Beagle judges only have the official rule book to look at when determining which action and qualities call for positive score and which require demerit. The degree to that score or demerit is based on the extent to which the actions are committed and the amount they contribute or take away from the race. The rule book serves as a kind of light house, for lack of a better term, to help keep judges focused in the right areas and to ward off any unnecessary attention to things that are of little consequence.
When an outstanding performance is witnessed, the judges can never be sure if the obstacles the hound faced were difficult or easy. He can never know if a different hound would have performed better or worse in the same situation. All a judge can do is to know quality when he sees it and to score accordingly. It’s all but impossible for me to put anything in writing that will teach a man to judge dogs. He can only use his own experience and patience in watching many performances, all the while using the aforementioned rule book as a guide. Only experience will teach a man what impact each action has on the overall performance.
It can be quite an exhaustive task sometimes to decide if you are witnessing great determination or lack of nose, brains or a lucky gamble. Judges are required to bring back their very best performances and match them up in second and any future series’. This insures hounds are eventually places in their correct position relative to the competition. Using this tried and true method judges still will never know what amount or to what degree any hound posses these qualities. Qualities like desire, determination, nose and so on. They can however be assured those qualities were sufficient when needed and displayed when call upon. We can’t do much more to measure these traits than that.
While on the subject of judging field trials I have something further to discuss. I bring this up in hopes you will give it some thought yourself. Beagle clubs rely heavily on entry fees from their field trials. In the end field trials entries will determine which way is best.
I’m referring to the two separate ideals of picking field trial winners. The winners will usually be the same but the method and time needed to get there is different. I can remember when I was much younger judging field trials. It was not uncommon for me and my partner to have half or even more of the first series competitors back in second series. As I matured and got more confident in understanding hound work the size of second series I would want decreased.
Here’s an example first series has 50 hounds. That would be 8 packs in first series. When I was younger I would have worked through at a fairly quick pace and come up with something like 24 hounds for second series. Likewise I would have probably had 12 dogs in third series and then a seven dog winners pack. This method makes for happier dog handlers as they get to feel like they are doing well by making it into second series.
Now days I would be more inclined to spend much more time in first series actually judging the qualities of every dog. Spending what ever time was necessary to do my best to measure each dog against the competition. In this same 50 dog first series I would be much more likely to have 15 or possibly 14 hounds back in second series. Next a 6 or 7 dog winner’s pack would be in order.
What caused this evolution in my personal style? Well, I learned as I gained experience which dogs were having the best performances. I have always made it a habit after every field trial to look back at my notes from the first series performances to see how the top dogs of the end of the day scored in first series. With very few exceptions I noticed the hounds in the winners pack were also the best performers in first series. It became more and more apparent to me judges should spend more time evaluating hounds in first series and then bringing back their best performers. If a second series is made up of half the hounds entered the judges have not taken the time to do the thing they were hired to do, judge. Instead they are putting off the judging until a later series. This may be the safest way to get to the top performers especially if the pair of judges lacks experience.
How often have you seen a first series pack have an average or mediocre run just to have the judges order two hounds up and call for the next pack. Leaving 3, 4 or even 5 hounds down for consideration for their second series? I would assert that if the run is indeed average or mediocre judges should spend the necessary time to determine the true quality of the hounds under judgment. They should do as the rules require in procedure 8: “If there appear to be no worthy hounds in a pack, they shall gradually be eliminated by ordering up the most faulty hounds as such are determined one or two at a time down to the last hound, if necessary, to make sure no worthy hound is overlooked before the entire pack is eliminated.” Simply stated the idea is to choose the best performances for second series. If the performance is not good, a hound should not be rewarded with an appearance in second series. A mediocre performance is simply that, a mediocre performance. If the judges have eliminated all but one hound in a pack and the hound is still unable to put on a quality run then the single hound left must be eliminated as well.
In contrast if a pack has a superior performance, judges should study with a keen eye the qualities of all the hounds in the pack. The fourth of fifth best hound in a pack with a superior performance is a better candidate for second series than the best hound in a pack of poor performers.
Lest you think this is a simple process, keep in mind judges must weigh merit with out knowing the true nature of the obstacles the hound encounter. As mentioned earlier, is it possible you are witnessing great determination even though the performance is less than dazzling? Man, when you look at it all it seems like a terribly difficult task to judge beagles. Very soon I’m going to write an article on why what I just explained about actually judging the dogs may not be in the best interest of the sport of field trialing. Notice I didn’t say in the best interest of the beagle. To wet your tongue a bit consider this: No beagle clubs- no sport. No entries- no beagle clubs. When handlers feel like they are doing well, they tend to show up more. The difference between an average hound being eliminated in first series or second series may be important to the handler. I want to consider this a bit myself. Until next time just remember, “Judges should approach their work with the attitude that the future welfare of the breed is in their hands, and should make their findings and selections on a basis calculated toward keeping the Beagle useful for both field trials and hunting purposes.”
Some one brought a guitar into work a few days ago. Several of the guys were all over it nodding and giving acceptance to the quality of the instrument. A couple even picked at the strings a time or two. I’m not much a music aficionado so I was just observing their behavior. One or two went so far as to discuss some of the ins and outs of guitar playing.
As you may have surmised, I don’t know many songs; particularly if you narrow it down to guitar songs. I did however want measure the merit of this crowd of 40 something year old rock star want to be’s. I simply ask to the guy’s one simple request, “Play Free Falling, the one Tom Petty plays.” It sounds like a guitar song to me. All of a sudden none of them were guitar players. In fact none of them even attempted to play.
What on earth could Scott is trying to say with those first two paragraphs? What does the guitar have to do with beagles and rabbit hunting? Here’s my point:
Lot of dogs appear to be rabbit dogs. They ride in a dog box; they wear a collar with someone’s name on it. Hey they even get in a group and give a rabbit down the road. If you want to find out if they are a rabbit dog, let them run it by their self!
Don’t take this too far out of context. I wouldn’t want to take away the accomplishments of a good pack of beagles for anything in the world. In fact, a good pack is what I’ll recommend to someone getting into rabbit hunting every time.
When it comes to improving the beagle or a strain of beagles, one outstanding hound is more beneficial than any number of average hounds!
Rarely will you find a quality breeder concerning himself with breeding for field trial winners. Instead, what you’ll find is they strive for the development of desirable traits at the expense of the less desirable ones. They already know if they find success in the intensification of these most profitable traits, winning will be inevitable. With faultiness minimized, the most talented prodigy from a given strain will naturally draw attention to the family.
Successful beaglers watch hounds with an eye for qualities that make the chase more successful. If the performance is good, reason dictates high quality characteristics are present. Smart hounds men understand, while faults always exists, they must be weighed against their detriment to or failure to contribute to the race. He will acknowledge that minor faults that do not interfere with the smooth progress of the race are less important that the quality traits that make the run steady.
The trophy chaser is often overcritical of the beagles, the breeders, and the sport in general. They seem to not get very much enjoyment from a hobby that should be all about having fun. They are always on the look out for the next dog, constantly changing blood lines in search of the perfection that will always allude them. Every year changing hounds and methods that scarcely suit him better than the ones he just let go. They get upset with out sport and everything about it. Being sure the game and the odds are stacked against them.
Great hounds men do not develop overnight. The same is true for a great strain of hunting beagles. It is constant and steady growth that will drive hounds men and the strains they develop further up on to solid footing.
If you look back several years in almost any of our modern gundog beagle pedigrees you will find a commonality in ancestors. Very few if any exist with out significant infusions of just a few dogs. This is true for all pedigrees this author has studied and I can tell you this is no small number. If your dogs are not registered or are “grade” dogs do not think your hounds are any different. If they are indeed pure breed beagles they will have come from this same few dogs. So why do we have such variation on modern hounds? To simply give the answer would be to rob you of the very information you seek and the satisfaction that will come from your own discovery. I will add this bit of insight, “Quality is where you find it, but once found, it is up to you whether it remains quality.”
Do you remember watching Bugs Bunny as a child?. Elmer Fudd was always after him. Man I wish they still made cartoons about rabbit hunting.
So any way I’m going to start a RECIPE section of the web site. If you one you like send it to me and I’ll get it posted. You can just stick it in the comments and I’ll pick it up and give it’s own post or you can email it to me.
So here is a great recipe every rabbit hunter or his cook should be familiar with. It works well for wild rabbits as well as domesticated rabbits.
HASENPFEFFER
1 DRESSED RABBIT
2/3 CUP OF VINEGAR
2/3 CUP OF WATER
1/2 CUP OF SUGAR
1 SLICED ONION
2 TEASPOONS SALT
1/2 TEASPOON OF PEPPER
1 TEASPOON PICKLING SPICES
ENRICHED FLOUR (you decide how much)
1/2 TEASPOON KITCHEN BOUQUET OR CARAMEL
Cut Cleaned rabbit in serving pieces; cover with equal parts of vinegar and water; add sugar, onion, seasonings and spices. Let stand in cool place for two days. Remoe Rabbit, dry, roll in flower and brown in hot lard (oil If you still believe the BS mainstream health experts.) Gradually add one cup of the pickling solution, cover and simmer for one hour or until meat is tender. Thicken remaining liquid for gravy, stir in the kitchen Bouquet or caramel.
TIME TO EAT!
I got several emails asking me to take at a post on a popular field trial forum. The post was about field trial and beagles naturally. I looked it over and instead of answering each email individually I’m going to share my opinion here. It’s a fact that no two people have the exact same experience so understand what I am telling you is based on my experience with gundog field trials and does not pertain to traditional brace field trials. If you have a lot of experience and have come up with a different opinion then congratulations, you’re a free thinker. If we all thought alike it would be boring.
The discussion I’m referring too is an old one. It’s not new in any way. I’ve heard it hashed and rehashed so many time I know what each side is going to say before they even think it. The fact is I’ve debated these subject my self with my own master mind group. Lew Madden, Willett Randall, plus others comprise my group and you better believe we beat it all out. If that makes no sense to you don’t worry, it ain’t necessarily supposed too.
So what’s it all about? Here’s the root of the misinformation. “What does it mean to run too much rabbit?” Here are the facts, very simple: there’s no such thing as running too much rabbit. Who ever made that up should be banned from our sport. So why do they say it? Two reason for this. One, an unhappy handler or dog owner is simply being untruthful. The second a timid judge is trying, improperly I add, to tell a handler why a dog has been eliminated and explains it in way he thinks the handler wants to hear. I’ve never actually seen the second scenario by a judge so you can conclude what I really think.
Ok scenario number one: I’ve witness this on more than one occasion. A dog gets “picked up” for one or more faulty actions. The handler, who already knows his dog anyway, will ask why the dog was eliminated. The judge then explains the faults he saw. After being told why the handler returns to the club house. The next thing you know the handler is telling, or at least insinuating, the judges told him his dog “ran too much rabbit.” The handlers is trying to put value back into the dog. You make of that what you will.
Many years ago I was judging a trial, I wish I could remember my judging partner but I can’t, with a similar result. We were at the old Tennessee Virginia beagle club when they ran in that valley. Those of you who have been around a while may remember it. We were about a half mile back toward the paved road from where the old bus was. We had run this pack of little bitches down to 3 before eliminating one more and handling the pack. It happened to be the last pack of first series so were all headed back toward the club house (school bus) together. The handler asked me why we eliminated his hound. I explained she was being over aggressive and was out performed by the two other hounds she was in competition with.
In less than a minute one of his friends met us and ask him how he did, his answer, “she ran too much rabbit.”
Now what can you say to that? He and his friend probably knew that was code for racing or over aggressiveness and were not trying to misrepresent the situation. The problem is when someone else hears them say it. They don’t understand and misconstrue the entire event. To use those terms between friends who are on the same page is one thing, it’s kind of a slang term. To use it in any official capacity or in a public forum is wrong. The latter being to stir sh&^%t.
Now I did say their was two parts to that post and the second was in regards to gun dog brace trials. The concern is about the best dogs at a field trial getting braced up together. Frankly I don’t know what could possibly be wrong with that; is that not the point o fthe trial. Most people who go to field trials want to compare their dogs, their programs, and their training skills with those of other who have a similar interest. If the two best hounds get to compete an one declared the winner, what more can we ask for? I think the confusion comes from the lack of understanding of what the field trial is all about. The idea is to get the very best performer for that day. I recently went to a field trial where first series was ran in trios. In one trio all three dogs had two wins, all down in direct competition with one another to have a chance to qualify for the title of Field Champion. Folks, it doesn’t get better than that. Yes one of those dogs went on to win and become a Field Champion.
One more thing you will hear about at gun dog brace field trial is about luck. That is somewhat true if you mean “bad luck.” Bad luck can get you eliminated, however being “lucky” has little to do with the outcome. My experience has shown the top hounds tend to get “lucky” over and over again.
If you want to find out if a dog can run a rabbit put him down by himself. If you want to find out which is the best out of two dog, put them down together.
As always, your comments and opinion are welcome. just add them below.
Beginning Rabbit hunters often ask, “what is the best shotgun for rabbit hunting?” That question has a different answer for everyone. No two hunters are alike. Some hunters prefer the more traditional pump action or break open shotguns, while still others prefer the fast action of the auto loading shotgun for rabbit hunting. Since I hunt with all three I’m not going to advocate for one style of rabbit gun over the other. I’m going to list some of the reasons I like to hunt with each of the different shotguns and hopefully you will come up with an excuse to buy a new shotgun yourself!
Fortunately shotguns for rabbit hunting don’t need to be expensive. In fact, the type of cover that the eastern cottontail and swamp rabbits tend to live in will encourage you to carry a more economical shotgun. Hunters who enjoy rabbit hunting often require value in their chosen shotgun,
Let’s talk gauge. If you’ve lugged a heavy gun around all day in the field you know what I’m about to say; Size matters! Rabbit hunters typically choose shotguns in gauges smaller than 12. The most popular being the 20 gauge. Twenty gauge shells tend to be less expensive and more readily available than the other options. The next most popular shot shell will be the .410 bore. Many young men have started their hunting career with the .410 shotgun. This is mostly due to the light weight and lower recoil of most single shot .410 guns. Finally you will also find some rabbit hunters using the 28 gauge as well as the 16 gauge shotgun. These are both similar to the 20 gauge and mostly used out of adoration for the uniqueness of the bore than any perceived advantage they may lend. Still, there are no laws that prevent the 12 gauge from being utilized on a rabbit hunt. The extra weight can be difficult to endure on all day hunts so plan accordingly.
Single shot shotguns are inexpensive, light weight, and extremely reliable. The only draw back to this type shotgun is the time it takes to take a follow up shot. While I have shot at a rabbit as many as three times with a single shot shotgun, this is very rare. Rabbits normally provide only one shot at a time from one of these gems. Even so, I like to use them and carry mine often.
This shotgun is one I like to use. It’s a single shot Stevens model 940A. The 940A’s are some what unique in the single shot word as the engraved hunting dog scene adds a touch of class to what is normally a very bland but effective tool. This particular shotgun is enduring to me due to it belonging to my late grandfather.
My late grandfathers Stevens 940A shotgun
Another popular shotgun configuration is the pump gun. Pump shotguns are popular because they offer a lot of value. A follow up shot is as simple as a quick pumping stroke from the forearm. Pump action shotguns can be found for almost any budget. Some sell for as little as $200 while others may fetch $1000 or more.
Here is my American Standard Flite King Deluxe in 28gauge. It is very light weight with a short pumping stroke. It’s a classic American shotgun in every way.
American Standard Flite King Deluxe 28 gauge
The third type of shotgun we must look at is the autoloader. Automatic shotguns, as they are referred to, are very popular amongst all types of upland game hunters. While not as reliable as pump action or breach action shotguns, the autoloader offers less recoil and faster follow up shots than the other two. Several very light options are also available in automatic.
This FRANCHI 48AL in 20 gauge is a light weight automatic rabbit hunting shotgun.
Your probably already wondering why I haven’t mentioned chokes or shot size. I sure have an opinion on them. In fact, I have so much to say about the subject that I’m going to save that for another post. After all 6 shot -71/2 shot, full choke to cylinder bore, there is a lot to discuss.
hi my name is Jacob I got 3 beagle pups 5 months old I want to train them as rabbit dogs how do I begin what is the best way of training them I bought some training scent I hope you can email me some info own how to train them
Hi Jacob, Starting and training beagle puppies can be one of the most rewarding parts of rabbit hunting. The more time you spend in the field or an over sized back yard the better. Take a look at these two articles on starting beagle puppies. Starting puppies and here is a second article on training puppies .
Also, I want you to do something else (if you haven’t already) before you start work on rabbits. Read this article on obedience training. The biggest reason I want you to do this is to get the pups used to being on lead and not having to play all the time. What I’ve found is if you go grab a young dog out of his kennel and take him straight to training he is not ready to learn. Puppies, and especially pups that are nearly in their adult bodies need to play a bit before they are ready to learn. I’ve let my patience be tested more than once by trying to force a pup to pay attention to me when all he wanted to do was romp and play.
I’ve learned to deal with this in two ways
* Taking just one pup out in the beginning will help a lot. Puppies feed off of one another and one pup that still wants to play will entice his friend to stop listening and join the fun. Also a pup who only has you and your lesson plan to get his attention is more likely to pay attention.
* The second thing is to have plenty of built in play time before you start. Maybe a 20 minute walk on or off lead before you start. Possibly even a game of fetch. The important thing I want you to remember is transition from play to work over a little time. Maybe five minutes or so should work. For example if you and the pup have been walking around a field for 15 minutes about 5 minutes before you start “official” training put him on a lead. This gives him a few minutes to wind down. Keep in mind every time you interact with the pup he is learning and you are training, even during play time.
Now about the training scent you bought. My advice is to use it sparingly if at all. Don’t do this at first but after you and the pup have been on several walks and the pup starts to show some confidence. I like to catch them exploring and not paying attention to me and slip away. You don’t need to go far. Just get 50 or 100 yards away, what ever feels right. I may hide behind a bush or something. As soon as the pup realized you are missing he will likely track you down. It will surprise you how quickly he will find you. You may be able to use your scent in some variation of this game.
Here’s the thing; you pups are able to smell many times better than you or I. He will be able to smell one tiny drop of that scent like you smell dinner when your mother is cooking. Those training scents are made for people not dogs, after all the people are the ones with the money. I’m sure you’ve taken the top off and smelled it. Strong isn’t it! Your pups are genetically wired to track scent. Your body scent will work just as good as the man made rabbit scent you have. If you still want to use it; here is what I want you to do to keep from over powering your pups nostrils. Take a cup of water then add two drops of the cent to the water. Now use this water on the old rag or whatever you are going to drag. Don’t bother squirting the scent on directly, it’s too strong.
Keep us posted with your progress Jacob. Maybe even a few pictures. Like our FaceBook page. That’s a great place to add your pictures.
Rabbit hunting is a great sport. It usually involves friends, shooting guns, and training dogs. Put them all together and you have a recipe for a lot of fun. The hunters that talk to me mostly want to hear my thoughts on the hound work. Good hounds make for more fun for the hunters. The more hunters have fun, the more they go and enjoy the great outdoors. They buy new 4×4 pickup trucks or a new shot guns; having fun helps drive our economy. So if your getting ready for your first guided rabbit hunt or have already judged dozens of field trials, I hope my articles are helpful to you.
If you put two rabbit dogs down together, you want to see a certain competitiveness between the two. The book calls this competitive spirit. It should be just enough for it to appear that each dog is trying to do more work than the other. You want to see this in all aspects of the hunt. Things like trying to find the rabbit first, picking up the check first, leading the runs and staying on the track most. The hounds should be efficient and decisive. The one who accomplishes more will be the better searcher, the more level headed worker, the more accurate on the line, and the fastest thinker. On the other hand the hound who disrupts or interferes will affect the smooth, efficient, and steady race and is obviously the more faulty.
All the accomplishment a hound makes during a rabbit race is due to his good actions, unless of course it’s just dumb luck. Now keep in mind good actions are an indicator of the quality of the hound. Lack of such accomplishments display the absence of talent and quality, but remember this; any habit that interferes with the quality of the race, is indicative of the presence of faults and should be penalized severely!
When a beagle is able to keep up a steady and constant pace; making the rabbit move in an expedited manner and having only short “bothers” in the line, quality should be apparent. A race like this should be what is sought after by all involved with this irrational passion of chasing rabbits with our little hounds.
Over the last several years it has become more and more apparent the emphasis being put on check work or should I say lack of. I love to see great hound work in a check that has been created by a crafty rabbit or bad ground however, more and more it is becoming acceptable for the hounds to insert their own checks. I encourage all beagle judges to keep in mind a perfect hound, if he existed, would have perfect chases where no checks happen. It’s interesting to think that this supposed perfect beagle would never be brought out of first series by many of our newer judges do to lack of accomplishment, read didn’t pick enough checks.
A rabbit dog should never be given credit for any accomplishment that was gained due to gambling or working off the backs of a more industrious hounds effort. When a dog comes to a check and quickly gets away from the point of loss before searching close, even if he picks up the check, he’s guilty of gambling. When this is witnessed, judges should penalize not credit the faulty hound. When a check does present itself, the hound of quality will work systematically first close to the point of loss then gradually working further out. He should be evaluating the cover and making sensible decisions based on the conditions. For example, if the dogs check just at the edge of a plowed garden spot; the smart hound will realize scent is not likely to exist in this ploughed ground and quickly check the edges for the rabbits escape path. I can’t help but believe this would be the surest and most sensible way to work this check. On the other hand, if this garden patch be wintered over with rye or clover, I’d expect the high quality beagle to find and work the scent track across the short cover if scent exists.
The hound that constantly gambles is motivated by the desire to avoid honest work or tough obstacles. A very good dog will realize he can’t consistently predict what the rabbit is going to do and his surest way of making steady progress is to stick close to the scent line. The only time he’ll have to guess at what the rabbit did is when the scent fails and then he will have to use his intelligence and systematic method to discover the path the rabbit took.
The dog who is completely content to work behind his running mate and has no intent to do more work than his pack mates lacks competitive spirit. The hound who tries so hard to compete to the point it begins to effect his running style and hound work is over competitive. Like in most aspects of life, extreme viewpoints lead us down a road we’d rather not end up on. Over the long haul, successful judges, successful hounds, and successful breeders who avoid extreme ideals and extreme actions will further our beloved beagle sport.
sambutlerinterviewToday’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Sam Butler. Sam is a member of the Hounds & Hunting SPO Hall of Fame as well as being instrumental in the work of numerous beagle clubs and beagle organizations throughout the country. To be quite honest I was humbled to have Sam on the show and you can probably tell I was a bit nervous talking to him. Sam offered some great advise that I hope you can apply to your own beagle adventure. I hope you enjoy.
First let me say thanks to everyone who signed up for my free E-book Getting started with beagles. Apparently some of you who tried to get it were not able to get the link to work because I had the link pointing in the wrong place. Sorry about that. If you back to your email with the link it works correctly now. If you haven’t got your copy yet just sign up over on the right. ——————–>
Trying to strike a balance between what a new beagle owner can relate to and information a more seasoned and experienced rabbit hunter can enjoy is a bit challenging. We never stop learning about these little hounds. In fact, if you will pay attention to what they are saying, you can find a new bit of information almost every day.
I’ve been working on a book on breeding beagles. It started out a lot of fun sharing my thoughts on the subject. What types of things to look for and how to get the odds to stack up in your favor. If you’ve talked to me much about breeding beagles I’m sure you’ve heard me say it’s a bit of an art. Breeding beagles is more of a painting than a science in my view. View’s aside, there is some very specific science in play when you set your mind on the study of genetics. That’s got me bogged down a bit. Nothing to do but role up my sleeves and sharpen my pencil!
Rabbit hunting is a subject that can be easier to flow and more fun at the same time. My mind drifts back to a time many years ago. It was a windy day, a Wednesday the best I can recall. It must have been about January of 93’ of possibly 94’. I had worked the all night shift on Tuesday night and was off work at 7:00AM. I loaded up with Michael and Llamar Porter for a midweek rabbit hunt. We had spent a few hours running rabbits and shooting at them at least any way. We were in Oglethorpe county Georgia having a grand ole time when the all night shift had my battery nearly drained.
We had just killed a rabbit and were waiting on the next one to be rousted from his bed. I decided to lean against an inviting looking pine tree and rest my eyes. Within minutes I was in dream land. I’m not sure how long I was asleep but when I woke up I could hear nothing but the wind blowing. I sat their a few minutes getting by bearings back before deciding I would try to locate my hunting partners and the dogs.
After a few minutes I did hear the dogs running and could tell they were a dirt road over from where I was. My little Toyota truck was parked near by saw I jumped in the truck and started the drive around to where I thought I could get closer to the action. On my trip around I found Michael walking. He jumped in the truck and let me know some of the dogs had apparently taken up deer running.
We drove around to where we thought we could get close. There was a place in the road where the banks on each side were high, about 10 or maybe 12 feet. I pulled on up to get on the hill and then stopped the truck on the dirt road and we listened intently. They were coming our way! Before we could even get out of the truck the deer launched off the bank behind us and hit the center of the dirt road collapsing under the impact. In disbelief we watched as the buckling struggled to get up. It was no use as his back legs would not work. Apparently he had broken his back in the impact.
