The Department of Natural Resources and Humane Society would not doubt frown on it today, but one of the more popular events of the year for Portage County outdoorsmen in the late 19th century was the annual “Great Rabbit Hunt.” The event took place each winter between two separate teams and eventually turned into something of a grudge match.
Each year the German Hunting Club would square off against Captain Green’s Nimrods in what was described as “an intense rivalry.” Teams had from midnight to 8 p.m. the following day to kill as many rabbits as they could “by any means they chose.” That frequently included using hunting dogs, a practice that nearly caused a nasty accident for one hunter.
The hunter, hot on the trail of one unlucky animal, was reportedly perched atop a fallen log when his dogs knocked him off balance. Not one to put safety ahead of the potential for bragging rights the hunter “pulled both triggers just for luck” as he was falling to the ground. When the hunter struggled to his feat he discovered, to his amazement, that he had “shot Brier Rabbit dead in his tracks.” The victory helped propel The German Hunting Club to a convincing 29-18 victory.