When I was 12 my Grandfather gave me a brace of field-trial proven 15" beagles, one with ribbons to prove it. I never did trial the dogs, but I sure shot a bunch of cotton-tails and cane-cutters over them right thru till I was in college.

Never had any problem getting rabbit huntin' permission, though I hunted places you'd never hope to get permission to bird hunt. One of those dogs, Sport, actually pointed quail but I had sense enough not to advertize that fact...Geo