pointing dogs and bow hunting rabbits

[ocean]

I hunt with traditional bow and i was thinking of training a pointing dog for rabbits so when she points and holds (no flush) buys me time to give it a clear shot with my bow not to mention locating the rabbit which is not that easy without a dog. I have heard so much about beagles and all but shooting a running rabbit with a bow is not that easy and i don't like the dog hunt the rabbit(if you miss at the end of circle), i need him to help me do it. I've heard that when pointing dogs point a rabbit, rabbits will freak out and jump away! is that true!? i am not sure if this is a true statement.
what if the the dog doesn't follow after the run and track for a second time ? will that help to point and not to freak out the rabbit?! please share your experience
is there any way that you can train a pointing dog to help you in locating a holding a rabbit for you to give it a clear bow shot? what breeds you recommend that have better tendency to fur specially rabbits!?

Thank you for your help and stopping by
Al

[Benny]

Ocean, welcome to the forum. My pointer frequently holds on bunnies and its not something I encourage (different goals than you...no big deal). In good cover--which might be a problem for bow hunters--the bunnies hold quite nicely and don't tend to spill out the other side until you walk up. Having said that, who knows how many times she's pointed and when I walked up on it the bunny was gone already.
I don't know what kind of cover your hunting, though. Shouldn't be a problem to get a pointer to hold for the bunny with proper training. I would worry about your pointer attempting to retrieve a bunny with anything tipped more than just target arrows. If my dog got a broadhead in its mouth it would be an unfortunate day.
Move this to TRAINING and you might get more opinions.
Cheers!

[ocean]

I don't know what kind of cover your hunting, though.

thanks benny for your help and all. i hunt in steppe like cover and i've attached a photo.

b7.jpg

cover.jpg

Al

[Benny]

thanks benny for your help and all. i hunt in steppe like cover and i've attached a photo.

Ooh, I personally don't have experience with bunnies in that cover. I have done some jack hunting with the rimfire's in sage and cheatgrass cover, but they run like a bat out of heck if you get within 50 yards.
Hey I thought you said traditional bow

[ocean]

yeah this is an old timer snap before getting back to trad just tried to give you some clue about the cover
anyways thank you

[dirtdober]

I am a recurve guy myself. With a traditional bow your shot should be a lot quicker than with a compound so the rabbit will not have to hold so long. In the cover you showed it should not be a problem getting at a rabbit. I would think a pointing dog would work out well with rabbits, can't be much different than holding a pheasant.

Gary

[ocean]

thank you Gary, what breed do you think will work better for me? i like english setter but have heard Brittany and GSP s are great pointers as well. i think all i need is a tendency to fur and coool temper to be able to hold and not to follow.

[windswept]

Al,
I've done quite a bit of rabbit hunting with my Drahthaars but I am using a shotgun not a bow. It has been my experience that the bunnies just don't hold like a game bird. Some do but I would say most don't. Typically my dogs will point the hot spot and the rabbit will be darting out of the cover 50 feet ahead. Not conducive to bow hunting but having the dog track and retrieve after the shot is really a lot of fun.

[chukarguy]

I have gotten points on cottontails from both my gsp, and my ep, as well as several of my partners gsp's as well. However, most of the time by time I get within what i consider to be bow range the rabbit usually has left, or is in the process of leaving. I personally think that a gsp would be a good choice for this task, which I am sure you have already figured is a big order to fill.

can't be much different than holding a pheasant.

I think it will be different than holding a pheasant. In fact holding a pheasant isn't always an easy task for a pointing dog. While hunting in the dakota's It is not uncommon to see 100-400 birds in a push, but how many points will you get in that time. Obviously it will vary from field to field but my point is that any creature that runs as it's first defense usually is more difficult for a pointing dog to pin down. And true, if you constantly expose a dog to that type of quarry they will get better as time teaches them lessons. Ocean, I think this will be a tall order to fill. I believe that it can be done, maybe. . . . . . . . . just maybe with similar consistency to how often a dog will pin a rooster during open season, but I think that getting within bow range will usually be a challenge. And you will want to make sure that your dog is solid broke before you start flippin sticks while he is on point. I believe it is possible though. If you pull it off, I will look forward to seeing pic's. Good luck to ya!

[gonehuntin']

My Draht points rabbits all the time, no training required!!

Thing is, I never know what the heck she's pointing. Could be a pheasant, a grouse, a woodcock, or a bunnie. Rabbits live where game birds do.

[dirtdober]

In fact holding a pheasant isn't always an easy task for a pointing dog

That was my point, pheasant are not easy because the tend to run much like a rabbit.

As far as the breed, I would think one of the versatile breeds GSP, GWP, Visla. I would also say a Brittany but you might go with a French Britt.

Gary

[wburns]

My wirehair will point rabbits. I don't mind due to I like to eat them. A lot of wirehairs are good for fur, it is part of their versatile breeding. Mine will go for birds before a rabbit if both choices present themselves, but if there is no bird scent around she will point rabbits when they are available. I have found they hold very well. I keep her from chasing them, but I do let her point them. I am sure if I had worked with her to hunt rabbits more she would, but I want more birds than rabbits .

[tnduxcaller]

I met some guys from KY one time in NE and they used wirehairs. They would come in every afternoon at the hotel with several quail, a few pheasants, and several rabbits.. They encouraged their dogs to point rabbits. They always had the meat on the tailgate, daily...

[Gabe]

I used to do exactly what your looking to do. I used my GSP he always pointed rabbits and I wanted him too I love deep fried rabbit. He pointed them naturely as I would suspect most dog would at first, if you ignore it like alot of bird hunters do eventually the dog will to. I took rabbits with shotgun as well as recurve if Iwas just out hunting small game I took bird or rabbit. In certian locations where the cover aloud or in late winter with snow on the ground I would go out specifically for bunnys with the bow it's a ball. Haven't done it in awhile and now I'll be running a springer so I'll still hunt bunnies but they will be running thats tough with the bow.

[KY Grouse Hunter]

My grandfather had a brittany years ago that was a pitiful bird dog but ran rabbits like there was no tomorrow. He ended up selling that dog for 500 bucks and that guy still swears up and down that that was the best rabbit dog that he had ever had or seen.

[ocean]

I've come to a conclusion that Brittany is my best bet, but which breed should i go with? i've heard about French Brittany being the better one for my purpose. other than that what is the best age you think i should get started with? i think anywhere between 8 to 12 weeks will be good but please share your experience.

Thanks,
Al

[birddogsunlimited]

this post got me thinking i to am a traditinol bow hunter i hunt rabitts every year with begels and do quite well its a great way to work on instinctive shooting. also i have a gsp that was a rescue dog and was basicly ruind by her previos owner as shes terribly gun shy but exelent at finding birds and rabbits ive never put the 2 together but i think i may have to give it a shot. i know she dosent mind the bow since shes been around me shooting so this may be worth giving a shot. thanks for the idea