The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-11
HUNTING RABBITS IN THE SNOW.
An Old SpOrtsman's Pleasant Remin-
iscences of BoyhOOd Days.


From the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat
The beautiful snow of the latter part OF
the week sent all the rabbit hunters sour
rying to the fields where bunny hunts his
daily food. 1t appears that the game
Wardens over in Illinois are not very
strict with the rabbit hunters, especially
where they are the guests of native farm
ers, hence many nimrods crossed to the
other side Friday morning. There were
some fine beagles among tine motley
bunch of dogs that were led forth TO chase
the rabbits 10 their lairs. There are
thousands of st. Louis sportsmen who
would rather go on rabbit hunt when
the earth is white with snow than do any
other kind of shooting. There is some-
thing decidedly exhilaratng when the air
is bracing and the sky blue, and every
bush and bunch of grass is bending be-
meath a mantle of purity to follow we'll
broken rabbit dogs through snow-covered
fields, along the hedges, through the Sec
ond 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 boy, away down
in York state, where rabbits were not as
plentiful as they are in these parts.
through snow over a foot deep, tracking
the rabbits to their hiding places, either
in some hollow log. stone fence, or hedge.
thicket. When the cheerful morning call
announced that it showed last night"
it was a sure thing that the boys were
all up early and away to the woods and
fields. The dogs were not allowed to run
al large in a tracking snow, but held
in leash to turn loose when a rabbit 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 dark
ness filled the woods with shadows they
would tramp, dig, and delve. IL half
dozen rabbits were secured in a days
chase by a pair of boys. they were the
proudest youths in the Empire state.
Sometimes when the moon was full,
and the crust on the snow strong enough
TO bear a person, then two or three boys
would go forth together to hunt the rap
bits on these jaunts little old-fashioned
>single-barreled shotguns were used. Every
boy also took with him sheet. They
would scatter out. usually In an orchard
or In cornfields where the stalks were
stacked for winter fodder. Sometimes the
bows 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 a rabbit was killed in this way,
as IL was a sure shot at forty yards for
any OF the boys with the old-fashioned
guns that had been made over from the
muskets of the Revolution. When hunt
ing In orchards, the youngsters wrapped
the sheets about their persons and strolled
slowly through the trees. often walking
RICH up to some unsuspecting bunny i'm
dustriously biting the bark from the
Young apple tree. Many time the boys
were mistaken for ghosts by the farmers
who were not up TO the sheet method Of
hunting rabbits. There was great sport
I'm all that kind of hunting. None since
those old days and nights after the rab-
bits have ever seemed so full of exciting
exhilaration and perfect sport