PLOSKI: Good Dog + Game = Good Hunt

This Week in Outdoor Adventures I am going to talk about Rabbit and Pheasant season that opened Saturday October 24. Pheasants are plentiful this time of the season due to the fact that the Pa Game Commission stocks them in various places throughout the state. Many hunters use bird dogs to help locate the pheasant while hunting. There are various types of bird dogs that hunter’s use; Labrador Retriever’s, English Setter’s, German Shorthair’s and a number of other dog breeds. Hunting for pheasants is really enjoyable. It’s great watching a dog work a field and trying to locate the game. I was recently talking to a gentleman out at the game lands around the Cadogan area about the bird population. He stated that birds are plentiful now but predators seem to take their share throughout the season.

Hunting rabbits in the early season is very tough due to a variety of cover in all areas. This past weekend I was hunting with a couple of buddies of mine. We had a pack of 4 beagles down to help find rabbits. Hunting was tough; the rabbits can hole up and come out at night time leaving many hunters wondering where they disappeared to. In my opinion when the weathers nice out the rabbits are more difficult to locate, and when it is cold and rainy they seem to be out everywhere. Most people who hunt for rabbits use beagles. The beagles bark while on pursuit of the rabbit. The goal is to find and hopefully keep the rabbit coming back to the hunter. Most rabbits that are jumped make a circle and return back to the place they were sitting.

Next week I will get into the rut of archery season. Good luck to everyone this coming week.