How to hunt rabbit?

greg11

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 97.3%
36   1   0
Anyone hunt rabbit? Was walking some ATV trails and dirt roads, but didn't see any. I keep thinking I'm walking right by em, or that I'm not looking in the right spots.
 
I've never found one by hunting for them myself. I've shot a few that I've seen on my property, but anytime I've hunted for them I come up empty handed.

I'd love to know some tips too.

My uncles tip for winter hunting was not to look for the rabbit itself, just look for their eyes. Black spots on white background...yeah. That helps alot.
 
Best idea: get a dog.

Second best idea: You walk the road quietly while your buddy pushes the rabbits out of thicker clumps of brush 20 yards ahead and 20 yards back in. Trade every time a rabbit flushes to keep everyone motivated.

Good luck!
 
Kick log piles, look for holes, kick any cover really.

If you stir one up and can't get a shot shoot anyway and make it run. They will usually circle around and come back sooner or later.

If u do see one and its running try a whistle. They say they stop.. I've never had luck with that however.

Agreed half the time I come home empty handed as well, but when I do have luck, 9 times out of 10 they are just sitting still and I just happen to notice them.

In the morning when the sun comes up after a cold night you can find them trying to warm up in small open sunny parts.
 
Rabbit populations tend to run in cycles, often several years separate the low point from the high point. When the cycle is high, bush roads, gravel pits, anywhere where there is an opening next to cover will produce rabbits at dusk. Our cycle hit the high point two years ago. Certain areas of the gravel roads were littered with rabbits about and hour before sunset, I counted close to a hundred one night. It's easy pickings when it's like that. Populations have crashed this year, I've only seen a couple so far.
 
I'd love to know some tips too.

My uncles tip for winter hunting was not to look for the rabbit itself, just look for their eyes. Black spots on white background...yeah. That helps alot.


My first tip to you is to listen to your Uncle. Scoff all you want, once you learn to see the eyes it will become second nature. No kidding!:)
 
My first tip to you is to listen to your Uncle. Scoff all you want, once you learn to see the eyes it will become second nature. No kidding!:)

Yup, eyes and black tipped ears stand out if you walk slowly and stay alert, the rest will come natural for the varying hare(snow shoe). They tend to sit in their forms and wait for you to walk by.. they trust their white camo suits so much against the snowy back ground.

Cottontails are brown all year round, and are a gimme on a cold wintery but sunny day on a hill facing south. A 22 and a good eye will net you some. A 12 gauge with open bore and some #5 lead is best for kicking them from the patches of cover they like to sit in. Good luck this season!:)
 
I see lots around the Cottage this year.....dont' see any foxes around so they are taking advantage of it.

The other week I see one hanging around near the Loo and let out a few mouth distress calls and the Hare comes galloping right in until he gets to a few feet away and decides he's too close for comfort and heads to back to the woods behind the loo.....I let out a few more calls and he comes right back.......and repeat.:)
 
All This and Rabbit Stew (1941)

Just don't do like this fella and you'll be fine :D

[youtube]esBTLxSJup0[/youtube]
 
In Northern Alberta, we had some of the best hunting, in some of the absolute densest brush imaginable.

In another post here a while back, I said that you need to get into the thick stuff. Like thick enough that you don't fall down when you trip, kind of thick. That is where the rabbits hide out during the day, and is where they are comfortable.

I seldom shot at rabbits over ten yards, but ten yards is a LONG ways, in the dense bush.

If you are scouting, look for them to be out in the open at first and last light. My hunting partner had good results at last light, waiting along trails and at cleared edges, and shooting at longer distances.

Or you can set some snares. If you get the odd one, at least you know they are still there, eh?
Depending on where you are, snares can work, or not. One co-worker's kid stopped snaring rabbits because the coyotes were beating him to all his catches.

YMMV

Cheers
Trev
 
Anyone hunt rabbit? Was walking some ATV trails and dirt roads, but didn't see any. I keep thinking I'm walking right by em, or that I'm not looking in the right spots.

You are taking this too easy IMO.
What Trevj said is 110% correct.
If you are not beating the bush for rabbits, you are going to come home with a far leaner catch than if you did otherwise.
That means pushing through the green jungle with branches swatting your face pretty often and your hat/hair full of pine needles and such. Stopping frequently and bending down and looking for the least obstructed view of neighboring brush. Do this while keeping tabs of your direction of travel so you do not become disoriented and most importantly, mind your backdrop for safe shooting.
If you first cover a good area and you do not see one, but you see tracks, signs of eaten foliage and rabbit poop, get your bearings are re-cross your hunting area once more, maybe twice. Also this time of year, when they have yet to change color, you're more up against it until at least they become spotted coloring eventually turning complete white for winter. Here in North Eastern Alberta the only thing white and easier to see are the inside of thier ears and thier feet, maybe underside hair.

Good luck to you!
 
Back
Top Bottom