00 buck jackrabbit
- Thread starter Gun hog
- Start date
i have seen a nest of baby jacks in the snow. probably February or march. i never shoot jacks in my part of Ontario as there are few of them left. i believe the coyotes have all but eliminated them. that and the fact modern farming methods do not leave the cover and fence rows that they need to survive. any one else seeing good numbers or are they going down.
Theyre starting to make a slow come back in some small pockets in chatham kent. I shot the odd one. Our season is fall and winter for them. Most ive shot have been with 22 mag. Theyre nice to see around. Coyotes and farming have really taken their toles for sure
Ive had them nest in my yard before. 4 babies every spring same hole. Theyre nursed faster than cottontails but the mother never strayed far. 5 years straight using the same hole
Really neat info guys. I didn’t know they were so different from cotton tails in their breeding patterns. Their numbers are pretty good in central Saskatchewan because coyotes have been largely managed well and there’s still a lot of habitat.
- Location
- Near Coldwater, Ont
What we call Jack rabbits in Ontario is actually European hare. It is a completely different species from what you have in the western provinces.
Jim
jlovie
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I haven't seen a jack in wmu 83 for a few years. Quite a few cotton tails though, in spite of an active coyote population.
On good years where its early warm up and not overly wet or dry the jacks on the old farm i rented would have 2 batches of bunnies. The coolest thing i saw was a great horned owl grab one out of the field. Surprise attack but got it on the run. Got up about 50' in the air and the jack turned and power kicked with both back feet and knocked the owl out of the sky. Rabbit took some massive lacerations and meat was easily visible all summer but he healed up and stayed around all winter. Across an open field they can leave a coyote behind which is also fun ti watch
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The Western jackrabbit and the snowshoehare have some similarities in the early spring breeding season.
Both species seemingly loose much fear in the primary interest of procreation.
Both seem to gather up in groups. I suspect to interest the ladies. In South Saskatchewan sometimes you can see jackrabbits playing together in the green fields. Leeping high over each other seems to be a thing with them.
Really this is not much different than observing WT bucks during the rut.
Both species seemingly loose much fear in the primary interest of procreation.
Both seem to gather up in groups. I suspect to interest the ladies. In South Saskatchewan sometimes you can see jackrabbits playing together in the green fields. Leeping high over each other seems to be a thing with them.
Really this is not much different than observing WT bucks during the rut.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
Western jacks are a far different species than the introduced european hare of Ontario. For one they are truly native to Canada, not an introduced species. As full grown adults they are smaller than the eastern jacks and like a varying hare(aka snowshoe) they turn white in winter as well. They also are nowhere near as wary as the eastern variety and tend to run very short distances and stop to watch what spooked after only a few feet or yards most times. We have them in our yard almost daily once winter sets in but rarely have them around once spring turns to summer. The fellows I know who grew up on the prairies say they ate them occasionsally in their youth and claim they are known for having worms and are horrible tasting table fare. I cannot confirm or deny that claim as I've never killed or eaten one since living here. I did shoot a few in my teens while working in Calgary one summer with a guy I worked with who did taxidermy. He used to shoot them and make jackelopes with them to sell.
