Rabbit_Hunter-April_2012-Finding_Briar - Huntinghoundsmen.com

What follows is an account of one of those hunts that was one
to remember for all of the wrong reasons and for the luck that
we ended the day on. It started out well enough with my little
female Briar jumping a rabbit in a swamp. She and her littermate,
Twig, ran this bunny hard out of the swamp right to my
brother Pete. He got it with one
shot, but his gun jammed; just a
sign of things to come. After
clearing the jam, we continued
to hunt the area in a typical
manner. My dogs are very
familiar with this spot since
they’ve hunted it since they
were young dogs. In fact, they
hunted here on their first hunt,
and ran their first rabbit to the
gun in the very spot Pete had
just bagged his rabbit; lots of
history in this spot for all of us.
The cover was still very thick
and the water in the swamp and
the ditches that border the
perimeter of it had not frozen
over yet.
We had progressed to the second
part of the property without any action when Pete jumped
a rabbit along a thicket. The dogs ran it around a little pothole
and then down a fenceline towards a ditch at the end of the
woods. We fully expected to hear them turn to circle at any
moment upon hitting the ditch, but instead they seemed to be
getting further away in a straight direction. The rabbit had
crossed that ditch. This had to be the same rabbit that they had
run the previous week that jumped this ditch full of water. But
this time we were a little more prepared,
or so we thought.
Pete immediately ran for the crossover
to guard the opposite side of the ditch,
but our dad and I held back remembering
the last trip. We positioned ourselves
at either end of this ditch knowing that
as long as the dogs stayed on this rabbit,
he would come back to the ditch to cross
it. Sure enough, as Pete got in position
on the other side of the ditch we heard
the dogs start to turn in the distance. I
began scanning the pickers along the
edge of the woods in front of me across
the ditch. My dad was doing the same at
the other end. Within minutes he saw the
rabbit and made a movement which the
rabbit noticed sending him in my direction.
That rabbit probably thought that
he’d dodged the bullet when he emerged
from the pickers at the end of a large log
that had fallen across the ditch. I raised
my shotgun and pulled the trigger only
Finding Briar
By Matt Cogswell, 28653 Alvin Street, Garden City, MI 48135
The author's dad and Twig take a break
from the day's events.
The author's brother with Briar before the
day's excitement.
to have nothing happen. For those of you who have read my
articles before, you’ll recall that this has happened before with
this particular gun. It has been to a gunsmith a couple times and
since this latest occurrence has gone back to the manufacturer,
but I digress. The rabbit did not waste his good fortune and
immediately scampered across the log as I stood by dumbfounded,
but ready to throw the
gun in the ditch. It would have
been a cool video to get of the
rabbit crossing on that log, a
trick he’s obviously used before.
The dogs arrived not long after,
and we got them to cross the
ditch and then on the trail again,
but the rabbit had a good lead on
them. They ran him to the opposite
end of the woods where the
chase originated before losing
him.
My dad and I still had to get to
the other side of the ditch where
Pete waited for us to continue
the hunt after gathering the
dogs. We decided rather than
walking down to the crossover
that Pete took and then have to walk back that we would find
the narrowest point and try to jump across. I found a narrow
enough point, but it required stepping gingerly on some weeds
along the bank to avoid falling in. I did this. My dad did not.
He stepped, but not gingerly and shifted his weight too swiftly
on a soft spot. This resulted in him twisting his knee and going
over his boot in the water. I took hold of his gun so that he
could better extricate himself from the muck. After confirming
that he was all right to go on, we started
to hunt again. Finally, Twig jumped a
rabbit and both dogs ran it a long way
back across a path and through the opposite
woods. They had run straight off
again and were now out of hearing. The
rabbits here do not generally run too big,
but it’s been a strange year with the rabbits.
After several minutes of no barking
and being unable to locate the dogs I
went after them in the direction that I’d
last heard them. I found them both on
the other side of the ditch that we’d just
crossed trying to track down the rabbit.
I called the dogs in so that we could hunt
back to the original area and to the truck.
So far we’ve had two firearm failures,
an injured and wet hunter, and a wild run
that the dogs seemed confused on. How
could this hunt get any worse? Read on.
We headed out to a corner of the original
swamp that we usually save for hunting
on our way out. The dogs jumped a rabbit
in front of us in the swamp grass and

headed off as if on a normal run,
the true ditch still was ahead of
but it certainly did not end up that
me, steep sided and with a couple
way. As we moved to get into
feet of water in it. Twig stood on
position to try to intercept the rabbit
as it came around, the barking
sion over everything. I imagined
the other bank cowering in confu-
of the dogs stopped, or at least we
Briar must be somewhere doing
could no longer hear it. The wind
the same. I gently called for Twig
had picked up considerably, so we
to come across, but he was not
could not hear their bells, or any
going to come freely through so
barking. After several moments of
much water. I went down the
not hearing anything, I began to
steep bank, hoped the bottom was
worry. If they were making a
not muck that I would sink into,
check then they should open up
and took a long stride into the
soon, but it seemed to be taking
middle of the water. The bottom
longer than it should have. I
was muddy but firm, and I was
called. No bells or barking. I
able to cross in three steps with
called again with more emphasis
the water going over my knee
… still nothing. I shot my gun, an
high rubber boots the entire way.
action that always gets the dogs’
I got to the opposite side and
attention and brings them back
pulled my self up the bank to
nearly immediately, nothing after
Briar and Twig weren't this clean
where Twig waited. He let me put
several more minutes. What had
after getting lost in the woods.
the leash on him and lead him to
happened?
the edge of a nearby field where I
My mind raced through scenarios. I knew Pete was somewhere
along the hillside in front and to the left of me, and I did-
off Twig and began petting him heavily. He was very glad to
began scanning and calling for Briar as I took the shock collar
n’t hear him calling for the dogs as if he’d seen them. Did they see me. He probably thought nothing of being over there until
run the rabbit over the hillside only to bump into some bedded all the shooting and shocking started and he found no way to
deer on the other side? Would they have taken off after those get back to me, then he probably got frightened as dogs will.
deer or maybe a coyote? But I never heard them open up hot as Now Pete and dad were calling for Briar, as I had told them I
if sight chasing a deer. And I don’t think they would be that had Twig. Both shot their guns and listened. After more minutes
of nothing I tried to shock her again though I dreaded to do
interested in running a deer just off scent, not when they had
been running rabbits. I pulled out the shock collar transmitter. it. At this point I knew she was not running trash. She was
I hated to shock them if they weren’t running trash, but hitting somewhere trying to find me or running scared due to all the
them with a low setting would elicit a bark which would let me confusion, but if we didn’t know where she was, we would not
pinpoint where they were. I hit Twig first with a low setting and know which direction to move to. I hit the button and we heard
a yelp immediately came back from somewhere ahead of me in a yelp way in the opposite direction by where we had entered
the distance. I started calling non-stop. The dogs usually come the woods after coming back to this area; at least it sounded
back to me immediately after getting shocked. But I heard no that way in the wind.
approaching bell this time. I kept calling for both dogs now. Pete immediately headed that way. Dad slowly went to where
Still nothing, but then Pete must have sensed my urgency there was a chair someone had left in the woods to sit due to his
because he called too. Now I needed to confirm where Briar hampered mobility from the twisted leg. I went back down the
was. I didn’t know where or how they ended up where they ditch and crossed the water dragging Twig behind me. He was
were, but I knew Briar could get there and into trouble faster not too anxious to get in there. I passed Dad and grabbed his
than Twig, but I hated to shock her even on a low setting leash and passed Twig off to him. I told him to take his time and
because of her timid nature when it comes to such things. head out to the open field as I raced ahead to get out there. I
I hit her with a low setting, and over the wind moving all of heard Pete calling and by the time I was out through the woods
the brush I thought I’d heard her give a yelp, so I began calling and to the edge of the field he was already up on the hill overlooking
the area. He saw nothing as evidenced by his continued
in earnest again repeatedly to allow her to get a fix on my position,
but there was still nothing coming my way. I moved forward
and heard Pete call out that Twig was on the other side of looked across it to the field behind the woods we had entered
calling. I called too as loud as I could. I went to the ditch and
a large ditch that contained quite a bit of water and he wouldn’t
come back across. I made my way through the tangles all done. She must have been on the other side of the ditch with
but saw nothing. I tried to replay in my mind what she had
the while calling for Briar as loudly as I could. I had hoped that Twig, and for whatever reason they got separated enough so
she was by Twig and they were merely on the other side of the that when he got shocked he stayed where he was, but she must
ditch. But when I got to Pete and saw only Twig my heart have been moving along the ditch trying to find a way back
dropped. The task remained to first secure him before getting when I shocked her. She must have run all the way along the
after Briar.
ditch back to where we had crossed and then been in the field
I unloaded my gun and went down the ditch to where I knew when I shocked her again. But now where was she?
it narrowed and crossed it, but then I realized that what I had After several minutes of calling, my dad emerged from the
crossed was only what was draining out of the swamp and that woods and decided he was going to take Twig back to the truck

and see if maybe Briar had gone back there. I almost wished
that she would not have done that because there’s a busy road
not 50 feet from the truck. As my dad passed Pete along the
field, Pete called for me to come back to the truck to drop off
the guns and organize our thoughts. I had no other options, and
by this point I thought Briar was gone for good. For all I knew
she might have been so frightened she just kept running some
other direction out of sight and sound.
Dad had a good start on Pete and I as my brother had waited
for me to catch up. As we approached the truck, our dad was
sitting on the ground behind the truck with Twig. It did not surprise
us as his leg bothers him on a good day when he doesn’t
fall in a ditch and then dash through swamps looking for lost
Beagles. But as we walked towards them into the wind, Pete
said that Briar was there, too. I looked not believing such an
easy solution to this problem was possible and said that he was
seeing Twig there next to dad. We walked a few more steps and
Pete said again that in fact Briar was there. I looked at the
ground behind the truck and began to quicken my pace; still not
believing that Briar had found her way back there. And not only
that, but had sat there waiting for us instead of running out into
the road as cars raced by. Sure enough there on the ground was
my dad, Twig and Briar. I don’t know which of those three was
smiling more, but the smile on my face was pretty broad I now
that.
He said that when he approached the truck he saw legs hanging
down from the bumper and that he thought Pete had gone
back and hung his rabbit there. But it was Briar standing up
with her paws on the tailgate. When she saw him she went
under the truck until she saw Twig, too. Then she came out.
We’d hunted this spot so many times that it’s really not a surprise
that the dogs know their way back to the truck. But to
have the luck of her not going into the road was too much to
hope for. And also to have the sense to go back when she realized
she did not know where we were was also something I’ll
never forget. I still think she had ended up on the wrong side of
that ditch and circled the entire area and then headed back. But
we’ll never know for certain.
That evening both dogs got warm baths to wash the mud and
swamp smell off of them and some ground venison mixed in
with their dog food, that and a lot of extra petting.