# A Slightly Bizarre Encounter



## ChardonRob (Apr 7, 2005)

At this time of year I relagate my outdoor missions to ice fishing and running my dogs. No ice means the dogs are having a lot of fun these days. My Chocolate Lab is basically a brainless house dog. I accidentally broke her leg when she was a young pup. The accident destroyed the growth plate in one of her rear legs so any thought of her becoming a hunter went out the window at that point. My German Shorthair is a very good hunter however when she locks up on point I'm never really sure what will fly or bound from in front of her. Anything from a grouse to a bunny or a woodcock to a turtle (yes, I said turtle) is possible. Turkeys, deer and squirrels have also been the objects of her pointing desires. I kind of like the fact that she points non traditional game. It keeps me on my toes.

I'm out running the dogs this morning and Dakota locks up on point. She was quite a distance away from me so it took a while for me to get to her location. As I started getting close I began to see bunny tracks in the area. Okay, this is nothing new for her and she has pointed enough rabbits now that she knows just how far to stay away from them so they don't jump. For some reason when I walk in to jump them they always run straight at me. I guess that running at the dog wouldn't be a good idea and chances are they can out run my fat azz. This was no exception. The bunny bounced up and came right at me but it wasn't your run of the mill rabbit. It was a snowshoe hare. I got a great look at it considering it ran within 6 inches of my left leg. It didn't look anything like the pet store white rabbits so I'm sure it wasn't an escaped pet. It was kind of cream colored and was darker by the head and ears. It also had dark eyes. This was a first for me. I'm curious if anyone else out there has encountered a snowshoe in the area?


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## Steelhauler (Apr 7, 2004)

Rob,

I haven't seen one, but the ODNR has been re-introducing them to Northeast Ohio for the last couple of years. It's always good to see that thier efforts are paying off.

Wes


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