Rabbit Hunting near Wiarton (Ontario)

Winston1984

Winston1984

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Hi - I'm new to rabbit hunting but we do enjoy eating rabbit.

My Aunt and Uncle have some acreage south of Wairton, ON (WMU 82A), and they are happy to have me up.

They are out on the property quite often, and told me that they never see rabbits.

Is this because the rabbits hear them coming and hide, or should I try to find a spot where I know there is a population?

For what its worth, I was camping an hour north of that this summer and did see some varying hares.

The game report in Ontario Out of Doors Magazine has 'fair' for this WMU (MNRF data.)

Appreciate your input.

WS
 
I rarely see rabbits when I'm not hunting in my area, lots of poops and other signs, but once I start kicking the bush I usually chase up two or three.

Best bet is to go up and do some recon. Early mornings and late afternoon is best.
 
yomomma said:
I rarely see rabbits when I'm not hunting in my area, lots of poops and other signs, but once I start kicking the bush I usually chase up two or three.

Best bet is to go up and do some recon. Early mornings and late afternoon is best.
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Thanks - appreciated.

Its pretty thick brush... What's the best strategy - push through and try to scare them out of hiding? 12G? Shot type?

I'm sure there are lots of rabbit threads I'm going to do a search now...

WS
 
Best thing to do is make a couple brush piles near thickets or tall grass. Make sure you have shooting lanes all the way around it. Put a pallet on top so that you can jump up and down on the pile, have a buddy on the ground with a shotgun...I like a cylinder bore 12g or 20g.

Please do not climb on the pile and start jumping up and down with a loaded gun.
 
The Wiarton area will be mainly if not all snowshoe hare I believe. Look for them in and around cedar/poplar swamps.
Best way to hunt them is using a beagle with snow on the ground.
12ga with 5 or 6 shot or .22 to add some challenge. If you get a late snowfall or a January thaw you can still hunt them in the swamps they stand out like a sore thumb. White rabbit in a sea of grey and green.
A friend and I killed a dozen in an hour or so that way around the bobcaygeon area when I was in college.
 
Areas where I hunt, people say they never see "rabbits" (snowshoe hares). Even when I take them and point at the hares, often they don't see them.

Yet, I kill and eat LOTs of them. So, take any "there's no rabbits here" advice with a big grain of salt. The little f*ckers are nearly invisible.

Beagles and shotguns might be fun for some, but stalking and sniping them with a .22WMR is much more to my liking.
 
I am just on the other side of OS and I am finding a lot of droppings and remains from when coyotes get a hold of one. All signs indicate that there is a healthy population. When the season arrives, I push along the bush line and or along streams or established paths. Hares are creature of habit and will use the same pathway for regular feedings.

FYI... I believe rabbit season in this area do not begin for another month and a half so stay on your family property and when the season begins, if you are hunting on crown land, you can not use anything larger than a 16 gauge to hunt small game in Ontario. Wiarton is a beautiful area... sounds like your aunt and uncle have the right idea. Best of luck.
 
Garaldtao said:
if you are hunting on crown land, you can not use anything larger than a 16 gauge to hunt small game in Ontario.
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I live in Wiarton, and hunt in, and own property very close to where the OP is describing. There is lots of white rabbits around, more and more every year it seems. Nobody seems to hunt them anymore, at least not like when I was younger. OP, shoot me a PM and maybe I can show you some spots. I have never heard of the 16 gauge restriction, and have hunted and still hunt to this day with a 12 gauge.
 
Garaldtao said:
I am just on the other side of OS and I am finding a lot of droppings and remains from when coyotes get a hold of one. All signs indicate that there is a healthy population. When the season arrives, I push along the bush line and or along streams or established paths. Hares are creature of habit and will use the same pathway for regular feedings.

FYI... I believe rabbit season in this area do not begin for another month and a half so stay on your family property and when the season begins, if you are hunting on crown land, you can not use anything larger than a 16 gauge to hunt small game in Ontario. Wiarton is a beautiful area... sounds like your aunt and uncle have the right idea. Best of luck.
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what do you mean you cannot use anything bigger then a 16g for small game in Ontario .....that is complete bull ........show me were you found this info ,,please ,,,lol Dutch
 
With snowshoe hares, if there are gravel roads around, driving the roads at sunset should tell you if there are any rabbits around. They will come out and sit on the side of the road at dusk. We used to get lots of them that way (very isolated roads). Another fun way is if you get a thaw around Remembrance Day (where I used to live, anyways). The snow melts, and you pop anything white. Just watch how many you get. If you get carried away, you have to clean them, and nothing stinks more than rabbit. Clean 20 or 30 in one shot, and no matter how often you wash and shower, you will smell like rabbit carcass, and everything will taste like rabbit guts for the better part of a week. Turned me right off rabbits for over 30 years.
 
Papaclaude said:
With snowshoe hares, if there are gravel roads around, driving the roads at sunset should tell you if there are any rabbits around. They will come out and sit on the side of the road at dusk. We used to get lots of them that way (very isolated roads). Another fun way is if you get a thaw around Remembrance Day (where I used to live, anyways). The snow melts, and you pop anything white. Just watch how many you get. If you get carried away, you have to clean them, and nothing stinks more than rabbit. Clean 20 or 30 in one shot, and no matter how often you wash and shower, you will smell like rabbit carcass, and everything will taste like rabbit guts for the better part of a week. Turned me right off rabbits for over 30 years.
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Noted. I have limited freezer space anyway.
 
ironsighter said:
Areas where I hunt, people say they never see "rabbits" (snowshoe hares). Even when I take them and point at the hares, often they don't see them.

Yet, I kill and eat LOTs of them. So, take any "there's no rabbits here" advice with a big grain of salt. The little f*ckers are nearly invisible.

Beagles and shotguns might be fun for some, but stalking and sniping them with a .22WMR is much more to my liking.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks - this is what I was hoping. Its about a 3 hr drive for me so I will bring a few options and see how it works out.

WS
 
Garaldtao said:
I am just on the other side of OS and I am finding a lot of droppings and remains from when coyotes get a hold of one. All signs indicate that there is a healthy population. When the season arrives, I push along the bush line and or along streams or established paths. Hares are creature of habit and will use the same pathway for regular feedings.

FYI... I believe rabbit season in this area do not begin for another month and a half so stay on your family property and when the season begins, if you are hunting on crown land, you can not use anything larger than a 16 gauge to hunt small game in Ontario. Wiarton is a beautiful area... sounds like your aunt and uncle have the right idea. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

Not sure about the 16 ga statement on crown land. In all my years never heard of that restriction in Ontario? Could you point me in the right direction to that regulation?
 
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