost faster than I can write this, when a mysterious call came over the two-way.

“They’re backtracking,” Mark proclaimed in his signature ruff and gruff tone of voice.

Matt, Mark’s son, who was standing beside me, looked at me and I at him. I don’t know what kind of expression I had on my face but Matt’s look was one of pure astonishment.

“If my dogs are backtracking that hard, I’m going to kill them,” I exclaimed in a non-serious metaphorical tone of voice as they continued to pound the track back onto posted property. Later, Mark acknowledged the hare was laying scent over scent and neither Roy nor he saw the hare’s return trip.

Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny members Ray Wolford (L) and Bill Moreland commence early morning preparations prior to the opening bell of the 2006 PA snowshoe hare season.

Snowshoe hare are infamous for the tricks they play in an attempt to confuse the hounds. The hare’s large fur covered 5 1/2-inch back feet allow them to run at speeds of 30 or more miles per hour and turn 180 degrees at full speed in deep snow. They regularly lay new tracks over old, repeating this antic time and time again. A snowshoe hare can jump 15 feet or more in a single bound, leaving a great expanse of scentless snow to greet the beagle’s keen nose. They inevitably hop out of the track, hunker down, and giggle as the hounds race past at full cry.

The most classic hare trick I ever witnessed was captured on video by my good friend and board member of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny, Bill Moreland, as the hare calmly laid on a log as the hounds continued their search within 10 feet of the hare. I know this to be true because I’ve seen it. I’ve witnessed these tricks and I’ve heard the hare snickering hundreds, maybe thousands, of times over my hare hunting career.

Picture complements of Bill Moreland VHH

A still taken from Bill’s classic video of Mr. Hare laying on a log watching the hounds race by.

This morning the hounds scrambled off the tailgate, immediately found a fresh track and were screaming at full cry almost instantly. The elusive snowshoe hare took the expected course circling through the laurel patch and headed for more open woods where he could make time and run with ease. A fresh inch of snow overnight and temperatures of +28 degrees made the conditions perfect for both hound and hunter.

Inside the laurel patch.

After crossing back over the forest road, the hare made one wide swing through the laurel swamp and then took off for higher ground and parts unknown. It didn’t take long for the chorus of barks, yips, bawling chops and ringing howls to go silent. The mountain air became deathly quiet. The radio signals from the hounds’ GPS collars showed nothing but question marks which denoted the beagles were out of radio contact with the Garmin® Alpha®.

The Alpha® 100 withTT-15 dog collar just might be the best thing to come along for houndsmen since the beagle itself and it all functions magnificently under optimum conditions. It has saved me countless miles on both shoe leather and truck tires. However, conditions are not always optimal. The Allegheny Plateau is made up of deep valleys worn by ancient mountain streams which prevent the dog collars from communicating with the hand-held on many occasions.

A few minutes passed with no signal coming from the hounds. It was apparent by looking at the topo map on the Alpha’s screen the dogs were on the other side of the mountain in steep terrain. They’d vanished at the 8-tenths of a mile mark. Matt was getting noticeably more nervous and anxious by the minute.

There are two approaches to the situation. My favorite being to relax and patiently wait for the beagles to return. The hare may bring the hounds back over the mountain or if the hounds lose the hare track, they should follow their own scent back if they have any brains. The wait had begun.

Pennsylvania's principal land cover is forest. These forests cover nearly 16.5 million acres or 59% of the state. Much of this land comprises some of the most remote forestland in the eastern US. The “Wilds of Pennsylvania” is some of that remote land and encompasses more public land than all of Yellowstone National Park.

The licensed hunters of Pennsylvania are the owners of 1.5 million acres of State Game Lands (SGL). The SGLs are overseen and protected by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) but there is more.

Pennsylvanians own 2.2 million acres of state forest land and 121 state parks. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) maintains, protects and oversees this land and parks which are open for all kinds of leisure time activities.

The citizens of the United States own another 513,175 acres on the Allegheny Plateau. The Allegheny National Forest (ANF) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and every acre is open for hunting.

Collins Pine Company owns 175 separate tracts totaling 126,000 acres on the Allegheny and hunting, fishing and camping are allowed on every acre the company owns.

Today we are chasing hare on privately owned land. Twelve million acres of forestland is under private ownership in Pennsylvania. Penn State University conducted a survey some years back in which they found 70-percent of private landowners will allow hunting when asked. We always remember we are guests of the landowner.

Public land behind this sign.

Private land behind this sign.

Minutes passed without a smidgeon of signal from the hounds with Matt becoming more anxious by the second.

“I can’t leave my dogs in the woods,” Matt anxiously exclaimed. It was only 10:00 o’clock in the morning.

The second approach to the problem is head for higher ground in the direction of the dogs in hopes of regaining a signal. It was then Matt suddenly disappeared. The Alpha also tracks hunting buddies and just as suddenly as he disappeared Matt was 900-yards down the road. Upon his return I asked where he went so suddenly, he replied, “I had to find a road to retrieve my beagles.”

“There aint no roads,” my only comeback. “If the dogs aint back by dark we’ll look for ‘em then,” which was what Matt didn’t want to hear.

By this time the hunters were gathered around the trucks chitchatting and joking but mainly putting forth theories as to what the heck the hounds were doing. Very unfrequently I would receive a signal from one hound or the other and it seemed they were not moving. Time and the hounds seemed to stand still.

Just as suddenly as Sammie had disappeared, she reappeared on the screen at 600-yards. She was making her way back toward us but she wasn’t tonguing. Sammie had quit the chase and was on her way back.

Within minutes Sidney and Music appeared on my screen and Matt reported he was in contact with his beagles. Soon afterward, Kaz reported his beagles were returning.

I, assuming Sidney and Music were quitting the chase, reached for my horn and let out the best blast I could muster, once, twice maybe three times.

The author, deep in snowshoe hare cover on the Allegheny.

Wait, do I hear the hounds? I can hear beagle voices off in the distance ever so faintly. Gradually the beagle harmonies become louder and more distinct. It’s definitely loud-mouthed Sidney and Matt’s Mo with an occasional Music and Poco voice thrown into the mix. Soon, the pack is racing through the laurel patch triumphantly singing their tune.

Over the next hour or two, beagles are picked up and leashed one at a time by whomever can grab one or two. I leashed one or two beagles and headed for the trucks.

Sidney was the last hound still out and still in high speed pursuit of the long running snowshoe hare. He was across the forest service road running on ANF land 300-yards to the south. I, for some unknown impulsive reason, jumped into my truck and took off in pursuit of Sidney. I found an oil company lease road leading toward the hound. When I stopped the truck, climbed out and listened, Sidney was coming closer. He passed within 56-feet of me but he wasn’t about to quit. I pushed the tone button on the Alpha knowing he wouldn’t heed the tone and off he went still locked on to the hare.

As I returned to the staging area six hunters were lined up on the forest road practically shoulder to shoulder. One hunter had spotted the snowshoe hare as it crossed the road once more. I exited my pickup and joined the blockade. Sidney was coming closer and closer. When Sid saw the group, he turned away, he was in no mood to give up. He’d only just begun to run. When he heard my voice, he surprisingly came to me. Soon all hounds were loaded in their boxes.

I’ve hunted these old hills for years. More years than I want to say. I remember every chase and wouldn’t it be great to have many more hare chases like todays to remember.