Author Topic: Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.  (Read 960 times)

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Offline peakoftherut

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Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.
« on: December 31, 2006, 07:50:15 PM »
I am looking for a way to extend the hunting season this year and thought rabbit hunting might be fun to try. I run across rabbits once in a while when I am Grouse hunting but not in enough numbers to make it worth going out just to hunt them. Anybody care to share an area that would be worth trying.

Offline Cowpox

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Re: Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2007, 06:03:35 AM »
Hunting Snowshoe rabbits is best reserved for targets of opportunity, when grouse hunting in forests, due to the way populations in a given area are up and down due to predators and disease. Here in West Central Minn, our Jack rabbits are all but non existent because of agricultual pesticides and the increasing coyote population. However, every grove in farm country seems to have plenty of Cottentails. If you have no problem talking to Farmers about permission, most, even those who wont let you hunt anything else on theirn land, are only too happy to see someone remove a half dozen of the pests from their yard wind breaks. If you are carefull to keep buildings at your back, and never pepper the buildings, you will always be welcome back. Also, around here we have an abundance of State management areas and Waterfowl Production Areas. Any of these that adjoin crop land, and have cover, will also have plenty of cottontails. Don your snow shoes, and have fun.
I rode with him,---------I got no complaints. ---------Cowpox

Offline targshooter

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Re: Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2007, 08:00:50 AM »
I can tell you they are scarce this year in the Rum River state forest near Milaca. There are lots of squirrels and many, many fox and coyote tracks.

Offline HuntingGuy

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Re: Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2007, 02:40:54 AM »
Like you, I've thrown around the idea of small game hunting.  Havent messed with it much but it sure does look like a lot of fun!
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Offline peakoftherut

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Re: Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2007, 06:13:44 PM »
If a guy still wants to hunt this time of year you pretty much have to go after rabbits of coyotes. It used to be this time of the year you could switch to ice fishing if you wanted to something to do, but with these warm winters we have been having I don't trust the ice.

I remember in the early eighties I deer hunted the land o lakes state forest. You couldn't hardly walk 50 feet without seeing a snowshoe hare. I am sure that is not the case now because at that time it had a lot of 3 to 4 year old aspen that would be mature now. I thought maybe there were some other areas that had high populations of rabbits but that doesn't look like that is the case.

I guess it's going to be coyotes, building stands and cleaning fishing reels until spring. Thanks for the responses to my question.

Offline bearfat

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Re: Anybody know a good spot for rabbits.
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2007, 04:42:17 AM »
Just in case you haven't tried this one on a rabbit.

I was hunting small game this time of year and kicked up a jack. I had recently read if a guy simply sat down and waited the rabbit would circle and return.

So I sat on a log and 20 mins later ole jack comes flying back in. I had the 20 gauge and he was so close I didn't even aim just pointed for the head more or less...and there was definitely LESS!! :P

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