When Friends Go Hunting

The sun was up and the wind was blowing….nothing new for this winter here in Central Virginia.

On Saturday February 12^th Forum member Backdraft94 (“BD”) and I had invited some other Talk Hunting Forum members to hunt some bunnies on property BD has leased through this spring.

I loaded up three Beagles, Rugar, Flipper, and her brother Digger with their hunting collars on in crates. Which were in my compact car as soon as all my boarding kennel duties were complete. I pulled into our prearranged meeting place at about 11:30 am. Waiting for me there were forum members BlackAdder, Mac0823, BLUETOE, and sirrobinhood along with our running grounds host BD. We waited at our meeting place until noon for anyone else who might be coming and then we caravan'ed to the grounds.

As I said the sun was bright and the wind was blowing. It had rained and snowed earlier in the week and the mud was slick and thick!!

I unloaded the dogs and we walked them into the center of the property and took off their leashes. The beagles immediately wentto work with their noses down trying to jump up any bunnies in the area. BD and I worked the dogs into the woods and around the brush piles looking for Mr. Bunny. Mac0823 joined us in the woods and we worked down a small ridgeline. BD and I slowly worked our way to the roadbed about 200 yards ahead and we joined the rest of our party without a hit by the dogs on a rabbit track.

Everyone but Mac0823 was standing on the road and not wanting to move off into another direction without our entire party present we waited for Mac. THEN, Mac strolls out of the woods holding up a young possum by the tail, AND yes it was alive but “playing possum”. Unfortunately, that was the only game we all had the chance to see that day. Placing the possum up in a tree we moved onto other areas of the property.

The dogs struck a track and tried to work it out but it was an older track and they only took it 50 yards searching before they stopped barking and went to look for another.

I had a great time and I think everyone else enjoyed their time in the woods too, but no rabbits were jumped, two tracks were found and verbally worked by the beagles. We all promised to get together again and give it another try and plans were discussed about the possibility of a hog hunting adventure together this summer.

Everything going on with the forum was discussed as well as a few great and amusing hunting stories were told, how tall the stories might have been I will leave up to everyone’s imagination.

If you do not belong to the forum side of Talk Hunting, join and then become part of the fun. I have attended many functions with my fellow members and every encounter has been enjoyable. I always try not to miss any meetings or gatherings if it is at all possible.

Pictures: BlackAdder w/beagles, Mac0823 w/possum; close up possum