The Rabbit Hunter

Rabbit hunting truly is the lost style of hunting. In the mid-1970s, many states had rabbit hunters that numbered in the 200,000-400,000 range.

Why the decline? The 70's were the beginning of the end for the small family farm in America. Today, there are simply fewer people who can grab the shotgun and head out the back door than there used to be. But, there are still hunters who run beagles and jump on brush piles like it was the Nixon and Ford Administrations. And there are even fewer who can honestly say they were born for it.

Charles Rodney is Louisiana born and bred. He moved to Maryland in the early 1970’s, during the peak of rabbit hunting. Charles was born to rabbit hunt. In “The Rabbit Hunter”, you’ll see the story of a man who brings deep-rooted traditions of hunting rabbits to present day, where technology has seemingly overtaken tradition. This film celebrates Charles’ relationship with his dogs, the field to table story of the wild rabbit, his connection to the land and his commitment to passing on his love for chasing rabbits.

Woven into this storyline is a family farm of 13 generations that has that “step out the back door” connection to their land, and the eastern shore of Maryland lifestyle, that takes us back to the past like a time warp. Also incorporated into the story is the classic Winchester Model 101 over and under from the 1970’s. This serves as a small reminder of when times were simpler, and slower. “The Rabbit Hunter” will be a brief look into a sport that has been somewhat overlooked for the last four decades, and it will also tell the story of the man who has a personal mission to never let it die.