Aug 1- Snoeshoes Open!

[The Dawg]

Anyone else get out today for it?...It will hold me over until next month when everything opens...

First kill with my new Remington 20g. (its a bit dark cause I remembered to get a pic after we were on our way out of the bush)

[300H&H]

A fine WABBIT you got ! I took my oldest girl out last night & saw 8 wabbits but she said they all looked to CUTE to shoot. So we are going to have mac 'n' cheese for supper tonight. Its just not the same. Next time I go alone.

[locdog_99]

nice rabbit me an my cuzin are going to give it a try

[Wildfoot]

im headin out right now. just have to finish sighting in my bow.
hope to try the new .410 too
and take a few with the .22 for funs

[The Dawg]

Just heading out again tonight with my bro...see if we can get him his first kill

[reach]

How do you identify a snowshoe hare vs. other species of rabbits?

[Ian F.]

Most of BC only has snowshoes..

Snowshoes as their name implies have large feet, and no matter their colouration always have light grey underfur.

Cottontails which have been introduced into the lower mainland are smaller, about 1/2 and have a rufus colouraton behind the head. They do not change colour in the winter an have smaller paws.

On a side note, cottontails are the best eating rabbit and if cook properly taste so close to chicken thigh meat that few can tell the difference. Plus, they are like shooting grouse on the ground, fun fun fun!

Ian

[reach]

Thanks for the reply Ian. It sounds like the large white feet should be the giveaway?

I guess unless you're in the southern part of the province east of the Coast Range you wouldn't have to worry about the other native species that are NOT open to hunting (White-Tailed Jackrabbit and Nuttall's Cottontail).

I suppose during snowshoe hare open season you could blast away at anything that looks like a rabbit, since the Eastern Cottontail and European Rabbit are on schedule C. Outside snowshoe hare season you would have to be more careful.

Is that correct?

[Ian F.]

I grew up in Southern Ontario where we had Snowshoes, Cottontails and Euro Hares (jacks). Snowshoes where always in the bush, not agricultural woody patches, THE BUSH! Cottontails love agriculture as do jacks, so you can use that as your primary clue.

As I read the regs schedule C critters are public enemy #1 and the normal rules don't apply, but if you get stopped make sure you are legal! I'm planning this fall to chase some bunnies, been a long time since my annual christmas trip to London Ontario to chase the brown bombers..

Ian

[coolhunter]

nice poto