This article is reprinted here from the February issue of
The Rabbit Hunter
magazine
for the reading pleasure of members of The Loyal Order of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny.
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© Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved. Used with permission of David Ferguson Design Tel: 518-534-9491 adirondackpatch@gmail.com
 Conservation of the snowshoe hare. |
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS VIDEO CONTENT.
ADIRONDACK ADVENTURE 2020
writing and photography
by
Joe Ewing
High HareMan
Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny
Adirondack snowshoe hare hunters include from left to right, back to front: Mark Baker Cranberry, PA, Joe Ewing, Roy Towner, Matt Baker, Nick Ochs Lucinda, PA, And “LT” Corso Knox, PA.
I caught a fleeting glimpse of movement on the bridge. The hounds had pushed the snowshoe hare out of the prime fir cover toward the traveled road. As a precaution, I hustled to the lightly traveled dirt thoroughfare. As I arrived, I caught that momentary glimpse. It couldn’t have been the hare. I’ve seen many nasty tricks pulled by some clever hare but never would I believe one would use a bridge to make his escape.
The beagles were stymied when they came to the dirt road. The traveled road slowed the chase significantly. As I stood on the threshold of the bridge, mixed emotions beset me. Did I want the beagles to cross the bridge? How could I even stop them? Did I want to stop them? Would the beagles run the bridge or swim the moderately wide creek? What about the current? Was it too swift? Did I want the beagles and me on the far shore while the hunting party was on the near side?
My hunting cohorts are five veteran
snowshoe hare hunters and seven beagles from Western Pennsylvania. For the
second consecutive year I’m hunting the Adirondack Mountains of New York State
as a guest of the Baker/Towner party. These extreme adventurers successfully hunt
everything from Colorado elk to Missouri ducks to Pennsylvania cottontails and
every species in between. These gentlemen are all about the outdoors. There is
never a dull moment. Possibly my four beagles are the real guests. It’s my good
fortune, honor and privilege just to be tagging along.
I didn’t wait long for answers to my questions. Hollie picked up the scent and across the bridge the pack raced. Now I knew for sure. The beagles confirmed it. The hare used the bridge to make its getaway. From the hare’s vantage point, the road and bridge undoubtedly looked the same. It was compelled to use every method of escape and evasion in its arsenal to impede its pursuers. The pack of seven unrelenting beagles stayed on the trail of the snowshoe hare. Matt and I linked up on the “wrong side” of the bridge. Hikers and their dogs interrupted the chase causing it to end abruptly. Coerced, the pack followed us back across the bridge. Over the next two days all my questions would be answered.
Here is the video.
Astonishingly, the next day the plot would repeat itself at the very same spot. It was déjà vu only this time I actually witnessed the hare running the bridge. Instantaneously and without hesitation I put the hounds on the track. Two beagles, Bo and Psycho Sid, downstream when the chase commenced in all its energized glory, chose to swim the chilly looking creek. Nick’s beagle, Bo, was swimming hard fighting the current with all his might as he slowly drifted down stream. As I watched it occurred to me, “Battling” Bo was wearing my tracking collar. In my excitement and angst, I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Swim Bo swim!” Undaunted, Bo and Sid safely made it to the far shore and linked up with the chase. The scene will stay ingrained in my memory forever.
Over
the next I don’t know how long; three hunters would join me on the far shore. The
snowshoe hare would take the beagles back and forth across the road several
times. “LT” would venture to the stream bank and unfortunately miss his shot.
Finally, with all four of us as witnesses, the hare, sticking to the stream
bank, raced back across the bridge. Both Matt and I captured video evidence. We
debated whether this hare should be allowed to live. Roy, deep in the fir
thicket, made the decision by downing the snowshoe hare dressed in her late
fall brown and white beauty.
Roy and Sammie (Wilson’s Sable Samantha) check out the Adirondack snowshoe hare.
Our not-so-primitive basecamp was located on
First Lake of the Fulton Chain Lakes just off NY Route 28 near the tourist town
of Inlet. The Fulton Chain of Lakes consists of eight lakes entertaining many
tourists during the summer season.
The Adirondack Mountains of New York is a
hunter’s paradise. One of the 50 species inhabiting
the Adirondacks is the snowshoe hare or the varying hare. It was this elusive
and magnificent animal we were hunting. New York’s small game season, unlike
Pennsylvania’s, remains open during the big game seasons. Varying hare season
in this part of New York runs from October 1st through the 3rd Sunday in March giving beaglers a tremendous
opportunity to practice their sport. Seasons vary according to “wild life
management unit”. Also, unlike PA, small
game hunting is legal on Sundays. A NY nonresident license is $100. Outfitters
and guides are readily available.
Map
compliments wikipedia
Adirondack
Park highlighted.
The Adirondack Park contains 6 million acres which includes wild forests, wilderness and primitive areas. The region abounds with unspoiled waterways, ancient forests and towering mountains. The Park’s waterways are extensive and natural featuring 3,000 lakes and ponds and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams.
In the afternoon of that first day, the hounds bounced a snowshoe hare out of its bed. With the singing pack of beagles in hot pursuit the hare raced up the valley a half- mile, raced back down through the fir thicket and across the road. The hare led the pack up the opposite mountain until the Garmin® Alpha® lost track of the hounds at the three-quarter-mile mark. The Alpha’s topo-map showed them crossing the summit at an elevation of 1900 feet and breaking over the ridge before losing the hounds. It had to be a buck. Alpha contact with the hounds was lost for what seemed like hours to the anxious beaglers.
As suddenly as the Alpha lost the hounds, they began showing up at that same three-quarter-mile mark. Who knows how far they had gone while off the grid? Were they on their way back? Minutes later the faint and welcoming sound of bawling beagles could be heard. The beagles soon came thundering through without a hunter sighting the elusive hare. The hare evaded the hunters by tiptoeing the stream bank and sneaking under the bridge. The hare continued the race through the fir thicket, short circled, ran past the parked trucks, crossed the road and proceeded back up the mountain. This old hare completed the trip two times if not three, I lost count. This hare earned the title, “Killer Hare” because it was out to kill the poor beagles by running them to death. The Killer Hare took the beagles for at least six miles before curfew was called and hounds intercepted and corralled.
Photo courtesy Matt
Baker
The Adirondack Wilderness hunting party with the author’s trophy snowshoe hare. Hunters from back to front, left to right include: Mark Baker, Joe Ewing, Roy Towner and Matt Baker. LT is behind the camera and Nick is AWOL. Beagles include: Mo, Poco, Bo, Sid, Music and Hollie. Eleven-year-old Sammie was in the box.
The Killer Hare made chumps of the hunting party and hoodwinked us at every turn while the beagles kept up their undaunted pursuit. The hare tried to run the beagles to death. We were obsessed and duty-bound to go after him the next day. Even I would strap a .410-gauge pump shotgun across my back.
Early the next morning Matt and Nick led the pack of beagles into the dense jungle-like cover in pursuit of the Killer Hare. The remainder of the party lined out on a well-used trail. Knowing the Killer Hare would race for the road and slip under the bridge I held back. I was not above ambushing this deadly killer under the bridge.
It wasn’t long before the pack of beagles were racing up the valley at full cry. The hare sprinted out 400 yards, turned and started back. I was ready. I knew he would head for the road but at 200 yards it turned and ran back up the valley with the hounds never letting up. It completed short circle after relatively small circle compared to the Killer Hare. This was not the Killer Hare. This hare was running more like a doe. As I inched my way up the trail a shot rang out but no account of a kill was reported. I came upon Roy and he confirmed LT had missed. I removed the .410 strapped across my back, loaded three three-inch shells packed with six shot and stood ready. The hounds were coming.
Forty yards out the beagles came booming across the ridge and continued down the valley. But wait, movement, the hare had circled back. A quick look at the white hare, but just a glimpse. I needed a better look. I believed he stopped under a small pine tree but could I really see it? For a fleeting second, I thought about taking a random shot at the pine tree. The hounds passed by without incident.
I elected to move up the trail past Mark and LT. Probably an unscrupulous move on my part as I reflect back. I’ll apologize sometime. The hounds were pushing the hare in my direction. Suddenly, the hare appeared running straight at me, my worst shot. I pulled the .410 to my shoulder, flipped off the safety and squeezed. The hare was unfazed. I pumped another round into the chamber and pulled. Unfazed still, the hare continued its advance toward heavier cover. One round left, I took aim and pressed. I lost track of the hare in the dense cover. The beagles were close. I wanted to get to the hare first whether he was dead or wounded.
The hounds and I arrived about the same time. Instantly, Hollie found the hare but she refused to give it up. Up the trail she pranced in all her glory. Eventually and reluctantly, she surrendered the dead hare over to Roy. What an outstanding chase it had been. The beagles did an awesome job. Unfortunately, and much to my chagrin it wasn’t the Killer Hare.
The beagles, gaining more experience with every chase, did an outstanding job far above the call of duty. The hard work and training the beagles put in paid off far beyond what could be expected. We enjoyed four days of unsurpassed action-packed wilderness snowshoe hare hunting. A video of the exciting bridge hare can be seen on Facebook/BigWoodsHareHunters or on YouTube.
