I am new to the area and wondering if anyone has any tips. I've been out a couple of times and found an area with lots of sign, but no actual bunnies. Tried late afternoon till dusk yesterday. Nice walk with my daughter, lots of tracks and scat, but no bunnies. Is morning better? How skittish are the little buggers around here? I was hoping they'd be as dumb as the grouse...
Kamloops Snowshoe Hare?
- Thread starter ironsighter
- Start date
Were you walking trail or walking through the trees?
My fav spot is some 10-15' regrowth that I zig-zag through to an open section that leads into old growth.
I find that my first time through I don't see much but on making a second trip through, they tend to show up. Maybe I spooked them from hiding with the previous walk.
Shoot me a PM if you want to discuss further.
7-9:30ish I don't see much. 10-12 or 1 seems to be the time I see the most, then usually 3-I can't see well anymore.
My fav spot is some 10-15' regrowth that I zig-zag through to an open section that leads into old growth.
I find that my first time through I don't see much but on making a second trip through, they tend to show up. Maybe I spooked them from hiding with the previous walk.
Shoot me a PM if you want to discuss further.
7-9:30ish I don't see much. 10-12 or 1 seems to be the time I see the most, then usually 3-I can't see well anymore.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Go to Rona or Home D. and pick up some brass wire. It's real cheap. Set out a half dozen snares and check them regularly. That is if you want rabbit real bad.
More fun shooting them but almost impossible to see snowshoes once everything turns white. I always found them to be most active in the morning or evening...or during the March mating season. Hunting with a 22 really hones your skills as well.
More fun shooting them but almost impossible to see snowshoes once everything turns white. I always found them to be most active in the morning or evening...or during the March mating season. Hunting with a 22 really hones your skills as well.
- Location
- Fort Saskatchewan alberta
Don't know your laws out there, but if it's allowed get a beagle. with a good dog you will be hooked the first time out.
I have 10 or so in the freezer still + 2 for Coyote bait. They make a yummy stew.
Oddly enough, I was doing both, walking trails and zigzagging through 10-15' lodgepoles. Thanks for the info on timing. I'll try tomorrow around 10-12 or 1. The snow is very loud in the area, which doesn't help at all...
I am hunting for them mainly out towards Lac le Jeune, as I have heard that is where they are most plentiful. I have seen lots and lots of sign... Not sure about out at Paul Lake...
I guess I would need a trapping licence to snare them...?
Yes, I am using a .22 and I love the challenge. I just wish I saw even one of the little buggers. I'd rather see one and lose it, than see nothing but a whole bunch of sign.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Get off the trails and blunder through the thickest briar patches.
When you get spruce branches whipped across your eyes and the back of your neck is full of fallen snow, it's right about the best place to hunt them. Often you are walking, pushing, ducking, through a green wall of trees. If you've seen lots of sign and without seeing any, you finally come to an opening or the edge of a field, go back where you came from taking a slightly differing, zig zag path. You just might stir up one or two that you missed on your first push. Try not to get lost, and one or two hunting companions improve the harvest odds exponentially.
Yeah, they might be more active feeding at dusk, and you might luck out at early morning on a few of the younger, less intelligent ones. But all day, they seem to be hunkered down in the deepest, thickest, boreal forest cover as Trevj, Silverback & myself have most often found out. I myself use a 20 gauge shotgun, but I know Trevj has taken more than me with his trusty 10/22.
Beagles would improve your odds tremendously btw.
Good luck to you.
When you get spruce branches whipped across your eyes and the back of your neck is full of fallen snow, it's right about the best place to hunt them. Often you are walking, pushing, ducking, through a green wall of trees. If you've seen lots of sign and without seeing any, you finally come to an opening or the edge of a field, go back where you came from taking a slightly differing, zig zag path. You just might stir up one or two that you missed on your first push. Try not to get lost, and one or two hunting companions improve the harvest odds exponentially.
Yeah, they might be more active feeding at dusk, and you might luck out at early morning on a few of the younger, less intelligent ones. But all day, they seem to be hunkered down in the deepest, thickest, boreal forest cover as Trevj, Silverback & myself have most often found out. I myself use a 20 gauge shotgun, but I know Trevj has taken more than me with his trusty 10/22.
Beagles would improve your odds tremendously btw.
Good luck to you.
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Thank you.
That same habitat seemed to work for them really well up in Northern AB back when I hunted them as a kid. The area I am hunting has similar woods, but not quite so dense. Perhaps I just need to take more time exploring and go deeper into the wilderness. Not ideal for my 9 year old girl, but we'll see. She hasn't complained yet.
I have heard and read and seen videos of the beagles in action. Looks like a hell of lot of fun, but a beagle just isn't in the cards for me. Not yet, anyway. For now it'll have to be stalking with a .22 (scoped Lakefield MkII, which I can keep within 1.5" at 50y consistently).
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Pretty cool of yourself to bring the youngster along, Mr dad.Thank you.
That same habitat seemed to work for them really well up in Northern AB back when I hunted them as a kid. The area I am hunting has similar woods, but not quite so dense. Perhaps I just need to take more time exploring and go deeper into the wilderness. Not ideal for my 9 year old girl, but we'll see. She hasn't complained yet.
I have heard and read and seen videos of the beagles in action. Looks like a hell of lot of fun, but a beagle just isn't in the cards for me. Not yet, anyway. For now it'll have to be stalking with a .22 (scoped Lakefield MkII, which I can keep within 1.5" at 50y consistently).
Cheers friend!
She's such a cool kid! Totally eager to get into hunting, fishing, hiking, geocaching, etc. Her letter to Santa this year; pocket knife, first aid kit, compass, and "any survival gear". And an iPod touch, of course
The other day she asked me if it is possible to just go off and live in the woods, build a cabin, and provide for yourself. A chip off the old block. I've wanted to do that since I was a kid, too.
- Location
- North Shore, BC
Before the snow came, they would spend a lot of time out in the middle of the roads. Now with snow on the ground they seem way more skittish, if you spot them. With them being all white I could be right beside the little fur balls and wouldn't know they where there until they bolted.
My last trip out for them I found tons of tracks and some of their little sleeping areas but didn't bring any home.
My last trip out for them I found tons of tracks and some of their little sleeping areas but didn't bring any home.
The loud snow hasn't hindered myself any, if I see something move fast I just stop and watch which way it went (have found the generally prefer a straight line) then do the slow stalk in that direction keeping my eyes peeled wide open. Once they think you can't see them they aren't moving until you are almost stepping on them, you should get within 22 range safely.
Haven't tried up where you are but did see one or two while deer hunting earlier in the year up that way.
I have seen them holed up under immature fir trees, log piles and hidden in juniper bushes.
Try jumping on some log piles like your on a trampoline and have the young one watch your backside.
Will PM, if you want to hook up one weekend, I am game.
Spot I usually go to was inaccessible the last time I tried, wet snow on steep hill made for a hairy reverse back down. LOL
I only got about 1.5K in and wasn't about to walk the remaining 10K or so.
Haven't tried up where you are but did see one or two while deer hunting earlier in the year up that way.
I have seen them holed up under immature fir trees, log piles and hidden in juniper bushes.
Try jumping on some log piles like your on a trampoline and have the young one watch your backside.
Will PM, if you want to hook up one weekend, I am game.
Spot I usually go to was inaccessible the last time I tried, wet snow on steep hill made for a hairy reverse back down. LOL
I only got about 1.5K in and wasn't about to walk the remaining 10K or so.
If there is a lot of sign, they are around.
Very difficult to spot when in white and snow is on the ground.
You sometimes can see the eye, which is dark, of course.
Here in Northern BC, it is common to see them in prime areas.
They make effective use of available cover.
And, since they are eaten by practically everything, their survival depends on them being wary. LOL
I prefer a 22 Rimfire over all other types for bunnies.
Regards, Eagleye.
Very difficult to spot when in white and snow is on the ground.
You sometimes can see the eye, which is dark, of course.
Here in Northern BC, it is common to see them in prime areas.
They make effective use of available cover.
And, since they are eaten by practically everything, their survival depends on them being wary. LOL
I prefer a 22 Rimfire over all other types for bunnies.
Regards, Eagleye.
I went out again today, alone this time. Still plenty of sign, but not one hare. Frustrating.
However, we'll be trying squirrel for the first time tomorrow.
After admitting to myself the hare thing was not going to pan out today, I realized that there were several squirrels in the area that didn't like me being there, and I figured they'd be a good challenge and good eating (so I have heard/read).
The first one made my decision pretty easy. Just when I was giving up on hare and thinking about heading back to my car, there he was in a tree about 15 yards away. There was plenty of thick foliage and tree trunks behind him and he was only about 14' up the tree, so I let him have it. It took one more round of .22 to end the story. Gutted, skinned, cleaned him right there and tossed him in the cooler bag.
The second one was more fun. I could hear him chirping and chatting from about 200 yards away. The stupid bugger kept up the chatter till I was about 50 yards away and then he went silent. I knew what direction he was, but couldn't see him. I decided to wait. I stood there for about 6-8 minutes, and then he started up again. He should have kept quiet. There he was, about 45 or 50 yards away, about 30-35 feet up a huge pine. He was perched on a branch pointing straight in my direction, and he was looking right at me. There was a 20" tree trunk directly behind him. I dialed the scope to 9x and crouched down to the one-knee position. He seemed nervous, tail twitching, so I wasted no time. Bang. He dropped like stone. I moved quickly to the base of the tree, and found one very, very dead squirrel. The bullet entered his chest, just below the neck, exited out his back, and severed his tail nearly in two. When I gutted and cleaned him, his heart and lungs were like liquid, and part of his spine was completely missing.
So the two of them are soaking in salt water over night and I will read through a bunch of recipes tomorrow...
I do have photos, if anyone is interested.
P.S. When I was just finishing up with the second one, I heard about 4 or 5 yotes start yapping and hooting about 1k away. I have no idea if they smelled my kills, or if it was a coincidence, but I was glad I had plenty of ammo left, and I got out of dodge.
However, we'll be trying squirrel for the first time tomorrow.
After admitting to myself the hare thing was not going to pan out today, I realized that there were several squirrels in the area that didn't like me being there, and I figured they'd be a good challenge and good eating (so I have heard/read).
The first one made my decision pretty easy. Just when I was giving up on hare and thinking about heading back to my car, there he was in a tree about 15 yards away. There was plenty of thick foliage and tree trunks behind him and he was only about 14' up the tree, so I let him have it. It took one more round of .22 to end the story. Gutted, skinned, cleaned him right there and tossed him in the cooler bag.
The second one was more fun. I could hear him chirping and chatting from about 200 yards away. The stupid bugger kept up the chatter till I was about 50 yards away and then he went silent. I knew what direction he was, but couldn't see him. I decided to wait. I stood there for about 6-8 minutes, and then he started up again. He should have kept quiet. There he was, about 45 or 50 yards away, about 30-35 feet up a huge pine. He was perched on a branch pointing straight in my direction, and he was looking right at me. There was a 20" tree trunk directly behind him. I dialed the scope to 9x and crouched down to the one-knee position. He seemed nervous, tail twitching, so I wasted no time. Bang. He dropped like stone. I moved quickly to the base of the tree, and found one very, very dead squirrel. The bullet entered his chest, just below the neck, exited out his back, and severed his tail nearly in two. When I gutted and cleaned him, his heart and lungs were like liquid, and part of his spine was completely missing.
So the two of them are soaking in salt water over night and I will read through a bunch of recipes tomorrow...
I do have photos, if anyone is interested.
P.S. When I was just finishing up with the second one, I heard about 4 or 5 yotes start yapping and hooting about 1k away. I have no idea if they smelled my kills, or if it was a coincidence, but I was glad I had plenty of ammo left, and I got out of dodge.
Great thread. Up until this past September, I had been living in Winnipeg, But am now out in Langley BC. I am missing the snow & cold weather (& sunshine). Not yet sure where I can get out for things like rabbits, coyotes & such within a reasonable daytrip travel distance. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
A friend had gotten me into snowshoe hare hunting as a winter activity last year. Managed to get out a few times hunting in the the fields to the south & southwest of Winnipeg and loved it. It is a great challenge.
My tip is to look for tips - specifically those little black tips on their ears might be the only thing that you initially see. Also, just because you might not initially see them it doesn't mean that they are not there. They burrow under the snow & pop back up as thought they appear out of thin air.
A friend had gotten me into snowshoe hare hunting as a winter activity last year. Managed to get out a few times hunting in the the fields to the south & southwest of Winnipeg and loved it. It is a great challenge.
My tip is to look for tips - specifically those little black tips on their ears might be the only thing that you initially see. Also, just because you might not initially see them it doesn't mean that they are not there. They burrow under the snow & pop back up as thought they appear out of thin air.
