Hunting with Hounds

There are two main categories of hunting hounds: treeing hounds and running hounds. While many hounds possess both skills, they are usually better at one or the other because they have been selectively bred for that purpose. Treeing hounds are used on raccoons, bears, and cougars because those animals will climb up a tree when they're tired of running. I have shot a few raccoons out of trees, but I didn't like it and gave it up early on. Foxes may "go to ground" when they're exhausted and, when they do, it is customary to declare the fox as the winner. Most states do not allow hunters to dig any animal out of its hole anyway. Cottontail rabbits may go to ground as well, but snowshoe hares do not. When hunting game that does not climb trees, the hunter tries to figure out where the animal is going next and set up an ambush.

Rabbits, hares, and foxes generally run in circles, not perfect circles but, if the hounds can stay on the track long enough, the game will eventually come round to approximately where it started from. If you see a rabbit run by and are unable to shoot it, you can wait for it to come round again, but don't expect it to run exactly the same track. Foxes run much bigger circles than rabbits and, by the time they make a second circle, you and the dogs will likely be exhausted yourselves and be ready to quit for the day. Some people believe that the hounds bring the game around in a circle on purpose, but I don't think so. These animals have well defined territories, and they are reluctant to break out of them. The hounds just go where the quarry goes. One exception is, late in the season, which ends March 31 in Michigan, the male rabbits might be cruising far from their home grounds looking for new girlfriends. When pursued, they will make a beeline back to their own turf, which might be up to a mile away. Other than that, you can hunt rabbits all day in a 40 acre parcel of land. Foxes range farther, maybe within a square mile. A coyote or bear chase can easily cover 20 miles without turning around. Coyote and bear hunters usually run in packs, with each hunter working out of his own pickup truck that is equipped with a CB radio. Whoever thinks he knows where the chase is heading radios the others so that somebody might get into a position for a shot. Those long chases are exciting, but not nearly as productive as a 40 acre rabbit hunt. And yes, rabbits are good to eat.

Old Dog is right about the relationship between predator and prey populations, at least that is the currently held opinion of the experts. In the old days it was believed that, if you exterminate the predators, you will have more prey animals to hunt, and some people still believe that. Any habitat will only support so many of a given species, it's called "carrying capacity". When this capacity is, exceeded, mortality increases and some animals relocate. Human hunting pressure is just another form of predation. When the game gets scarce, hunters hunt elsewhere or quit hunting altogether.

Rabbits and hares are notorious for their extreme population fluctuations. It usually takes them from seven to ten years to cycle back again, but not this time. I understand that this has happened all over the Lower Peninsula of Michigan but, for some reason, not in the Upper Peninsula. I don't think anybody is studying this or trying to fix it. There are more deer hunters than small game hunters in the state, and our DNR mostly caters to their interests.

There are no wild moose in the Lower Peninsula. I understand that there are a few in the Upper Peninsula, but not enough to allow any kind of hunting season. There is a substantial population of moose on Isle Royale, in northern Lake Superior. The whole island is a national park and no hunting is allowed. The park is maintained as a wilderness area and Nature is pretty much allowed to take her course. There are some wolves there too, which were not deliberately introduced. It is believed they crossed over from Canada when the lake was frozen over. The wolf population has recently declined, there are only few of them left, and the moose population is eating themselves out of house and home. After considerable discussion, the wildlife people have decided to continue their "hands off" policy, at least for now.

Crackers from Mexico? How about those "wild caught" Canadian fish that come from China? I understand that the fish are indeed caught in Canadian waters, flash frozen, shipped to China for processing, and then shipped back to North American markets. I don't care if those coolies work for free, how can the fish companies afford all that shipping? The system is rigged indeed!