Going ice fishing this weekend and about the only thing open in the WMU I'll be in is rabbit and hare. I like to fish but I live to hunt and plan on sneaking out a few times to search for rabbits. I've seen tracks in this area many times but have never seen a rabbit once. I won't have a dog with me to help either any suggestions on techniques that might help me out would be greatly appreciated. If it makes a difference I'll be using a 12 gauge shotgun for this hunt.
Rabbit hunting techniques?
- Thread starter lammycon
- Start date
If you expect cottontails, you can jump on deadfall and flush them from thick cover. But it sounds like you'll be in snowshoe country-without beagles or hounds you will be limited, but you can find them.
For snowshoes, your best bet is to stalk quietly, stop, scan the area and repeat. When you are still, look against tree stumps, boulders, and the like for anything that resembles life. You may see an eye, movement or even a breeze catching the critter's hair making it stand apart from snow. You may get a shot or two within 50 yards but a .22 might do you as good as most will be sitting. They have amazing senses-glad I run them with beagles now.
For snowshoes, your best bet is to stalk quietly, stop, scan the area and repeat. When you are still, look against tree stumps, boulders, and the like for anything that resembles life. You may see an eye, movement or even a breeze catching the critter's hair making it stand apart from snow. You may get a shot or two within 50 yards but a .22 might do you as good as most will be sitting. They have amazing senses-glad I run them with beagles now.
- Location
- Ottawa origanally Muskoka
We got a snowfall early this year that melted after 3 days or so....kinda funny seeing white rabbits running around a brown and green forest! Easy pickings.....now the only thing you can do is look for black eyes & movement like blauber said.
Cottontail, european hare and varying hare all open. Thought about the .22 I've popped a few around my property with mine and it worked real nice. Problem is I'll need the 12 gauge any way to blast some clays with the boys that weekend and it's a good snowshoe hike through the bush or across a lake to get to this place and I've learned to pack as light as possible. With the rest of my gear another gun might be asking for trouble on this venture. Found some bismuth NoTox #6 2 3/4" shells buried in my ammo box from years ago when I was too much of a rookie to know how ridiculously expensive they were $21.00 for ten rounds OUCH! Stuck with them now but I think they'll work good on rabbits and at 3 1/4 dram equivalent they should cycle fine through my Berretta Xtrema 2. Thanks for all the help gents I'll post some pics if I manage to whack any this weekend.
That's ironic cancer!
About a month ago I spotted one in my back yard and immediately ran for the crossbow. At 30 yards he shouldn't have stood a chance. When I pulled the trigger it was like someone snapped your fingers and the rabbit instantly disappeared! Waited a bit then went out to search no blood anywhere my 1" broadhead should have doused the whole area in blood if I hit him. Dug through the snow and found the arrow buried in the ground at a perfect angle where it should have got that rabbit. On another occasion I popped one with the .22 and he jumped about six feet straight in the air. All I can figure is that when he heard the string snap it spooked him and he jumped out of my scopes field of view and out of the arrows path in the split second it took to reach him. From that experience I would recommend the .22 if you can get away with it they aren't fast enough to dodge bullets and the .22 doesn't even wake my treehugger wife when she's sleeping in the house and I'm shooting off the porch as I've proven 4 times with three rabbits and a racoon so far.
About a month ago I spotted one in my back yard and immediately ran for the crossbow. At 30 yards he shouldn't have stood a chance. When I pulled the trigger it was like someone snapped your fingers and the rabbit instantly disappeared! Waited a bit then went out to search no blood anywhere my 1" broadhead should have doused the whole area in blood if I hit him. Dug through the snow and found the arrow buried in the ground at a perfect angle where it should have got that rabbit. On another occasion I popped one with the .22 and he jumped about six feet straight in the air. All I can figure is that when he heard the string snap it spooked him and he jumped out of my scopes field of view and out of the arrows path in the split second it took to reach him. From that experience I would recommend the .22 if you can get away with it they aren't fast enough to dodge bullets and the .22 doesn't even wake my treehugger wife when she's sleeping in the house and I'm shooting off the porch as I've proven 4 times with three rabbits and a racoon so far.
