Jackrabbits in Central-Southern Alberta?

Brutus

Brutus

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West of most places....and in Alberta
A question to my fellow Albertans south of Bonnyville/Cold Lake district:

How far south must I travel to experience jackrabbit country in this province?
Preferably areas with lots of grassy pasture and more natural prairie surroundings.

I have a 10 gauge BP shotgun that is brand new to me. I wish to try it out on these bigger hares with heavy shot. I'm just not quite sure if I'm going to wait until the fall months, or go right now within the next ten days or thereabouts? At first glance my own best guess would have been Chauvin, but I've been there gopher shooting and rarely see them around this place. This is very strange to me, because this is prairie farmland bordering Saskatchewan, and often ripe with wild sage too.

Cheers........
 
I'm not anywhere near Cold lake, but farther south around Foremost, Etzikom, Pendant d' Oreille area, I haven't seen a jackrabbit in quit a few years.
There was a time when they were running around everywhere. We used to hunt them during the winter months and sell them to a mink farm near Medicine Hat. If they do have cycles, they've got to be due to appear anytime soon.
 
I find rabbits up around Edmonton, but I normally use .22 LR to kill my rabbits...

I live in Edmonton and them rabbits are always ticking my dog off...
 
badgreenbird said:
Lots around Edmonton... even IN Edmonton... also some east toward Vegreville, Lloydminster
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Lol LOADS of them in Edmonton,I got to within 2' of one last year in my work yard,also got within 6' of a pair of yotes in the same place,a workmate crapped himself and told me he had seen a couple of wolves in the car park hahaha.
 
Brutus said:
A question to my fellow Albertans south of Bonnyville/Cold Lake district:

How far south must I travel to experience jackrabbit country in this province?
Preferably areas with lots of grassy pasture and more natural prairie surroundings.

I have a 10 gauge BP shotgun that is brand new to me. I wish to try it out on these bigger hares with heavy shot. I'm just not quite sure if I'm going to wait until the fall months, or go right now within the next ten days or thereabouts? At first glance my own best guess would have been Chauvin, but I've been there gopher shooting and rarely see them around this place. This is very strange to me, because this is prairie farmland bordering Saskatchewan, and often ripe with wild sage too.

Cheers........
Click to expand...

There are all kinds of these in and around the city's of both Calgary and Edmonton. These things are "everywhere!"
 
Ive done considerable amount of work in the south central part of the province and have seen the most abundant population of Jacks in the south east of Stettler area, Byemore, Halkirk and on towards Hanna.

the 10 gage might not be the most efficient Jack medicine. Hunting prairie Jacks is a different ball game than shotgunning bush bunnies. The prairie variety are very wary of anything that moves...they know that they are at the bottom of the food chain and stay away from anything they see move. A .223 lined up for 200 yrds will get considerable more use than a 10 gage. Sometimees a sotgun shot is available if you surprise one of the critters close to a road before the make the separation distance they require happen and they do that very quickly.

One characteristic of the Jack that you might have luck taking advantage of with a shotgun is that in the spring they are very nomadic and will follow each other. Often four or five of them will be 4 or 500 yrd apart but following the same basic route . I've watched them do this numerous times. They must leave a cent track for the next to follow as I've watched them do this a # of times .
 
Grizzly Adams said:
More likely domestic escaped domestic rabbits, I hate to say. ;)
and you'd be WRONG- dead wrong- I've seen them and KNOW the difference- we have 4 that regularly have tea in the front yard- and of course they're protected by city bylaw ;but these are legitimate jacks - the hybrids if there are any, are regularly killed off by the local cats-
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fingers284 said:
Ive done considerable amount of work in the south central part of the province and have seen the most abundant population of Jacks in the south east of Stettler area, Byemore, Halkirk and on towards Hanna.

the 10 gage might not be the most efficient Jack medicine. Hunting prairie Jacks is a different ball game than shotgunning bush bunnies. The prairie variety are very wary of anything that moves...they know that they are at the bottom of the food chain and stay away from anything they see move. A .223 lined up for 200 yrds will get considerable more use than a 10 gage. Sometimees a sotgun shot is available if you surprise one of the critters close to a road before the make the separation distance they require happen and they do that very quickly.

One characteristic of the Jack that you might have luck taking advantage of with a shotgun is that in the spring they are very nomadic and will follow each other. Often four or five of them will be 4 or 500 yrd apart but following the same basic route . I've watched them do this numerous times. They must leave a cent track for the next to follow as I've watched them do this a # of times .
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I lived in Southern Saskatchewan for almost eleven years. I think I'm fine here friend with my choice in certain situations.
 
The only ones I have seen in my 2.5 years in the Lloydminster area have either been in town or at the Upgrader where they can escape the coyotes better. To see one out in a pasture or a coulee-brushy area is virtually non-existent. I live off the 303 hwy near the junction of the 16 hwy. Landlady said there used to be lots of them here at my place, deer too but nothing for a couple years but there was no shortage of yotes when I moved in here a little over a year ago. That has changed dramatically!! The neighbouring farmers are all saying they haven't seen a coyote in months and I no longer hear them at night in the back 40. Coyotes and Ruger #1's do not co-exist well together!! On a positive note we now have a snowshoe living here, see him almost every morning sitting under the spruce trees or munching the grass next to them but you can't come get him. We're leaving him for seed. :)
 
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