Note from Corky Pugh of Hunters United Now and Tomorrow (H.U.N.T) Alabama.  H.U.N.T. is an advocacy group that lobbies in the Legislature for sound public policy on hunting issues.

<i>Louie,
Late yesterday afternoon, the February bill in the House came up for a vote.  It was soundly voted down, failing to even get past the stage of a BIR (Budget Isolation Resolution) vote, which is required procedurally for a bill to be brought to the body for a vote.  The champions of the common man in this matter were Speaker Mike Hubbard, Reps. Chad Fincher, Randy Davis, Thomas Jackson, and others.  These statesmen clearly understand that the Legislature does not want to wade off into the quicksand of tinkering with seasons and limits.

Sometimes the process actually works.  Don’t underestimate your impact in coming to Montgomery to testify.  The Senate bill is still viable, so……..

Ever vigilant.              Corky
</i>

Remember, if you live in Tom Whatley’s district, remember to vote against him in the next election cycle

Instead, the version sent to the full Senate for debate calls for the season to end statewide every Feb. 13 and be in effect only on private land.
And if you live in Tom Whatley’s district, member to vote against him in the next election cycle

HB440 was sponsored by Representative Harry Shiver (R)
(Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia, and Monroe)

SB359 was sponsored by Senator Tom Whatley (R)
(Lee, Russell, Tallapoosa)

We need to remember these two when election time rolls around. So, if you are a small game hunter, married to a deer hunter and getting sick and tired of the time 4 months spent away or just think that everyone deserves a chance to utilize our wildlife, remember to vote. I know that Tom Whatley needn’t expect me and mine’s vote. I never thought I would see the day I would favor  a democrat over a republican, but there it is

I received this update from Corky Pugh of H.U.N.T.   after the open hearing on HB440

The fact that the bill was carried over is a very good thing.  You did a very good job yesterday;  as I told you, the members of the legislature listen to somebody like you more than they listen to Tim Gothard or me.  I talked to Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey today about the Senate bill, and she has a very clear understanding of the problems associated with legislatively established hunting seasons.  There are lots of high priced lobbyists hovering around the season bill and the bait bill–ALFA and others at work.
The meeting was interesting
A representative of the National Wildlife Association spoke in opposition. Not a member, a representative.
Corky Pugh spoke in opposition
Then a businessman spoke in favor, if not the whole state then at least half the state and if not half the state then at least around his business which was putting on deer shoots.
Then I mumbled and stuttered through my spiel.
Then Rep Shiver spoke. Most of what he said was this thing has been studied to death and the CAB (conservation advisory board) still wouldn’t do anything. I think the “anything” he was talking about was giving him what he wanted. And since they didn’t, they weren’t doing anything. He also called for members of the CAB to be replaced by some people who would.

Those Alabama politicians meeting in Montgomery, Alabama  are at it again, trying to extend deer season into February

rimfire,
Just wanted to be sure y’all knew about the public hearing tomorrow in the Alabama legislature regarding HB440 by Representative Shiver.  The bill extends deer season two weeks into February and excludes “hunting with dogs”.  I testified against the companion bill in the Senate March 7th, and reminded the members of the committee that there are over 18,000 rabbit hunters and 37,000 squirrel hunters in Alabama.  They postponed any vote on the bill that day.  As you know, it is a huge step backwards for the legislature to start setting seasons by statute. The public hearing is at 11:00a.m. in room 418 of the statehouse.
Ever vigilant,
Corky Pugh

A paraphrase of the email I sent to the Senate  agriculture committee on SB 359 and the House committee on HB 440

1. It would end small game hunting in Alabama.
2. It would establish a precedent of lawmakers bypassing established boards who consider all aspects of usage in favor of political gain by favoring one group over another.
3. It would ignore the CAB and Natural Resources recent study, which I strongly encourage you to read

http://outdooralabama.com/hunting/Alabama%20Extended%20Deer%20Season%20Committee%20Report%20-%20December%202011.pdf

4. It would preempt the study on fawn mortality that is underway
5. Contrary to the opinion of many, wildlife does not belong to the landowner or lease holder. Wildlife belongs to all the citizens of Alabama. Our  hunting numbers are dwindling as the cost of hunting leases skyrocket. This bill will drive myself and others from the sport and turn us against hunting in general I believe that eventually we will reach a point where hunting seasons, if allowed, are under the control of urban politicians or the populace at large

is in the history books.

We ended it yesterday, 29 February, at Tuskegee with Brent, his godfather Dwight, Plunker and myself, rimfire.

Top dogs
11 year old Hammering Kate

and 1 1/2 year old Teddy NoPass

Final Score
Brent 3
rimfire 2
Dwight 1
Plunker, well you know we don’t keep up with such.

Details will follow after cleaning guns and gear. Not to mention working to defeat(both his bills and his reelection) Alabama Senator Tom Whatley who is trying to extend deer season until 13 February.

The “girls” and “guys” of The Rabbit Journal pack might disagree with who the “we” consisted of.

The hunt for the last Saturday of the 2011-2012 rabbit hunting season was a rematch at Pookies, arranged by djmed. We, as in djmed, Brag and myself, had hunted there last Saturday and bagged a relatively easy five rabbits with yours truly taking three before not being able to do anything right. We looked forward to another easy day, probably in double digits, with additional hunters present, but at Tiger’s Corner, our meeting place only djmed, and Brag were there to greet Plunker and myself as we rolled up. The young bucks, Josh and Dusty1 were to meet us later…..I figured much later after they spent a Friday night chasing young ladies around Auburn University.

This time, Pookie remembered to open the gate so that we didn’t have to cross the pasture that makes up djmed’s front yard and then wade a recently logged over swamp before beginning our hunt. Nope, we were able to park right in front of our a briar patch that was to be our first target. Last year this briar patch had made grown men cry and the weaker teats sneak out to walk the roads. That is never an option for myself, the Pack would never tolerate it.

The mild winter we’ve had allowed the briars to green up in January, and the johnny quills around old house sited started blooming about the same time. Heck, here at Rabbit Run, the apple trees started blooming in January. Nope, no apples this year. On Saturday, confederate jasmine and wild blueberries were blooming adding color to the usually drab browns of February.

We started our push into the briar patch selected as our first target, hopefully to get five or so rabbits before Dusty1 and company made it here, only Penny Sue had other ideas and the Pack was soon running in a planted clearcut with thin briars between them. The young trees were at the four – five foot stage and the rabbit could easily see us towering over the trees, The race lasted for a half an hour or so before they finally lost it in a huge pool of water that separated two sets of trees

We finally made it into the L shaped briar patch of our first target and got about halfway there before the Pack jumped. Thus began one of those epic races that can ruin a morning hunt.

That rabbit took the pack out of hearing twice and almost out of hearing twice more in the 2 and a half hour race. There was no way we could hem the rabbit up as he made loooong sweeping loops.

Sammy P Thumbsucker got separated from the pack before they jumped and had his own rabbit going. I stood in the thick brush without much room listening to Sammy P running close by me and to the Pack as they came rolling back in. My head operated like it was on a swivel as I tried to watch in both directions.

The next rabbit dashed out of the planted pines, across the open hardwood bottom and into some larger planted pines on the other side. He threw in a couple of loops through there before coming back across the bottom.

I saw him loping towards the planted pines and quickly figured that I would have to fire the old Stevens 16 ga sxs like it was a mortar to have a chance of hitting him. “He’s headed back for the firebreak” I called to whoever was on the narrow opening, but the buck looped up above me in the bottom before hooking over to end up at djmed’s feet. It’s always nice when the host gets the first rabbit.

Brag got the next rabbit after a short race, then it was time for our tailgate lunch. Only three rabbits and it was already lunchtime.

The afternoon saw us in what Brag tends to call “rimfire’s pines”. It’s a rather thick stand of pines that has been good to me in the rabbit getting. This time was no different.

I was standing, looking down a trail in the dog’s direction. That was really the only direction to look, heavy brush obstructed my view in the other 360*. I heard a noise and looked down to see a big buck rabbit running past my leg in the direction of the dogs. It took my second barrel to flip him. The brush was so thick though that I was calling for the dogs before I took a couple of steps and saw him. I thought it was a different rabbit until the dogs ran parallel to me and then hooked back up the trail I was waiting on.

We picked up a couple of more, scattered over the afternoon. Plunker killed one that tried to run over him. Dusty1 had showed up with Josh at lunchtime and Dusty1 killed one

We ended the day in a patch of pines that was full of rabbit sign. Less then twenty minutes later with the dogs running hard, I wanted to pull them out. It was brutal on the dogs and what is left of my rabbit hunting gear.

Thick thick thick briars filled every lane between pines. There was not much hope of seeing the rabbit much less getting your long gun up for a shot

Final score at Pookies

Brag 3 ( I hope you weren’t surprised that he was high man)

rimfire 1

djmed 1

Plunker 1

Dusty1 1

“We” got 2 and a snake out of six races
The “girls” started off like a lawnmower with bad gas. I even saw the rabbit briefly as he crossed a briar thicket, but the “girls” had a hard time picking up the trail. Even when they did, they lost it minutes later.

It seems to have been that way all year, at least for the first couple of hours in the morning

Cuz and I first checked out a place the leaseholder said they had saw a lot of rabbits and there were some thick places over there.
Of course, they were deer hunters and something might be deer hunter thick and as  rabbit hunters, we don’t see a bit of cover. Same way with hunting clothes, there are deer hunting clothes which aren’t worth a plug nickle rabbit hunters. And all the rabbits they see are probably one rabbit they see each day.

That first rabbit got away as did the second one. I was really wishing I had Lucy the nose Lu with us. The rabbits ran into a oak thicket bottom that was a swamp of water and humps.

The third one wasn’t as lucky……..despite me mostly missing with both barrels. He was still moving fast when I pinned him with the barrel of my gun.
The second was fairly easy despite him moving at a rapid clip down the hill.

We had two more good races with one what I would call outstanding as the “girls” were run out of hearing twice before coming back. This time Cuz and I were always on the wrong side of whatever he ran through
Still, it was a good day. It’s not often that Cuz and I get out by ourselves.

He was streaking through this thick brush when I rolled him with this old single shot” One Dawg said concerning the first rabbit of the day. One Dawg is a lawyer, so I’ll let you draw your own conclusion concerning what really happened

Today’s hunt was in Crawford, with Cuz, Dusty1, Brag, One Dawg and a couple of pre-teats, Adam and t bone.
I had Adam and t bone standing on decayed debris mound when he said “there’s a rabbit”. I looked over and said that it was just a couple of the dogs headed our way.
“Still looks like a rabbit to me”.
Turns out, he was right. It had been a rabbit.

It was another good hunt.
Double digits again
I was three for three until we desperately needed that final rabbit for number 10
It was a long race, probably the best of the day with Penny Sue, Sallie Mae and Debra Kay really showing out. Year and a half old Debra Kay is going to be something special.
The rabbit had ran threw a narrow neck of saplings three times before, so it stood to reason that when Penny Sue picked up the lost track, that he would make for it one more time.
I got up off the log I had been sitting on and moved over to the neck.
I heard him and turned to see him leap the log that I had been sitting on.
I swung the stevens and pulled the trigger
Remember how on Saturday when I pulled the trigger on a easy shot and heard “click”?
Well, today I just plain and simple missed
It was the second shot that I got the click
I had a sinking feeling that I had just cost us a double digit day

Trudging up the hill behind Brag, I was busy mentally kicking my butt when Brag started “There he goes, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, there he goes”.

I got into position only to see him pass me by in a blur
The next time I saw him, I choked looking for a better shot that never came.
Finally Brag ended my misery

Final score
rimfire 3
Dusty1 3
Brag 2
Cuz 1
One Dawg 1

Well, there’s always a ying to the yang.

We wanted to get in a rabbit hunt before the rains came even if it was only for a hour or so. We lucked out and hunted until early afternoon at Pookies as guests of djmed.
For those of you who missed it because of the expected rain, Plunker, Dusty1, Middle Boy and Dilla, you missed a heck of a hunt and not just because I was high man.
Nope, there was a pile of rabbits in woods that were easy walking.

The only ones who showed this morning at the Tiger Town meeting spot was djmed, Brag and myself.
Finding the front gate locked, we went past djmed’s house in the cow pasture and parked on the edge of a swamp.
Since the guys, Sammy P, Teddy NoPass and Blondie had worked the day before in Tuskegee, we had a all girl revue. Debra Kay was finally out of heat and she is turning out to be something special. Along with Debra Kay, we had Sallie Mae, Penny Sue, Sister Sissy and the old lady of the group, 11 year old Hammering Kate.

First we had to get the dogs across the swamp to the area where we planned to hunt. This was not a easy task. The girls started trailing while we were still getting our gear out.
I could do no wrong on my first three rabbits. The first was a head on shot in open pines. Djmed followed up with a claim of 1/6 of a rabbit while the girls got 5/6 when they finally caught up with it a few hundred yards later.

My second and third came shortly after. The third was being run by Hammering Kate while the rest of the pack ran another rabbit.
Later Brag got a rabbit that he to had to share with Kate after she caught it
My chance at a fourth rabbit was a easy broadside with a stretched out buck. As the double barrels of the 16ga Stevens blotted out the head, I squeezed the trigger.
Click!
No, I hadn’t forgot to reload.
I rushed a shot with the second barrel and missed. When I reloaded, there was a dimple on the shell.
From then on, I could do nothing right.

We finally called it a day and worked our way back to the vehicles.
At the edge of the swamp, a rabbit got up and raced for a nearby brush pile. I threw two shots at him, missing rather badly.
Later I stood on top of a stump and watched him run across a slight rise to far for a shot, so I threw two at him anyway. He turned and raced straight at me, then stopped.
I couldn’t find a shell in my vest.
Finally locating one in a pocket, I loaded and then couldn’t find the rabbit.
I finally saw him just as he was running into a massive pile of limbs. I shot once more and missed.

Final score
rimfire 3
Brag 1
djmed 1

Should have been 14 but while I got number 13, I missed 14

Brag 7
Brent 3
Dusty1 1
Roy 1
rimfire 1