MERIDIAN —    A loud shot rang out and echoed through the trees. As usual, the rabbit had used his swift legs to be so far ahead of the dogs that it was merely tiptoeing along through the thick brush when it came near one of the hunters. One shot; chase ended; time to jump another one.

    We were six rabbit hunters with an even dozen beagles and we sallied forth into an eight-year-old pine plantation last Tuesday to witness the little hounds and local cottontails engage in an age-old game of chase. Quite dependably, once a rabbit had been jumped, the fleeing bunny would make a wide circle, with twists and loops thrown in at intervals, and return ultimately to his bedding area to begin yet another circle.

    Just as dependably, the dogs would affirm the route of the chase with thrilling cries that ranged from zealous grunts to piercing howls that we addicts refer to as music; the hounds’ voices offering the elements of rhythm, dynamics and emotion that rival the finest human compositions when it comes to thrills.



Perfect cover



    The pines were at the right growth stage for a chest deep tangle of blackberry vines and other brush to thrive beneath them forming an endless “home” for the mix of hillbilly and swamp rabbits. At the first release point, the dogs opened on a jumped rabbit before I could slip two number sixes into the barrels of my 12 gauge double.

    Our group bagged several rabbits in the area before lunch time. Dutifully, all 12 beagles returned to their masters when called and were secured in their boxes for a rest while we hunters lunched and visited, another reason why we feed dogs all year, get up early and negotiate mud and briars on cold February days.

    On this day we had two packs of fine dogs that packed together like field trial champions, unlike some of my dogs of 50 years ago that were culls from other hunters’ kennels. Before I got into serious rabbit chasing, I had dogs that would be far behind the leaders. I needed rabbits for our table, but my inept pack brought me embarrassment along with meat for the dumplings.

    Although beagle-type dogs have existed for over 2,000 years, the modern breed was developed in Great Britain around the 1830s. By 1887 there were 18 Beagle packs in England. The Beagle Club was formed in 1890. By 1902 the number of packs had risen to 44. Beagles were in the United States by the 1840s at the latest. The Beagle was accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1884. In the 20th century the breed has spread worldwide.



Good noses



    Alongside the Bloodhound, the Beagle has one of the best developed senses of smell of any dog. In the 1950s, John Paul Scott and John Fuller began a 13 year study into canine behavior. As part of this research, they tested the scenting abilities of various breeds by putting a mouse in a one acre field and timing how long it took the dogs to find it. The Beagles found it in less than a minute, while Fox Terriers took 15 minutes and Scottish Terriers failed to find it at all.

    The Beagle has an even temper and gentle disposition, described in several breed standards as "merry," they are amiable and generally neither aggressive nor timid. They enjoy company, and although they may initially be standoffish with strangers, they are easily won over.

    What these little dogs did for us this week in Kemper County was bring us a pile of rabbits and much fun and fellowship that translates into healthy exercise and mental well being. We ended the day with a hunt in older pines that had some hardwood breaks and brushy openings that provided almost constant hound music and more rabbits bagged. When we left the woods on this day our legs were tired and our spirits were lifted as we made plans for the next time we could gather and do it all over again.