Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09
RABBIT HUNTING IN THE SNOW.
An Old SpOrtsman's Pleasant Rem N is
cences of BOyhOOd Days.

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
The beautiful snow of the latter part of
the week sent all the rabbit hunters scurry-
ing to the fields where bunny hunts his
daily food. 1t appears that the game war
dsns over in Illinois not very strict with
the rabbit hunters, especially where :hcY
are the guests Of native farmers, hence
many nimrods crossed to the other side
Friday morning. There were some fine
beagles among the motley bunch Of dogs
that were led forth to chase the rabbits TO
their lairs. There are thousands of s.
Louis sportsmen who would rather go on a
rabbit hunt when the earth is white with
snow than do any other kind of shooting.
There is something decidedly exhilarattng
when the air is bracing and the sky blue,
and every bush and bunch OF grass is bend
ing beneath mantle of purity, to follow
well-broken rabbit dogs through snow-cor-
cred fields, along the hedges, through the
second growths and down into the ravines,
where the little brown fellows cuddle be-
meath some bush or log.
1t is easy to tell where the rabbits have
stirred about directly after the snow has
ceased to fall. When the moon is out The
Dummies play about in the snow, and seem
to enjoy the sport like schoolboys. A dim
recollection comes back to the writer OF
many long tramps, as a bay, away down in
York state, where rabbits We're not pleu-
tiful as they are in these parts, through
siic" over d lOol uttp. l1lf
to their hiding places, either in some hollow
log, stone fence, or hedge thicket. When
the cheerful morning call announced that IL
showed last night" it was sure thing
that the boys were all up early and away
to the woods and fields. The dogs we're not
allowed to run at large in tracking snow,
but held in leash to turn loose when 4 rab-
bit was started from a brush pile and made
away for new cover. Boys did not use guns
in rabbit hunting In those days. The old
dog and a stick was all that went with
them. 1t was hard work, but the boys Of
the western New York farms didn't care.
From blush of morn until darkness filled
the woods with shadows they would tramp,
dig and delve. If half dozen rabbits were
secured in days chase by a pair of boys,
they were the proudest youths in the em-
pire state.
Sometimes when the moon was full. and
the crust on the snow strong enough TO
bear person, then two or three boys would
go forth together to hunt the rabbits. On
these jaunts little old-fashioned single-ba--
relied shotguns were used. Every boy also
took with him a sheet. They would scat
ter out, usually In an orchard OF in cora
fields, where the stalks were stacked for
winter fodder Sometimes the boys would
make a snug cover in the stalk stack and
just sit still until the rabbits began to come
forth to play about on the crust or seek for
food In the stacks. Many rabbit was KILL
ed In this way, as 1T was a sure shot at
forty yards for any of the boys with tho
old-fashfoned guns that had been made over
lTom lHe HuSketS tne TeVOlutlOD. w nen
hunting In orchards the youngsters wrap
ped the sheets about their persons and
strolled slowly through the trees. often
walking right up to some unsuspecting bum
ny industriously biting the bark from tho
young apple tree. Many a time the boys
were mistaken for ghosts by the farmers
who were not up to the sheet method II
hunting rabbits. There was great sport in
all that kind Of hunting. None since these
old days and nights after the rabbits have
ever seemed SO full Of exciting exhiaration
and perfect sport.