GROUNDHOG DAY HARE HUNT

GROUNDHOG DAY SNOWSHOE HARE HUNT ON THE ALLEGHENY WITH THE ROCKTON MOUNTAIN BOYS

February 2nd, 2022

BIG WOODS HARE HUNTER MAKES PA OUTDOOR NEWS

 BIG WOODS HARE HUNTERS OF THE

 ALLEGHENY

MASTER HARE HUNTER,

 ANDY HOOVER,

 APPEARS IN

PENNSYLVANIA OUTDOOR NEWS

February 18th, 2022 issue

The article appears in the "Mixed Bag" column on page # 6.

The Executive Board and Members wish to graciously thank Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny Publicity Director, Mary Hosmer, for her work in getting the word out concerning the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny. -HH 

PROSPECTIVE MEMBER

 YOUNG HUNTER SIGNIFIED AS PROPECTIVE MEMBER

(above L-R) The High HareMan, Jackson Baker and Mark Baker.

February 1, 2022--Jackson Baker (center above) was awarded a Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny hare hunter cap after taking his first step in the process of becoming a full member in the Loyal Order.

On Tuesday, February 1st., Jackson Baker and his grandfather, Mark Baker, entered the Big Woods of the Allegheny in search of the magnificent varying hare, AKA snowshoe hare. Jackson and Mark were accompanied by Roy Towner and four beagles owned by Joe Ewing. The beagles of Little Toby Creek Kennels struck a hare soon after entering the cover and the chase was on for several hours with Jackson witnessing his first snowshoe hare in the wild. It was impressed upon Jackson that he is one of the few people in world, let alone Pennsylvania, to witness the very secretive and elusive, majestic and omnipotent snowshoe hare.

Upon completion of the hunt, Jackson was awarded a hare hunter cap signifying the rare opportunity of becoming a full fledged member of the elite Loyal Order of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny.

The members are looking forward to Jackson's next visit to the hare woods and his induction as a full member in the Loyal Order. Jackson is the youngest person ever proposed as member.   

The High HareMan, Joe Ewing, congratulates Jackson Baker on becoming a prospective member of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny with his grandfather, Mark Baker, witnessing the event.

HARE HUNTER IN KANE NEWSPAPER

 Hare Hunter in Kane (PA) Newspaper.

The article (below) was featured in The Kane Republican on Friday, February 4th, 2022.

INTRODUCING NEWEST MEMBER

BIG WOODS HARE HUNTERS OF THE

 ALLEGHENY ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE

 OUR NEWEST MEMBER.

L.T. after a day's snowshoe hare hunt in the Adirondacks of New York

On February 1, 2022,

in a remote setting in the Allegheny National Forest,

L. T. Corso,

of Knox, PA,

was welcomed into the

LOYAL ORDER

of the

Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny

as a full member.

A veteran of the Marine Corp, L. T. is a veteran hunter and outdoorsman and hare hunter having searched for the elusive and majestic snowshoe hare across Pennsylvania and New York.

The hand of welcome and fellowship was extended by the High Hareman with Members Mark Baker and Roy Towner as witnesses.

L.T. being welcomed by the High HareMan into the Loyal Order while
Mark and Jackson Baker look on.

OUR STORY

written by Joe Ewing

High HareMan

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 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, search 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.

Six members of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny stand on a mountain side in the Western Mountains of Maine on a beautiful March afternoon in 2010. 

From left to right: the late Jim Hanson, Chaplin and Board Member Wayne Wilson, Joe Ewing, High HareMan, Andy Hoover, Chief of Staff, Ray Wolford, Board Member and Board Member and Captain Jim “Kaz” Kazmarek.

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 the members have been chasing the evasive snowshoe hare with beagles on the Allegheny Plateau for what will soon be 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. Many members have been featured in this magazine and major outdoor national publications like FIELD & STREAM magazine.

March of the Snowshoes: 4 Days of the Craziest Rabbit Hunting in the World

BY T. EDWARD NICKENS MARCH 12, 2014

In March of  2013 members Andy Hoover, Wayne Wilson and the High HareMan hunted with T. Edward Nickens, editor at large for FIELD & STREAM MAGAZINE.

Ed's article was published in the March 2014 issue of the magazine and can be found @ https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2014/03/march-snowshoes-rabbit-hunting-maine 

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 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, Chaplin, Captain, Chief of Staff, Chief Advisor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO, originally called the Chairman, is now officially titled the Chief Executive High HareMan.

In 2010 Kaz is elevated to the position of Captain of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny as the High HareMan pins on his Captain bars.

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, Chaplin, Captain, Chief of Staff, Chief Advisor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 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, which is often, they immediately relate hunting stories of days gone by. 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.