I am a rabbit hunter from many years. I was wondering when we hunt the pines, where there seem to be alot of rabbits, the dogs s

[donnymumma]

I am a rabbit hunter from many years. I was wondering when we hunt the pines, where there seem to be alot of rabbits, the dogs seem to have the hardest time tracking. Is the weather causing this, or is the pine scent presenting a natural cover scent, protecting them.

[charlie elk]

You ask a good question I have wondered about this over the years. I have noticed many wild animals seem to not pick up scent as well in pine areas.
My theory;
1) usually it is drier in pines in drier areas scent is not as easy to detect.
2) many times in pine stands there is less wind and thermal currents moving around making it necessary for the dogs to hit just the right scent spot.
later,
charlie

[Cgull]

I think the pine needles do put out enough scent to confuse a dogs nose.

[Brian Lynn]

Hey Donny...scent is often a very difficult thing to figure out. I've met pro dog trainers that have their own theories and they often contradict each other. That said, I would tend to agree with Charlie. I don't think the pine scent itself would present a problem, but rather the environement as a whole that makes it less conducive to scent tracking. Dry conditions, less wind, etc can limit how much scent is left behind by your quarry...and if they're small animals like rabbits that are moving quickly even less scent is left. Start watching how the dogs react in the pines when there's a nice dew on the ground or it's moist after a rain and see if they don't do better. I'd be interested to hear!
Cheers,
Brian