Rabbiting Hunting Help

[John Wade]

I have areas that look like there should be rabbits there. Haven't checked since the snow has arrived. However I'm never seen a rabbit there. I have no dog that can hunt there. How would you hunt the area. There are hydro line towers that run through a very bushy part. A long fence lined also lined with cedars and a fair amount of bush line.

How do I evaluated considering the restrictions I've found. Wish I had a beagle. I had so much fun with that the last time I hunted with beagles.

jw

[shurite44]

Around here unless you jump them they only come out at night. Driving them like a deer drive can work with shotguns, but with an xbow hunting rabbits is not easy. I have read about guys still hunting walk and stalk style but I hunt like that all the time for deer and very rarely see a rabbit.

[bobby jost]

I hunt bunnies/jacks throughout January & February with enough success to encourage others. I hunt periodically with my lab, he'll move them out of the tall switch grass for a shot. Otherwise I walk very slowly, kicking up brush piles, log jams or fence lines... my problem is missing these explosive and dodgy creatures, last week I rose six cottontails and hit one, not a very good average but a great way to spend a day.

Good luck!

Bobby J.

[shurite44]

Bobby are you hunting them with an xbow or shotgun??

[John Wade]

Bobby are you hunting them with an xbow or shotgun??

Personally I just run them down. Not over with my car but on foot, wearing snowshoes and carrying a back pack, smoking a cigar, eating dough nuts and doing a soduku puzzle, while text messaging on my black berry. But that's just me. If you guys need to cheat, well that's your business.

jw

[bait pile willie]

start out at first daylight before the rabbits go in their holes,look for areas with lots tracks,stomp on brush piles.in the old days the best method was to use a ferret,it was lots of fun,and the rabbits werent shot up but however the law frowns on this method.

[bobby jost]

shurite... in my dreams would i attempt rendering my xbow to hit a bunny.

shotguns... double BB or high brass loads of #3-#5 for jack rabbits and low brass loads of #7-#8... this way you don't blow them up!

[Kenton]

I see rabbits all the time while still-hunting for deer. The good thing about this meathod is you can get close shots at rabbits when they are standing still, very makeable shots.

[ecoaster]

I still hunted rabbits for years. Go out after a new dusting of snow (overnight) and try to bust them out of the thick stuff. You may not get a shot when they flush, but now you have a FRESH set of tracks to follow. They will usually not go far before finding another hiding spot to duck under. Follow up the trail slowly and look ahead to small thickets. This is for cotton tails of course. I have never hunted jacks.

[shurite44]

Busting them out and tracking sounds like a descent idea. Unfortunately around here in Ohio this year the weather has not permitted much tracking.

The bunnies do like my apples I leave out for the deer though.

I have shot quite a few rabbits with shotguns in my youth. We had beagles but occasionally we would be beagle less at the beginning of the season. It is not hard to jump them up yourself and kill them with a shotgun, but trying to hit a running rabbit with an xbow is not an easy task in my book. I would guess it would cost me a couple grand in bolts to get good at that, LOL.

[GREY OWL]

We used to hunt those critters many moons ago when the bush was full of them. That's when fur trapping was cool and paid good money. The coyote and fox numbers back then were very low, rabbits had a chance to repopulate.

First thing in the morning or just before dark, much like hunting deer. Two or more of us would tramp the bush in a line till we jumped a rabbit or two, then one guy hung back to where we jumped them, and like clock work they would make a full circle right back to that same hunter waiting with a load of buck shot.

Grey Owl

[Outdoorz]

Grab a pair of snowshoes, a rifle and start walking fencelines, but only those that have some sparse brush and trees along them. Also, small patches of trees and brush and woodlot edges. I prefer the fencelines. The rabbit will get up anywhere from 100 yards to 5 yards ahead of you and run down the fenceline. That is why a guy coming the other way is handy. This pushes the jacks out into the open field laterally. Then you can shoot them when they stop or on the run. Hope this helps.

John

[Allan]

My favorite time of year to xbow hunt for snowshoe hares is early winter, when they are white but the snow hasn't fallen. Generally you can walk to within 15 yards and get an easy headshot on them. Use a swickey (sp) or other type of shocker device to prevent the bolt from going through the game. I find it helps with a faster death.

[M&M]

I usually bow hunt deer till rabbit season comes in since I love to rabbit hunt. I do have 2 beagles though but I still stomp every thicket since the dogs cannot get into everything, fence rows seem to be very good spots to hit, also I try to kick and push my way through as much of the nasty thickets as possible, but I do recommend good brush pants or you'll sure tear your legs up but if your dressed right its not bad and you sure can have a blast, I use a 20 guage shotgun with #6 shot works great for me. M&M