I no mighty hunter...

BBQJOE

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Sep 25, 2015
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Grrrrrrr.... Typo in title.
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I have an old Jackuahuah, she's probably 9. My male Russell is 8 mo.
I've never trained a dog to hunt, but I've trained dogs to do many other things.

I've decided I want to get into some hunting, and want my little buddy Axle to be my hunting buddy.

Yesterday, I took thing one and thing two out for a stroll with my 20 gauge coach s/s.
I had one shot and missed. Thing one isn't afraid of firearms, whereas thing two has never heard a shot until yesterday. He didn't seem phased by it.

I took them both out again today. Thing one stayed with me, but thing two beat it for home as soon as we got to the scrub brush.

I've never really hunted before, but with 80 acres, and lots of critters, I figger now's about as good as any time to start
Thing one is a rat hunter, and hates the daylights out of them. She'll catch one, snap its neck, one bite to the genitals, and she's done with it. But she's never tasted wild game.
She's always on the hunt, but I'm never sure she know what she's looking for.
It was rather enjoyable on a cloudy, drizzly day walking around with a shot gun in my hands, keeping an eye on the brush around me

After a few days of rain the desert takes on a fresh new smell, and things start springing to life. Some of the cactus are already blooming, and the quail have returned, but that's another hunt for another day. With the smell of freshly washed desert in my head we ambled on.

I recently read that a good hunting technique for rabbit is not to be silent, but walk at a normal pace. It said to walk 20 or 30 feet, and pause for 30-seconds to a minute. Sometimes they'll think you spotted them and make a break for it. I guess they're quite paranoid.
All of a sudden the first contestant sprang up and made a mighty high tail for it, and I missed. I watched as its little white tail disappeared in the brush. I was a little too anxious I guess.

We walked a little further before number two jumped out and began to ran, I anticipated a zig when I should have gone with a zag, and missed that one too.
Determined not to go home rabbitless, we marched on. The jackhuahua wasn't sure whether to follow, lead, or stay by my side, so she did all three. She's been a good old dog I guess, but she's gotten grouchy now with two new members in the house, she may be queen, but has lost most of her say in anything, except where she sleeps.

Number three shot out from a bank of boulders, and I kept a good eye on him. He headed into a small bush and hid. Unfortunately for him, his curiosity got the better of him as he poked his head out to see if it was clear.
It wasn't.

I picked him up hunter/cartoon style by the ears and strutted home proud of my kill. I showed it to thing one, who has been almost T-boned a dozen times by rabbits while running down the road. I'm thinking she must be nose blind to bunnies, or they don't smell enough like rats for her to bother with them.
I got back to fort Joe (that's what I call home) and was immediately met by Axle (thing two). I showed him the rabbit, and he almost seemed a little frightened. I let him get a good smell though as I laid it on the ground before him. I wanted him to remember the scent. I also wanted him to have a good look at it.
After a few more sniffs, he got rather excited, grabbed it by the rear leg, and was going to run off with it. I might have, except I had to have a dog irrigated once because it found a rabbit and got impacted by all the fur.

I took the rabbit back, laid some news paper and some cardboard down and began to clean it. It's kinda funny, after cleaning my first chicken a few weeks back, I'm not grossed out at all like I used to be about these things.Maybe it's the mountain man/survivalist in me, I'm not certain.
I saw on a video that some folks start with the ears. I sliced off the ears and fed each of them one. They were a little apprehensive at first, a few seconds later they were gone.
The video also showed how to skin, gut, and part it out, so I proceeded with the procedure. Axle climbed onto the table to thoroughly investigate my butchering skills, (which have a little ways to go). I removed the forearms, and gave each a little drummy, which they crunched right down. I had also read that if bones are fed raw instead off cooked, they don't splinter. I had intended in boiling the critter up, but that changed my mind.
I split it open and was immediately able to locate the liver. Upon inspection there were no signs of damage, or white spots. I split the liver into pieces, and I know for certainty these dogs have a pension for liver, and that too was gone in a flash.

Fortunately like on most animals, most things come in at least twos, so as I cut each corresponding part, I fed it to my patiently waiting friends.
It wasn't a big rabbit, and would have been barley a snack for two people, but it seemed just about right for these two, and before you know it, there was nothing but offal and fur left.
It was still drizzling, and I was getting cold. In the excitement of it all I left my shotgun on the table and it was getting wet too.
I gathered up the leftovers, bagged them, tossed them into the truck with the rest of the garbage and I headed inside to get dry and wipe off my gun.

I gave them a little while longer out in the weather, just to be sure everything stayed down. It appears that it did.
I let the dogs in, changed clothes, dried them off, and started dinner.

Not 5 minutes later I turned to see them both snuggled in their beds sleeping right in front of the fire I had built before we headed out.

I will file today under a success, as well as a great day to be on this side of the grass, and I thank the Lord for each one I get these days.

I can't wait until the next hunt.
 
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Next time do not feed that whole rabbit to your dog's. Beer batter it and fry it up. Rabbit is my favorite meat of all time. I would raise them for eating but they are too fool cute, I am afraid I could not kill one after I raised it. But wild tastes just fine ;)
 
Next time do not feed that whole rabbit to your dog's. Beer batter it and fry it up. Rabbit is my favorite meat of all time. I would raise them for eating but they are too fool cute, I am afraid I could not kill one after I raised it. But wild tastes just fine
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I get it.But the whole thing was for training purposes, and I love my dogs.
 
Next time do not feed that whole rabbit to your dog's. Beer batter it and fry it up. Rabbit is my favorite meat of all time. I would raise them for eating but they are too fool cute, I am afraid I could not kill one after I raised it. But wild tastes just fine ;)

I get it.But the whole thing was for training purposes, and I love my dogs.

:D Next time
 
I've always enjoyed hunting with dogs,much more exciting, whether its rabbit,deer,or my favorite hogs. If you want to train your dogs on a certain critter, train by playing. Next rabbit keep the whole head, tie a thin rope (I use hay bale twine) thru the ears so its really secure tie other end to an old fishing rod and tease the dogs with it, jump it around really get them in on the 'game' let them win occasionally by 'catching' it give them lots of praise and have a saying when you go on a hunt , like 'get them bad bunnies'!! You can do this with a deer leg piece, hog foot,whatever. Good workout and a hilarious show for company I've been told. Have fun with it.
 
I've always enjoyed hunting with dogs,much more exciting, whether its rabbit,deer,or my favorite hogs. If you want to train your dogs on a certain critter, train by playing. Next rabbit keep the whole head, tie a thin rope (I use hay bale twine) thru the ears so its really secure tie other end to an old fishing rod and tease the dogs with it, jump it around really get them in on the 'game' let them win occasionally by 'catching' it give them lots of praise and have a saying when you go on a hunt , like 'get them bad bunnies'!! You can do this with a deer leg piece, hog foot,whatever. Good workout and a hilarious show for company I've been told. Have fun with it.
I'm looking forward to this challenge.
 

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