Wabbit Season!

[subneural]

Since I didn't have deer tag this season, I tried my best to stay out of the bush during first & last light out of respect for the rest of you with tags to fill Now with approximately 48 hours left in the season (at least here in SW Ontario) my thoughts are turning towards rabbit hunting and taking my first xbow harvest! I've done some some midday scouting, and I've found some pretty promising rabbit spots - A good amount of tracks in the snow, and obvious bark-nibbling on certain trees. Lots of downed trees in the area as well to provide cover. So now I've got some questions that I haven't been able to find the answers too, and I'm hoping ya'll can help

1. I dont have a dog. Am I crazy to chase rabbits without one?
2. Proven techniques - what works? Should I grab a lawn chair and sit for a spell in a likely spot? I'm thinking that trying to "stalk" with an Excalibur in dense brush in anything but stealthy
3. Is it legal to bait for rabbits like it is for deer?

Thanks in advance for any advice (or links) you can provide!

[wabi]

Don't know about the baiting, but rabbit hunting without a dog can be fun with a bow. Still hunt v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y then slow down some more.
Look for sitting rabbits in clumps of weeds or brush.
The hard part is seeing the rabbit! They will often let you get very close if you move slowly and quietly.

[opossum]

If you have snow on the ground move real slow and search the brush and grass.You should be able to spot some sitting that way.I could find several that way without the help of dogs.You will probably jump more than you will spot sitting.Good luck.

[ninepointer]

All good advice in the previous posts. In the daytime, cottontails tend to bury themselves in cover, hence why beagles or jump shooting with a shotgun are most effective. Unlike snowshoe hares, cottontails once jumped rarely stop to give you a sitting shot.

The exception is on relatively warm, sunny winter days when the winds are mild, cottontails can be spotted outside of their burrows, especially on south-facing slopes. If you know of any embankments, ditch slopes or hillsides containing rabbit holes and lots of tracks, hunt these areas as if you were stalking a deer and you are likely to spot bunnies sunning themselves.

[Grizzly Adam]

Be sure to sharpen your spear before going wabbit hunting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhQ2BDt ... re=related

Also ... wabbit hunting in your area requires at least a blaze orange helmet.