Black Snowshoe Hares... ever see one?

[bill c68]

Apparently they occur naturally but are quite rare. I heard the number was somewhere around 1 in 10,000. Here on PEI, they are supposed be 10 times that, so 1 in 1000.

I have seen 2 or 3 in my life and I can guarantee you I have not seen 1000 snowshoes. I shot one when I was a kid. I wish I had it mounted. It sat in our freezer for a year or so but my father never took it to the taxidermist!!!

 

[Mr.4x4]

They probably dont live long enough for you to see them cuz they dont hide so well since thier black

 

[gitrdun]

Yeah...but just in the deep south.

 

[beretta boy]

Do a web-search: Google, Wikepedia ..etc for " Melanism "

Many forms ... deer, tigers, pheasants, groundhogs, snakes, squirrels ....

Sorta like the "dark side" - opposite to an albino

 

[sjemac]

I shot a melanistic red squirrel on the Island just before I left 10 years ago. Got it mounted and PEI Fish and Wildlife had it sent to a professional photographer to be documented as apparently Black Red Squirrels are exceedingly rare.

 

[kkahmann]

The District Office of MNR has a mounted melanistic Snowshoe rabbit on display.
Minneapolis, Minnesota is chock full of albino gray squirrels and Aitken, Minnesota is full of melanistic ones. These are grey squirrels --I've never even heard of a melanistic red squirrel. Really cool!

 

[huntingike]

I have only seen one and i shot it in Freetown here on PEI . It was most likely the best part of ten years ago. It tasted just like rabbit.

 

[rlg]

hmmmmm?

I have seen 2 or 3 in my life

You sure it was not a "mutant mink" or a "fat ferret".

Robert

 

[bill c68]

You sure it was not a "mutant mink" or a "fat ferret".

Robert

Hmmmm? yeah pretty sure.




I shot one, saw one caught in a snare (last year) and remember hearing about (possibly seeing one) right around the time I shot mine as a kid.

 

[bill c68]

Hey, saw another melanistic snowshoe hare today!!!

My father missed him twice, definitely going back this week to get him!

 

[ontario]

a little town close to me called exeter is famous for their white squirrels which i beleive you cant shoot. ive never seen a black snowshoe but i have seen a large number of brown ones but only in the summer months

 

[Wrong Way]

Hey Ontario, where you from? I used to live near Exter...went to SHDHS as a matter of fact.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

I've seen piebald looking snowshoes near our deer camp. Black and white blotches.
We figured someone had released some domestic rabits years ago.

 

[Workin Man]

Snowshoes being hares and domestic rabbits being actual rabbits for the most part, I don't think they would interbreed. You don't see cottontail/snowshoe mixes where their ranges overlap so I doubt a feral domestic/snowshoe cross would be likely. I guess you you never know though.

 

[bill c68]

I've seen piebald looking snowshoes near our deer camp. Black and white blotches.
We figured someone had released some domestic rabits years ago.

I guess Richmond BC is overrun with "feral Rabbits"
I would love to get me a piebald crow, kind of a trophy around here. I have never seen one but I did see a crow with white spots under his wings, three of us fired 8 shots at him... don't know how got away!!

 

[Workin Man]

Sorry for the hijack, but what sort of baitfish is that in your avatar Bill?

 

[bill c68]

Sorry for the hijack, but what sort of baitfish is that in your avatar Bill?

DOn't know, I stole the picture from the welcom page on CGN... I thought it was funny.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/

Looks like a yellow perch