Hunting Rabbits in Deepish Snow Advice Request

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ArchiePerry

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Fort McMurray
Hello,

How do I hunt rabbits in Deep snow?

I went out yesterday and found lots of tracks ##### crossing the trail i was on but while in snowshoes I can't follow them into the bush to try and flush them or anything.

Do I just keep trudging at my slow snow shoe pace down the trail in hopes of spotting one?

I tried the start-stop technique but it didn't work I think because I was going pretty slow already.

I had a thought that I could set up about 30 - 50 yards from a very high concentration of tracks and then play the waiting game prone in the snow. Maybe I'll go back an hour before dark and try that.

Thoughts?
 
here's a trick I use;
I bring a whistle with me (like a Fox 40, or something w/o a pea in it) you see a rabbit running throught the bushes, or looking for food. Blow one sharp blow, they will usually stop and put their head up to look around. It gives you about a 5sec window to put a shot on him. I have been doing that since I was kid, and its always worked for me.
Good luck!
 
If you aren't seeing them at a particular place and time, try another. I find they don't come out until well after dark once the snow comes hard. Try first thing in the morning. I think snowshoes may be hindering your experience. Do they come off easy or are they tied on by hand? During the day, something to look out for is a mound of snow covered fall down with tracks going under it. Stomp on the mound and a rabbit just might come out. If it has just been lightly snowing, often you can tell the freshness of the tracks. Following fresh ones might give you an idea of where there is food. Also, try following a deer trail. Rabbits and deer like the same sorts of foods so deer trails will often lead you to or past a warren.
 
First light and last light work the best for finding snowshoe bunnies. Just keep moving through the bush. If you see one moving, use a loud whistle and it will stop and sit up long enough to get a shot off. I've never hunted the big Jack Rabbits, just the snowshoes (American Varing Hare, [spell??])
 
My advise is, don't, stay at home, drink coffee with a dash of rum in it. Sorry, I couldn't help myself, use bear-paw snowshoes, or use ski-doo trails for most of your traveling.
 
Rabbit hunting is fun... not fun enough for me to trudge around in snowshoes for them though! :) Seriously, even if you are going slow the start-stop techniques works. If you are plodding along a 2-3km/hr the rabbit is going to freeze and won't start to run. Personally, I think you should it make it easier on yourself and use a dog as well wait for the right time of the year (i.e. season change) nothing like have a brown rabbit on a white backdrop or vice versa to make your life a little bit easier. As well, I like to hunt near rail lines - for some reason I get a lot of them along the tracks. If you really are just after some meat, I would recommend that you start a trapline for rabbits; set up a bunch of snares and check them every morning. It gives you something to do as you are hunting rabbits...

Here is a rabbit I got yesterday hunting coyotes.

PICT1217.jpg


Yeah I split his skull at 5m with a 22 Hornet.
 
When I was younger and in better shape I would hunt with 2 or 3 other guys on snowshoes. We would spread out maybe 15 or 20 yards apart and push through a swamp with lots of tracks. we would push the rabbits out of the brush over to the other hunter. Tough going but lots of fun. Just keep track of each other and watch your muzzle so as not to get snow in it.
 
cottontails fur never changes colour!
I shot a lot of snowshoe hares with the help of a friend or two "pushing bush" and a dog helps too!
 
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