NEW HARE HUNTER OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED
January 19, 2020—The Big Woods
Veteran
Hare Hunter John Zimmerman (R) accepts his official Big Woods Hare Hunters of
the Allegheny insignia and cap from the High HareMan after a snowshoe hare
chasing outing on the high plateau.
The High HareMan is honored to announce the acceptance
of John Zimmerman of Cranberry, PA. into the Loyal Order of the Big Woods Hare
Hunters of the Allegheny.
The ceremonies were held during prime hare chasing weather at a
location high on the Allegheny Plateau on private lands open to the public after
an extreme outing in search of the elusive snowshoe hare. The formalities were
held on January 19, 2020.
John is a veteran cottontail and snowshoe hare hunter having tramped the Big Woods of the Allegheny Plateau, Allegheny
National Forest, Adirondack Mountains and the Tug Hill Plateau of New York and the Great Maine Woods in search of the ever elusive lagomorph.
John is now authorized to enjoy all the rights
and privileges of a member in good standing in the Loyal Order. He will now
be granted access to all lands open to the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the
Allegheny.
Membership in the Loyal Order of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of
the Allegheny is not without effort, however, members are not solicited,
petitioned or recruited. There are no application papers or fees; however, all
candidates for membership are thoroughly vetted. No outlaws or poachers
need apply. Fellow beaglers get special consideration and dispensation.
Membership in the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny is bestowed for life.
Membership cannot be revoked.
We are the proud members
of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny. We search the mountains,
high swamps, clear-cuts and evergreen plantations of the Allegheny High Plateau
with beagles for the elusive snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Headquartered
in western Pennsylvania, high on the Allegheny Plateau, we are a band of
outdoor men and women dedicated to the preservation of one of God’s greatest
creations and one of Pennsylvania’s most elusive game animals, the majestic and
magnificent varying hare.
Founded in 2002, we are a
small, loosely organized, ever-expanding group of devoted beaglers, veteran
snowshoe hare hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, conservationists and
preservationists. We like to call ourselves “elite” mainly because we are the
select few. Few are the beaglers who dare venture onto the Allegheny High
Plateau in the bitter cold days of winter in search of the snowshoe hare making
the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny a very exclusive group to be sure.
There is no weather too severe or snow too deep to curtail our passion for the
great outdoors. We love to get out into the elements, searching the Allegheny
High Plateau for the elusive snowshoe hare, enjoying the thrill of the chase,
while taking great pleasure in the beautiful beagle music as it rings across
the scenic Allegheny.
The Big Woods Hare
Hunters of the Allegheny are dedicated to conserving and preserving the
magnificent and omnipotent snowshoe hare on the Allegheny Plateau. Our
objective is to save this magnificent animal for future generations of
Pennsylvanians to enjoy. We take great pride in our mission of conservation of
the varying hare. The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny are determined to
preserve the thrill of the chase for future generations of beaglers.
It is fitting, then, for the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny to support our youth and our veterans in the pursuit of their hopes and dreams in the great outdoors. In 2017 the Board of Directors elected to bring about creative methods of helping our youth and our veterans no matter how modest our attempts. In 2018 the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Foundation was formed.
The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Foundation takes great pride in being a silver sponsor of “Camo Cares”, a nonprofit, dedicated to sending young people with life-threatening illnesses and disabilities and wounded veterans on the hunt of their lifetime. The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Foundation has contributed more than $500 to Camo Cares. In 2020 we will strive to do better.
The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Foundation is a contributing sponsor of Fryburg Junior Marksmen and Clarion County YMCA. The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Foundation, through our Board of Directors and Officers also strive to financially support Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth Inc., Trout Unlimited, the National Rifle Association (NRA). Recently the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Foundation made a modest donation to the “Pine Grove Programs”.
Pine Grove Programs, headquartered in the great state of Maine, is a non-profit organization providing free outdoor experiences to military service members, Veterans, Goldstar families, and first responders. The Pine Grove Programs offers group events as well as private trips, to utilize the naturally therapeutic benefits of the wilderness.
It would be our hope in the future to turn our modest contributions to these worth while projects into even more beneficial contributions.
We shall always support our youth and our veterans for they are the beneficiaries who will inherit our legacy.
The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny do not harvest snowshoe hare on the Allegheny High Plateau. We search for the elusive hare with beagles and when we find their lair the beagles test the hares’ escape and evasion capabilities to the maximum and in return the hares test the beagles. Chasing hare with beagles and allowing the hare to run free is as close to catch and release as the Big Woods Hare Hunters can achieve. It’s all about the beagles and it’s all about the hare.
Many of our members have been searching for the evasive snowshoe hare with beagles on the Allegheny Plateau for more than half a century. In addition to many locations on the Allegheny Plateau, our members have hunted the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania (a province of the Allegheny plateau, see map), the western mountains and lowlands of Maine, the Adirondack Mountains, the Tug Hill Plateau of eastern New York State and many other locations for hare with beagles. Our members have been featured in many national publications, the ultimate of which is FIELD & STREAM magazine.
The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny have numerous members who are not beaglers; however, we are committed men and women who love the out-of-doors and the Allegheny. The beautiful sights, sounds, panoramic views, fauna and flora of the High Plateau are beloved by us all. The Allegheny National Forest is the crown jewel of Pennsylvania for outdoor people of all stripes.
The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny is not a club, league, group or secret society, although, we do have secrets. We are often called the “Loyal Order” because we are faithful to each other and we are devoted to the beagle breed. We are a fellowship, taking great pleasure in the communion with nature, companionship of friends and camaraderie with special people.
The loyal order has no constitution, no by-laws and no articles. The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny collect no dues, initiation or irritation fees of any kind. We have a Board of Directors, a Chaplin, a Captain, Chief of Staff, Chief Adviser and Chief Executive Officer (CEO/COO). The CEO, originally called the Chairman, is now officially titled the Chief Executive High HareMan.
We take great pleasure in listening to the beautiful beagle music as the melodious tones reverberate off the mountains, echo up the valleys, bringing back special memories of the days of our youth. When we mention we are beaglers to people we meet, they immediately relate hunting stories of days gone by, which is often. We see smiles emerge on their faces and we see warmth emerge from their hearts for the beagle breed as they relate the days of hunting with the family beagle. Sadly, those days are gone. Disappointingly, future generations may never know the great enjoyment or bask in the memories of hunting with beagles which our generation and past generations of beaglers have known.
We pray our youth will be the guardians of our hunting heritage.
