THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 2020 ISSUE OF
The article is presented here for your reading enjoyment with the added feature of color pictures.
The article is posted here with the authority of the author.
From the World Headquarters
of the
Big Woods Hare Hunters of the
Allegheny.
EPIC ON THE ALLEGHENY
Written and Photographed
By
Joe Ewing
High HareMan
Of the
Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny
The hounds have turned. I hear them coming over the
mountain with the ringing howls of Geronimo and Sidney. The beagles are singing
together like a finely tuned duet. I hear them in the distance with their
voices ringing and echoing off the snow-clad Allegheny. There has never been a
finer song written and the melodies cannot be duplicated.
The hounds of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the
Allegheny are at it again. The pack of hare hounds are in the remote forests of
Pennsylvania on a beautiful winter day in February and it’s that time of year
we affectionately call the “extreme season”. The seven members of the Big Woods
Hare Hunters of the Allegheny standing on this mountain side live for chasing snowshoe
hare with beagles.
There can be no greater time of year to chase hare. The
“extreme season” is a true hare hunter’s dream time of year. February weather
is punishing on the Allegheny and the conditions separate the men from the boys
and hare hounds from lap dogs. The regular Pennsylvania hare season ended weeks
ago but the wily snowshoe hare seldom fails to give the hare hounds a run for
their money. If everything works out the hounds will be tested for hours on
end. No namby-pamby or wishy-washy beagles need apply. It’s all about the dogs.
Mark and Roy were the first to “Tally-Ho” this snowshoe
hare as it raced across the forest service road at full speed with the pack of
beagles hot on its trail. The hare made a 300-yard circle through parts of the
National Forest, across the ridge and back across the forest road, almost faster
than I can write this, when a mysterious call came over the two-way.
“They’re backtracking,” Mark proclaimed in his
signature ruff and gruff tone of voice.
Matt, Mark’s son, who was standing beside me, looked
at me and I at him. I don’t know what kind of expression I had on my face but
Matt’s look was one of pure astonishment.
“If my dogs are backtracking that hard, I’m going to
kill them,” I exclaimed in a non-serious metaphorical tone of voice as they
continued to pound the track back onto posted property. Later, Mark
acknowledged the hare was laying scent over scent and neither Roy nor he saw
the hare’s return trip.
Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny
members Ray Wolford (L) and Bill Moreland commence early morning preparations
prior to the opening bell of the 2006 PA snowshoe hare season.
Snowshoe hare are infamous for the tricks they play
in an attempt to confuse the hounds. The hare’s large fur covered 5 1/2-inch
back feet allow them to run at speeds of 30 or more miles per hour and turn 180
degrees at full speed in deep snow. They regularly lay new tracks over old,
repeating this antic time and time again. A snowshoe hare can jump 15 feet or
more in a single bound, leaving a great expanse of scentless snow to greet the
beagle’s keen nose. They inevitably hop out of the track, hunker down, and giggle
as the hounds race past at full cry.
The most classic hare trick I ever witnessed was
captured on video by my good friend and board member of the Big Woods Hare
Hunters of the Allegheny, Bill Moreland, as the hare calmly laid on a log as
the hounds continued their search within 10 feet of the hare. I know this to be
true because I’ve seen it. I’ve witnessed these tricks and I’ve heard the hare
snickering hundreds, maybe thousands, of times over my hare hunting career.
Picture complements of Bill Moreland VHH
A still taken from Bill’s classic video
of Mr. Hare laying on a log watching the hounds race by.
This morning the hounds scrambled off the tailgate, immediately
found a fresh track and were screaming at full cry almost instantly. The
elusive snowshoe hare took the expected course circling through the laurel
patch and headed for more open woods where he could make time and run with
ease. A fresh inch of snow overnight and temperatures of +28 degrees made the
conditions perfect for both hound and hunter.
Inside the laurel patch.
After crossing back over the forest road, the hare made
one wide swing through the laurel swamp and then took off for higher ground and
parts unknown. It didn’t take long for the chorus of barks, yips, bawling
chops and ringing howls to go silent. The mountain air became deathly quiet. The radio
signals from the hounds’ GPS collars showed nothing but question marks which denoted
the beagles were out of radio contact with the Garmin® Alpha®.
The Alpha® 100 withTT-15 dog
collar just might be the best thing to come along for houndsmen since the
beagle itself and it all functions magnificently under optimum conditions. It
has saved me countless miles on both shoe leather and truck tires. However, conditions
are not always optimal. The Allegheny Plateau is made up of deep valleys worn by
ancient mountain streams which prevent the dog collars from communicating with
the hand-held on many occasions.
There are two approaches to
the situation. My favorite being to relax and patiently wait for the beagles to
return. The hare may bring the hounds back over the mountain or if the hounds
lose the hare track, they should follow their own scent back if they have any brains.
The wait had begun.
Pennsylvania's principal land cover is forest.
These forests cover nearly 16.5 million acres or 59% of the state. Much of this
land comprises some of the most remote forestland in the eastern US. The “Wilds
of Pennsylvania” is some of that remote land and encompasses more public land
than all of Yellowstone National Park.
The licensed
hunters of Pennsylvania are the owners of 1.5 million acres of State Game Lands
(SGL). The SGLs are overseen and protected by the Pennsylvania Game Commission
(PGC) but there is more.
Pennsylvanians own 2.2 million acres
of state forest land and 121 state parks. The Pennsylvania Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) maintains, protects and oversees this
land and parks which are open for all kinds of leisure time activities.
The citizens of the United States own
another 513,175 acres on the Allegheny Plateau. The Allegheny National Forest
(ANF) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and every acre is open for hunting.
Collins Pine Company owns 175 separate tracts
totaling 126,000 acres on the Allegheny and hunting, fishing and camping
are allowed on every acre the company owns.
Today
we are chasing hare on privately owned land. Twelve million acres of forestland
is under private ownership in Pennsylvania. Penn State University conducted a
survey some years back in which they found 70-percent of private landowners
will allow hunting when asked. We always remember we are guests of the
landowner.
Public land behind this sign.
 |
| Private land behind this sign. |
Minutes
passed without a smidgeon of signal from the hounds with Matt becoming more
anxious by the second.
“I
can’t leave my dogs in the woods,” Matt anxiously exclaimed. It was only 10:00
o’clock in the morning.
The
second approach to the problem
is head for higher ground in the direction of the dogs in hopes of regaining a
signal. It was then Matt suddenly disappeared. The Alpha also tracks hunting
buddies and just as suddenly as he disappeared Matt was 900-yards down the
road. Upon his return I asked where he went so suddenly, he replied, “I had to
find a road to retrieve my beagles.”
“There aint no roads,” my only comeback. “If the dogs
aint back by dark we’ll look for ‘em then,” which was what Matt didn’t want to
hear.
By this time the hunters were gathered around the
trucks chitchatting and joking but mainly putting forth theories as to what the
heck the hounds were doing. Very unfrequently I would receive a signal from one
hound or the other and it seemed they were not moving. Time and the hounds seemed
to stand still.
Just as suddenly as Sammie had disappeared, she
reappeared on the screen at 600-yards. She was making her way back toward us
but she wasn’t tonguing. Sammie had quit the chase and was on her way back.
Within minutes Sidney and Music appeared on my screen
and Matt reported he was in contact with his beagles. Soon afterward, Kaz
reported his beagles were returning.
I, assuming Sidney and Music were quitting the chase,
reached for my horn and let out the best blast I could muster, once, twice
maybe three times.
The author, deep in snowshoe hare cover on the
Allegheny.
Wait, do I hear the hounds? I can hear beagle voices
off in the distance ever so faintly. Gradually the beagle harmonies become
louder and more distinct. It’s definitely loud-mouthed Sidney and Matt’s Mo
with an occasional Music and Poco voice thrown into the mix. Soon, the pack is
racing through the laurel patch triumphantly singing their tune.
Over the next hour or two, beagles are picked up and
leashed one at a time by whomever can grab one or two. I leashed one or two
beagles and headed for the trucks.
Sidney was the last hound still out and still in high
speed pursuit of the long running snowshoe hare. He was across the forest
service road running on ANF land 300-yards to the south. I, for some unknown impulsive
reason, jumped into my truck and took off in pursuit of Sidney. I found an oil
company lease road leading toward the hound. When I stopped the truck, climbed out
and listened, Sidney was coming closer. He passed within 56-feet of me but he wasn’t
about to quit. I pushed the tone button on the Alpha knowing he wouldn’t heed
the tone and off he went still locked on to the hare.
As I returned to the staging area six hunters were
lined up on the forest road practically shoulder to shoulder. One hunter had
spotted the snowshoe hare as it crossed the road once more. I exited my pickup
and joined the blockade. Sidney was coming closer and closer. When Sid saw the group,
he turned away, he was in no mood to give up. He’d only just begun to run. When
he heard my voice, he surprisingly came to me. Soon all hounds were loaded in
their boxes.
I’ve hunted these old hills for years. More years
than I want to say. I remember every chase and wouldn’t it be great to have
many more hare chases like todays to remember.
Before
the hunt 8 hunters enjoyed a hunters’ breakfast at the famous Kelly Hotel in
downtown Marienville, PA.
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