Yes, states have seasons and hunting regulations and restrictions that must be followed, but bag limits are often generous (ranging from six to a dozen per day) and you can hunt from afar with a rifle in most areas, or move in close and sneak along to spot-n-shoot with a shotgun in other situations. Expect to cover a lot of ground at sunup or near sunset and always keep the sun to your back to aid in your rabbit detection skills. First, plan to move a lot, and move often. Rabbit hunting is not a spectator sport where you sit, wait and watch, like deer hunting. To successfully pursue rabbits, you’ll need to walk – or if you have a dog, let it push a rabbit – as you move and observe. Believe it or not, with beagles being among America’s top dog breeds, most rural homes still have one beagle around or know someone who does and nearly every beagle that’s breathing is interested in chasing rabbits. MAKE THE CONNECTION
When hunting rabbits, terrain and cover may dictate whether shotguns or rifles are the best choice.
calendar and called when the season opened. He and I were not disappointed.
WHY TAKE ON RABBITS?
When it comes time to hunt, and then eat, rabbits defi- nitely should be added to your list of fine dining. The unique flavor and texture of the flesh of a rabbit outpaces squirrels and deer when properly prepared and pressed to the taste buds. Do take precautions and wear gloves when skinning because some rabbits can carry diseases. And hunting rabbits can simply be a lot of fast-paced fun.
Without a dog, rabbit hunting is like a big puzzle. You’ll be looking for the small parts of the big picture. Don’t look for an entire rabbit, but do look for a round black shiny eye, or a pair of upright and long ears, or that signature cotton tail (white) against a dull brown background. Some rabbits also can be detected by that curved dark back shape against lighter upright sapling trunks. That round-like shape is unlike anything else spotted in your local fields. And sometimes a rabbit’s light brown fur contrasts against fallen leaves that are dark brown when wet. With practice, you can pick out rabbits from standard background vegetation. OK, take it for granted when there’s snow on the ground,
spotting a rabbit is much easier. But to up your odds when snow is absent, walk, pause, look, then trek ahead a short distance, and pause and search again, including glancing back to where you just passed. It’s the short pause that seems to unnerve some motionless rabbits, and movement – by a rab- bit – is much easier for humans, as predators, to note. Of course your odds of sliding a rabbit into your game bag or daypack are higher if you hunt in areas with high rabbit numbers. Old home sites and less tended farm field areas that are crowded with honeysuckle and sumac bushes, plus briars of all types, scream rabbit habitat. Search for the plentiful rabbit droppings, tracks, and the trunks of saplings that have been gnawed by rabbits. These look like a deer rub, only smaller and much nearer to the ground. If the brush becomes so dense you cannot walk in as you
hunt, you can bet a rabbit is there watching you. Old brush piles from land clearing projects, plus overgrown fence rows and hedges, are popular rabbit hideouts. If you spot a rabbit or see one running, the rule is that it often circles around and comes back to the same area within the hour. If you are hunting solo and just sneaking and pausing, you can hunt rabbits with a 22 LR or 17 HMR caliber rifle or a handgun (check your state’s regulations and restrictions). If you have several hunters or dogs who will put rabbits on the move, then a shotgun is a must. But, it’s important to remember that rabbits like to sprint a short distance, then pause to look back. It’s as if they are wondering what all the barking and brush breaking is about. As the dogs or hunters get nearer, the rabbit will again sprint away. Hunters placed at key points along hedgerows and overgrown fences easily can spot the rabbits – and take action.
Page 172 Spring 2013
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