The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-02-02
THE MULE EARED JACK RABBIT.
Exhilarating Autumn Sport In Chasing
Him on the Prairies.
Especial Correspondence

has not tried it knows what sport there
is in jack rabbit hunting on the prai-
ries. All through the autumn scores OF
feet hounds and rapid saddle ponies
arc accompanying lovers of the exhil-
arating chase to favorable starting
points ON the plains. The jack rabbit
is growing comparatively scarce, but
he seems also to be growing more
speedy. He is no more like the ordi-
nary cottontail" than the dray horse
is like the thoroughbred. His long, lean
body, well muscled and agile as cat s.,
his muleli1e ears, half as long as him
self, his kangaroo gait and tremendous
ability for getting to his destination
make him an ideal game, while with
the hunger sauce furnished by lively
days sport a rabbit potpie is delicacy
that appeals to the palate with irresis-
tible force.
Modern rabbit hunting is not like
that of the settlers. Their mongrel
dogs were at disadvantage when
pitted against the jack. Having started
their quarry, the rabbit had all the fun.
Running with short jerky gait lit
tie ways, he would stop, rise upon his
hind legs, prick up those towering ears
and watch his painting followers. Then
becoming weary of the sport he would
start in earnest. A jump, patter, a
long sailing leap-and away he flies,
apparently only touching the earth at
the high places. The ordinary dog
might as well try to capture a western
cyclone. He could do nothing but give
up the chase and with despairing yelp
return to his master, disgraced.
The real sportsmen go out with grey
hounds and racers. They go in COM
panies and mean business. They give
the rabbit some pointers on racing.
When the dogs are loosed, they know
what is expected of them, and as their
silky, slender forms move gracefully
here and there through the short, hair
like buffalo grass they are the perfec-
ton of beauty and speed. Some of them
have royal canine pedigrees that date
back for century and connect with
the famous coursers of England and
France. 1t is luxury for them to
spend some of their nervous force upon
the Kansas or Nebraska prairies, and it
furnishes exquisite sport for their own
ers and the onlookers.
When rabbit is started-and in the
less thickly inhabited prairie sections
where the sport usually takes place it is
not difficult to find such game at short
notice-there is fun for all. The rabbit
may think he has another picnic occa-
sion with a settlers mongrel cur, but
he has not. The greyhounds are eager
for the chase and are as well built for
it as the 1.-THE object they are pursuing.
The jack strikes his best gait at the first
leap. For awhile he gains on the ter
rifcally rapid followers and is mere
bobbing speck ahead. But blood and
length of limb count against him, and
the wide gaping mouths and pearly
white teeth OF the dogs gradually come
nearer. The jack is eager for hole of
some kind in which to stow his trem-
bling body. He wavers-it is fatal
strategy. The dogs close up faster, and,
dodge, turn, leap as he may, he is soon
snapped up by one of the fierce mouths
anu SOCo IulOuSh LILO anu
falls upon the grass, the loser.
The pleasure of this kind of sport is
being recognized more widely each year,
and series of coursing meetings has
enlivened the autumn. Coursing clubs
from eastern cities have loaded up
their dogs and held their meetings upon
the prairies of Dakota, Nebraska and |
X Tho har 81 lei.
doubled over last season, and the con-
tests promise to increase in popularity.
The closing meeting is that of the |
American Coursing association at Great |
Bend, which has carefully stocked pre-
serves, if so they may be called, in an
ancient basin, probably once lake bot
tom, now called the Cheyenne bottoms.
Here has been erected a commodious
clubhouse, and hundreds of spectators
gather to see the spirited trials. Dogs
are matched two and two and the win
ners against each other. The coursing
races differ from horse races in that the
interest increases as each "heat" is run,
the last determining the winner for
The whole list, Like the antelope and
he buffalo, the jack rabbit will with the
closer settlement of the plains be driven
INTO the mountains and perhaps become
'ome day "reminiscences. II is already
carce enough to make hunt enjoyable,
md sportsmen are realizing that they
lave a novel and interesting diversion
presented by this form of game seek
ng. Probably no amusement the
'rairies can now furnish is more at
ractive, and certainly no section of the
asst can in any way rival the plains in
his sport or in any one approaching it
n principle. Only the west can furnish