Anyone out there hunting rabbits?

[DannyO]

Are any of you out there hunting rabbit these days? How’s it looking out there?

[KevinB]

not great around Kamloops, at least not compared to the past several years - I'm figuring this winter is probably the low point in the cycle.
However they are still out there and if you can find good habitat and a bit of a refuge population you can do okay.

[Would Rather Be Fishing]

In region 2 I did ok, actually. No point of reference, though as I have only lived in the LM for a few years and only recently got into small game... So maybe my expectations are low. That said...I do have a few hares in my freezer/belly....

[WesHarm]

Hoping to get a drive in up some places soon, gunna take the .22 and see if i get lucky, will let you know how it goes :)

[wideopenthrottle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb11Tz3xVKY

[walks with deer]

rabbits in kamloops are on there secound year after bottom of cycle..when there top of cycle its insane see over a 100a night.i have seen more ruff grouse this week than rabbits as they recover faster.

[HarryToolips]

What's everyone's strategy in the winter?? If I see them in the winter they're running 100'MPH by the time you see them, it's not like in August when they line the roads...

[Treed]

I have no luck shooting them in the winter either. The snare is pretty deadly though.

[RugDoctor]

Awesome topic. Used to see a fair amount of rabbits on some of my old grouse roads in the Cariboo, but have never jumped so many while walking in the bush here in the Kamloops area. Loves me some surprise rabbit! Man they can startle a guy creeping for deer

[Antwonmh]

I just made a set of ten snares and will be hitting the bush this weekend (whitehorse)! First time setting for hares. Went out last weekend with the pup and my 22 but only saw a ton of tracks.

[lovemywinchester]

Low part of the cycle around Kamloops like everyone says. My buddy trained me in winter rabbit hunting. We go high with the sleds and hunt the willows and tight stuff. The key is to look for the eye, not the whole rabbit. Once you get dialed in you will see a beady little black eye looking at you and that's where you aim. Don't aim for the body because the rabbit will run and get down its hole. Head shots are the way to go, with a 22 anyway.
A few years ago was pretty easy hunting.

https://i.imgur.com/J6EXHTpl.jpg

[DannyO]

Thanks for the posts guys

Only managed a couple of bunnies this past season, now sitting indoors for the past 2 months with a newborn has me itching to get back out and I figure a little day trip for winter rabbits would be fun (and an acceptable proposition to my wife haha )

[WesHarm]

Haha im right there with ya!

[joshbazz]

Subbed... shot my first game ever aug 31, couple snowshoe hare... no idea how to winter hunt them, they were sitting ducks on the side of the road before... they’re pretty tasty :)

[DannyO]

Haha im right there with ya!

Recent pup? Congrats!

I’m wondering if I return to the areas I’ve shot them in August might I find them there in winter months? I have no idea

[jagen mit DDrs]

Subbed... shot my first game ever aug 31, couple snowshoe hare... no idea how to winter hunt them

Personally,there is only one way to hunt them.....that's with dogs.

Rainer

[HarryToolips]

Low part of the cycle around Kamloops like everyone says. My buddy trained me in winter rabbit hunting. We go high with the sleds and hunt the willows and tight stuff. The key is to look for the eye, not the whole rabbit. Once you get dialed in you will see a beady little black eye looking at you and that's where you aim. Don't aim for the body because the rabbit will run and get down its hole. Head shots are the way to go, with a 22 anyway.
A few years ago was pretty easy hunting.

https://i.imgur.com/J6EXHTpl.jpg
Now that's impressive....

[jtred]

I got out yesterday for a few hours, the only way I've had success in the winter is to find an area with a lot of tracks, almost always really thick new growth with willow and poplar thickets. Then I work the edges trying to spot a hare before he bolts. Yesterday I came across a good spot on the downslope side of a road passing through a cutblock. I actually set up on a glassing point and glassed the area, following the tracks with the binocular into thickets and regrowth. I didn't find any by glassing but as I moved down into the cut one was spotted under a slash pile at 15m or so and the 17HMR put a nice hare in the freezer. Snowshoes are needed to to hunt snowshoe hares in my area.

[KevinB]

Low part of the cycle around Kamloops like everyone says. My buddy trained me in winter rabbit hunting. We go high with the sleds and hunt the willows and tight stuff. The key is to look for the eye, not the whole rabbit. Once you get dialed in you will see a beady little black eye looking at you and that's where you aim. Don't aim for the body because the rabbit will run and get down its hole. Head shots are the way to go, with a 22 anyway.
A few years ago was pretty easy hunting.

https://i.imgur.com/J6EXHTpl.jpg

as lovemywinchester says, look for the eye. I also find the ears can be off white enough to be a good thing to look for. If they are laying flat, the bunny is relaxed and you can get away with moving around for a better shot. As soon as they go up, it's ready to run, so stop moving and try not to make eye contact.
If you have a bit of fresh snow, tracking can be very productive. Just cover lots of ground and when you find fresh running tracks, follow them.

great photo lovemywinchester, yup that's exactly how the day goes when the population cycle is at its peak and you get into the right habitat.

[338edgehunter]

I hit up rabbits pretty good I use my 20 gauge or i snare them decent amount up here in 7b

[B.C.Boy(100%)]

I have European cottontails in the front yard.
The harder the GSP works them, the more of them there are it seems, must be a Natural response to the threat of predatory reaction, and an unconscious psychological thing when it comes to brood size.

One question I have is, what kind of diseases should a person look out for when it comes to rabbits?
and how do you spot a disease(s) in rabbits?
The last one the dog brought back to me had lumps on its liver, so I discarded that one.