Hello from the Mojave

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mfb99

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Hello everyone

I am a resident of the Mojave desert where I hunt small game and upland birds. I have also recently started deer hunting, my first trip was this year up to the Southern Sierras.

I have become a firm believer in the benefits of lightweight hiking/camping gear, and have started to incorporate this into my hunting.

I also hunt rabbits using a sight hound called a Whippet. The Whippet is a smaller version of the greyhound that excels in acceleration and turning. Cottontails are taken fairly easily, but where I live we mostly go for Jackrabbits. The Jackrabbit and the Whippet are almost the same speed, so the Jackrabbit must make a mistake of some kind to get caught. Ideally we hunt semi open ground with enough cover for rabbits, but enough open so the dog can get up to speed and see well. Sometimes in open ground the dog will chase for a mile or more. Quite a sight.

One interesting thing I have experienced when talking to people about hunting with my Whippet is they are generally supportive of the activity. They say, "that is what they do". Quite different from some of the negative responses I have gotten about gun hunting.

By joining this forum I hope to share some of my knowledge and experiences and of course gain the same.

Regards,

Mark
 

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Good looking dog.

My wife has a whippet as well...It hunts blankets, couches, any food the kids drop, and most of all beds.

Welcome aboard.
 
Cool on you letting the sight hound do what it does. I've been around people run that coyotes with them, it's not my choice, but again, it's what they do.
 
I would love to see that dog in action .. my labs takes 2 steps after a rabbit and stops chasing. Can't imagine a dog that matches a jack step for step! Would be awesome to see!
 
I have seen greyhounds chasing rabbits. Not whippets, what a cool sport. You should film one and post it. Pretty damn fast, might be hard!
 
Thank you for the welcome and kind words.

Yes the Whippet is awesome to watch, I never get tired of watching her work the fields.

Coyotes can be a problem with Whippets. The dynamics is one of two prey animals after each other. By instinct, the Whippet will run down a Coyote, but if able to close on the Coyote, the Coyote will stop and turn to fight. There is no match in this regard and in the one time I saw this happen, the Whippet luckily got away with being torn on the rear resulting in 9 staples.

The Coyote will also stalk a Whippet, trying for an attack. I have witnessed this a couple times. On one occasion, my dog was a hundred yards ahead working the slope of a hill. Coming from the right I saw a Coyote on intercept. Luckily, my Whippet saw this and started her attack at the Coyote. This got the Coyote to turn tail and beat it into the Juniper brush. It took several very anxious minutes for my dog to return.

Another time, my dog was ahead and above me on a rise. When I crested the rise my dog was about 50 ft away, with a Coyote in a bush about six feet behind. By instinct, I raised my 5mm Benjamin Sheridan and fired at the body of the Coyote. I actually hit him and he jumped about three feet in the air and then took off.

I recognize that the Coyote is an important part of the balance of nature and I actually enjoy seeing them in the wild. It makes the "wild" more wild. I give them their space and would only kill if they were truly going for my dog. In other words, if they will retreat I will give them the chance.

When running the Whippet, I do now under almost every circumstance carry an air rifle or firearm - just in case.

Cheers,

Mark

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Fast little dogs.

What’s a good rabbit recipe? Do they taste greatly different between species and habitats?
 
mfb99 said:
Hello everyone

I am a resident of the Mojave desert where I hunt small game and upland birds. I have also recently started deer hunting, my first trip was this year up to the Southern Sierras.

I have become a firm believer in the benefits of lightweight hiking/camping gear, and have started to incorporate this into my hunting.

I also hunt rabbits using a sight hound called a Whippet. The Whippet is a smaller version of the greyhound that excels in acceleration and turning. Cottontails are taken fairly easily, but where I live we mostly go for Jackrabbits. The Jackrabbit and the Whippet are almost the same speed, so the Jackrabbit must make a mistake of some kind to get caught. Ideally we hunt semi open ground with enough cover for rabbits, but enough open so the dog can get up to speed and see well. Sometimes in open ground the dog will chase for a mile or more. Quite a sight.

One interesting thing I have experienced when talking to people about hunting with my Whippet is they are generally supportive of the activity. They say, "that is what they do". Quite different from some of the negative responses I have gotten about gun hunting.

By joining this forum I hope to share some of my knowledge and experiences and of course gain the same.

Regards,

Mark
Click to expand...

We used to raise Russian Wolfhounds. I love sight hounds!! Whippets are very cool dogs!!
 
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