BIG WOODS HARE HUNTERS OF THE ALLEGHENY

The following article appeared in the

January 2023 issue of

The Rabbit Hunter

magazine.

The article is presented here for the reading pleasure of the members of

THE BIG WOODS HARE HUNTERS of the ALLEGHENY.

Healthy Forests, Abundant Game, Conservation on the Allegheny

Protecting our freedoms.

MAINE ADVENTURE 2022

writing

by

Joe Ewing

Photography

by

Brenda Ewing

and

Joe Ewing

 

For more than 30 years, these three have hunted together.

(L-R) Joe Ewing, Sr., Joe Ewing, Jr., and Andy Hoover.

 

Again this year, as we have done for the last twenty years, members of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny put together their annual pilgrimage to the Mecca of snowshoe hare hunting. We lodged at our home away from home, the Pine Grove Lodge in Pleasant Ridge Plantation, Maine. As they have done for the previous twenty years, the proprietors, Andrea and Bob Howe, treated us to the finest of accommodations and hospitality.

We’ve attempted driving straight through to Pleasant Ridge, but a 13-hour drive is no fun, even on a good day, and there have been plenty of bad days, weather-wise. We’ve been making this trip twice a year for more than 20 years through all kinds of weather without problems. However, a less-than-funny event happened on the way to Maine this year.

Traditionally we stop at a not-to-be-identified here hotel in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Our beagles sleep in boxes in the dog trucks—usually, two or more hounds in an insulated box. I could give you more details, but you get the picture.

The first part of this story is Brenda’s, but I’ll try to relay it to you with her permission. Early Sunday morning, Brenda and I were hurrying to get to the parking lot to get the dogs out so they could relieve themselves. I was in the bathroom when a knock came on the door. Brenda, thinking it was Andy, immediately opened the door. There stood two bigger-than-life, fully uniformed police officers. The first officer said to Brenda, “are you Joseph?”

“She is not Joseph,” the second officer immediately inserted. The officer continued, “we have a complaint from the hotel that your dogs were out in the cold last night, and the temperature got down to 32 degrees.” I was in the bathroom only inches from the door, not believing my ears.”

I bolted from the bathroom in my skivvies, saying, “Thirty-two is not cold. They were in boxes.”

 

Little Toby Creek Muzette Mountain Music is ready to launch off the tailgate.

One officer insisted, “They are metal boxes.”

“Insulated boxes with more than one dog in each box.”And they had their coats on. They were not cold,” I declared.”

The officers stated, “we will notify animal control to take care of the problem as we don’t handle such matters.” We thanked them, and off they went. I’ve not heard from animal control.

According to local weather records, to kick a dead horse, the low temperature on Sunday morning, October 23, never got below 39 degrees. After the long hot summer my dogs endured, 39 degrees, 32 degrees, or even 25 degrees is no doubt refreshing to them. They may even have been too warm. The temperature is not the problem.

There are too many “Karens” in this world. People who believe they know everything and, in reality, know nothing. For some unknown reason, they feel compelled to stick their noses in other people’s business, especially hunters. They mistakingly associate dogs with human traits. They associate dogs’ feelings with human feelings and animal comfort with human comfort. They mistakingly believe animals think, feel, and have emotions like humans. You will never be able to convince them otherwise.

Under the onslaught of pressure from animal rights and animal-welfare groups, state legislatures have passed laws setting up time limits or hours dogs can be outside. State legislatures set temperature limits based on random choice or a person’s whim rather than any logical, reasonable system. I voiced my opinion in an article in the August 2021 issue of THE RABBIT HUNTER magazine called “Just Me-My Opinion,” where I accused the animal-rights crowd of disguising their attacks by proposing legislation under the camouflage of “animal welfare.”

Many states have passed laws trying to restrict and abolish outside dogs. A Pennsylvania law prohibits chaining a dog to only 30 minutes if the temperature is below 32 degrees or above 90 degrees. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) professes this law they hammered (snuck) through in Pennsylvania during the Covid crisis is not intended to do away with outside dogs. As a matter of course, they are insincere. In other words, they lie. The Humane Society of the United States unstated mission is to do away with the private ownership of dogs altogether. Hunting dogs will be outlawed, and even a person’s pets will be in jeopardy.

Not only do dog laws vary from state to state, but in Massachusetts, dog laws vary from municipality to municipality. The rules are not uniform across the state. When going from town to town, the laws change drastically. Dog laws differ at the city or county level. In one town in Massachusetts, residents are only allowed to own up to three dogs, but there is no limit under state law. The bottom line, a dog owner crossing municipal lines has no idea what the rules are or what he can expect.

A recent law passed in the state of Maine compels anyone 16 years of age or older who is using a dog to hunt for bear, coyote, fox, bobcat, or raccoon; or train for bear, fox, and raccoon must obtain a Dog Training and Hunting permit. A person or persons may not use more than six dogs at any one time to hunt bear, bobcat, coyote, raccoon, and fox. Any dog engaged in the above activities must have a functioning tracking collar.

Pleasant Ridge Plantation is located in the central mountains of Maine.

 The Maine law applies only to dogs hunting for bear, coyote, fox, or raccoon; I do not understand why only these selected groups. Why were my brothers singled out? How and why were these foolish laws proposed and passed? But of f course, I know why. Laws like these are being passed to attack hunting directly.

 

“Don’t take it all for granted because it could all be taken away,” Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance.

 From Maine to Oregon, Michigan to Louisiana, animal-rights extremists are working overtime to pass harsh and horrible animal control laws. Recently, in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, a proposed “Animal Control Ordinance” seeks, among other things, to make the use of dogs while hunting a violation of the law.

 

The writer does what he does best—eating great-tasting cookies from the Pine Grove Lodge.

Many hunters claim they don’t want to get involved. Why would anyone turn their back on the sport and the animals they love?

 

All dog owners, especially those with hunting and sporting dogs, must stick together, stay vigilant, and fight against animal-rights activists (extremists) pushing anti-hunting legislation. Their objective is to outlaw hunting with dogs. Hunters and dog owners must organize as one! We unite by supporting organizations like the Sportsmen’s Alliance, the NRA, the New York Houndsmen Association, the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance, the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine, and many other freedom-fighting groups. I’m sure a group in your state needs your help. They need more than moral support. They need financial support.

 

Joe Jr. and his trophy snowshoe hare.

Sorry, I used up so many words. Sorry for the departure from my intended mission. I felt compelled to get that off my chest. I never dreamed these radical extremist ideas would slap me directly in the face.

 

How did the remainder of our Maine hunt go, you ask? It was uneventful. My pickup battery went dead. Andy put to use the jump box he carries for just such events, and I had to buy a new battery which was minor. Thanks, Andy, for bailing me out. Everything else went as smoothly as silk. Joe Jr. now resides in Florida and flew into Portland Jet Port, where we met him without a hitch. We even delivered him on time for his return flight.

When we crossed this line, we felt like we were home again.

It rained a day or two, but we never got rained out, although Brenda and I spent time in the truck. That’s the day the battery went dead. The hounds ran countless elusive snowshoe hare, just starting to molt for the winter. The hounds had no trouble finding hare and chased hard all day.

The shooters weren’t too good, though, as son Joe was the only one of us to bag a hare. He was using his .410 O/U at the time. Other times using a .410 Contender handgun and the persistent impenetrable underbrush reduced Andy and Joe’s chances and raised the difficulty factor. The snowshoe hare and the hounds would pass within feet without a sighting. The beagles got to one before the hunters could retrieve it.

Brenda and I were sitting on the tailgate when a small, not much bigger than a cottontail, hare ran under the tailgate. The little hare ran through a stone quarry, and the hounds couldn’t follow. Perhaps the little fellow holed in the rocks; however, the beagles did not know. Brenda did get a picture of the miniature hare.

The little snowshoe hare ran under the tailgate Brenda and I was sitting on and then stopped for a break.

The stone quarry the little hare used to make his escape. It may have holed in the rocks.

 

Andy deploys some excellent and well-trained beagles. Emma and Sadie were whelped at James Creek Beagles in James Creek, PA. Teagan is out of my kennel. Andy’s beagles pack up nicely with mine, making for many good runs.

 

James Creek Beagles Emma.

I cannot say enough good things about the Pine Grove Lodge. Everything, including the lodging, cuisine, and kenneling, was up to snuff. Those who have visited the Pine Grove Lodge know I’m not being disingenuous, as they say.

If you ever get a chance to visit Maine and run your beagles behind the magnificent Maine snowshoe hare, I guarantee a great adventure. We enjoyed an excellent hunt for five straight days, just like we have for the past twenty-plus years.