Health of a rabbit?

safety first said:
any thoughts on the cycle right now in manitoba?

thanks griz that's good to know
Click to expand...

You guys that live, or are familiar with the area, just think back.
When were they very low in numbers?
Or, can you remember a time, some years ago, when there was a very high population of them?
The peak periods will be about seven, or maybe as high as ten, years between. That is, high to high, will be about seven years, or a little longer and the same goes for the low periods.
The old timers report on a terrific peak period of rabbits, (snowshoe hare,) in 1932-33 in north central Saskatchewan, including the Prince Albert, Nipawin area and likely covering the entire area and to the north.
#### Turner, who spent 40 some years in the NWT and wrote a couple of books on it, once told me that the highest rabbit population he had ever seen in the north, peaked out about 1932-33.
I have no idea whether this was just coincidence that it occurred at the same time of what could have been the largest population of rabbits ever seen in northern Saskatchewan, or not.
 
It's not the West certainly, but I vividly remember peak rabbit numbers in rural NS during 1980 (or was it 1982?) Did a small game hunt in Guysborough County, the last rural county next to Cape Breton. On one long weekend, between the four of us, we shot 120-150 rabbits easily. Everyone of us with had a Cooey shotgun and our pair of loyal beagles hard at work!
It seemed every brushpile hid at least a half dozen or so. Eastern coyotes missed out on that bunny buffet. When I lived in South Saskatchewan in the 1990s, I remember rather good rabbit years being 1995ish or so. Just north of Regina, a friend and myself shot 25 snowshoehares in about three hours or so with our 22s. Used to spend alot of time hunting jackrabbits, and in 1992 a buddy and myself pinged off seven of these big hares in twenty minutes on the wide open prairie, using the very capable 222. That was an unusual day I think. But nothing like what I experienced in the early 1980s.
 
Last edited:
I didn't see many rabbits when I was out deer hunting this year. Did see a lot of grouse, when I wasn't hunting for them. Didn't see many deer, but did see more coyotes than I've ever seen. And the coyotes were bold. I got to miss twice shooting at one with my muzzle loader. Then I walked up within 30 yards of 3 of them that were messing around with some goose feathers someone dumped down in some low land after cleaning their birds.

I remember a year in the early 80's when there was no snow on the ground and we were out deer hunting near Pierson, Mb. That's near the Sask border. There were so many white rabbits, the stubble fields were just alive with them. There were almost one rabbit every 100 yards across the whole field. That was the year we shot a large pile of them and when I went to skin them, discovered the tuleremia on every single rabbit I skinned. Needless to say we chucked them all.
 
Not my picture but this is exactly what it was.

Guess I'll start gutting in the field so I can leave the bad ones out for the predators.

Tularemia.jpg
 
Found this tonite, describes exactly what I was seeing.

This is the name of the tapeworm that makes the blister like cysts, is this the same as Tulermia or something completely different.

Taenia pisiformis

Taenia pisiformis is a type of tapeworm that commonly affects carnivorous wild animals such as foxes, dogs and wolves. The adult worms live in carnivorous animals, but rabbits act as hosts for the parasite's larvae. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment explains that dogs pass the tapeworm eggs out in their feces. Rabbits are infected when they eat plants contaminated with tapeworm eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae inside the rabbit. The larvae travel through the rabbit's body into the liver and eventually into the abdominal cavity, where they develop into blister-like cysts throughout the rabbit's abdominal organs. This condition is called cysticercosis. When a dog eats the rabbit, the tapeworms infect the new host and hatch into adults inside that animal's intestine.
Click to expand...
 
Brutus said:
It's not the West certainly, but I vividly remember peak rabbit numbers in rural NS during 1980 (or was it 1982?) Did a small game hunt in Guysborough County, the last rural county next to Cape Breton. On one long weekend, between the four of us, we shot 120-150 rabbits easily. Everyone of us with had a Cooey shotgun and our pair of loyal beagles hard at work!
It seemed every brushpile hid at least a half dozen or so. Eastern coyotes missed out on that bunny buffet. When I lived in South Saskatchewan in the 1990s, I remember rather good rabbit years being 1995ish or so. Just north of Regina, a friend and myself shot 25 snowshoehares in about three hours or so with our 22s. Used to spend alot of time hunting jackrabbits, and in 1992 a buddy and myself pinged off seven of these big hares in twenty minutes on the wide open prairie, using the very capable 222. That was an unusual day I think. But nothing like what I experienced in the early 1980s.
Click to expand...

The populations you are pointing out would coincide with a peak period of about now. Or maybe more likley by reading some of the reports, Saskatchewan may now be in a die off period.
 
You fella's are lucky to have rabbits to hunt. There are not many left around my area. You won't find a single rabbit track on the 175 acres behind the house or the 200 across the road. Coyotes have got every rabbit and partridge in the area.
Fifteen years ago there was alot of cotton tails, snowshoes, and about 4 jacks living in behind the house and at least a few doz partridge. Not a dammed one left now.
 
I believe its a terrible thing to waste game, and so far with all the ailments I've seen on game, they have been minimal fortunately and I have never thrown anything away, except the guts and I am probably healthier than I should be for my age... go figure.
Bunch of pussies.;)
 
I ask some of the long term Cold Lake/Bonnyville residents if they remember peak rabbit numbers up here. They seem to recall the mid-1990s for good numbers locally.
Lately it's been pretty good for a few of us avid rabbit hunters.
On a nearby acreage we are now up to ten taken out of this forested quarter section in the last week. Five on the first outing, three on the second and this afternoon two more.
These are relatively easy, two hour walks in the thick bush.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom