Nor should you overlook signs that rabbits have been feeding. They nip off slender sprouts, weed stems and the like at a 45-degree angle, cutting them as cleanly as a well-sharpened Barlow blade. They will also nibble the bark off or certain types of trees and bushes (sumac and wild plums being prominent in this regard), and it's easy to see the resulting white standing out against the sere landscape of late fall and winter. Add to that the observation of their "runs" or regularly used trails, and you have a solid start on reading rabbit sign.

GIVING YOUR PACK OF BEAGLES A HELPING HAND
Although the subject is one that can serve as a fine catalyst for arguments, in my studied opinion beagles don't make first-rate "jump dogs." Their finest attributes come into play when a cottontail has actually been jumped and they take to the heady scent of its trail. However, you'll have more races if you're willing to give the dogs a big hand. It's easy enough to tell hunters who do that: At day's end they bear honorable wounds from the fray -- a scratched ear, a nose that has attracted the unwelcome attentions of a briar, a neck that looks like it's been marked for slicing. Also, you can recognize a good "jump man" by looking at his pants, whether he wears Carharts, bird-britches or something else. Pants whose legs are frayed and tattered at the bottom speak eloquently of such a hunter's willingness to go where the rabbits like to hide.

As an alternative, include a dog of some breed other than a beagle as a part of your group; some cockers or just plain old "house dogs" of indeterminate lineage can offer first-rate assistance in this regard. Finally, before leaving dogs, one other thought is worth sharing. If you want to bag more bunnies, hunt with beagles that can push a rabbit along at a reasonable pace. Beagles with really short legs are fun to watch and listen to, but some of them are slower than the smoke off of two-week old rabbit pills. A rabbit can almost toy with them, whereas one that's pushed hard will circle more readily and is much more likely to offer a shot.

THE SOLITARY RABBIT HUNTER
Most rabbit hunting involves a large group, and there's no denying the pleasures afforded by camaraderie. Nonetheless, the lone hunter can adopt certain tactics that have the potential to give him a weighty game bag come sundown. For starters, move slowly through cover rather than rush along. For some reason, a rabbit will often sit tight when someone walks briskly by, but if he eases along, stopping periodically, the cottontail just can't stand it -- he's got to run. In steep or hilly country, walk along and periodically roll a big rock down the hillside. Now and then that'll make a rabbit start.

Make a point of trying to shoot cottontails on the jump when you hunt alone. Never mind that you may have a pack of beagles with you: A single hunter can wait a long time before dogs push a rabbit his way. If you do fail to get a shot on the jump, or if you miss, the single best place to be stationed for a race is right where the cottontail was bedded down. They have a pronounced tendency to circle back. Just find a stand that gives you the best sight plane and stay still and vigilant.