When you talk about lost traditions, hunting bunnies ranks near the top of
forgotten pastimes.
Think about it. When’s
the last time you planned a cottontail hunt?
It’s hard to remember when, right? It’s
a rarity, that’s for sure. But some quaint
traditions should never die, and bunny hunting
is one of them.
Of course, there are
exceptions to every rule. If you look hard
enough, you’ll find small subcultures
of diehard bunny hunters who plan entire events
around the sport; diehards who grew up chasing
cottontails and aren’t willing to let
the tradition fade like the setting sun; diehards
who relish a brisk walk in the woods on a cold
winter day in hopes of pushing a bunny from
the brambles – and into the frying pan.
Still, having talked
to a handful of wildlife managers in recent
weeks, most have concluded that rabbit hunting
has lost its luster in many regions of the
United States. These are anecdotal observations,
mind you, but observations nonetheless; observations
that I believe are true. That there are fewer
bunny hunters can’t be explained away
easily. One theory is that most hunters concentrate
on big game, waterfowl, grouse and pheasants, “contemporary” hunting
opportunities that are considered more challenging
and more in step with the times.
Another theory – one
that alarms me – is that our culture
has become more and more suburbanized, with
fewer kids living in rural America. With no
connection to the land, fewer kids learn the
inherit virtues of an outdoors life. And when
they do hunt, they’re more apt to chase
other game (pheasants, ducks or deer).
I don’t need a
degree in sociology to know that’s true.
And I don’t need a degree in wildlife
biology to know that eastern cottontails – which
can be found throughout the United States,
save a few western states – are fascinating
mammals.
They’re artful
in how they escape predators because they’re
constantly being preyed upon from the ground
and the air. Indeed, cottontails are important
food sources for numerous wildlife species
higher on the food chain: coyotes, owls, hawks,
bobcats, foxes and more. That said, cottontail
hunting for we humans is hardly a canned hunt.
Cottontails have exceptional hearing, and their
ears, while small, move continuously to detect
sound. With a 360-degree field of vision, each
eye scans more than a half-circle.
Despite what the genetic
Gods have given cottontails to evade predators,
they don’t live very long – despite
their quick, zigzagging movements and their
uncanny ability to melt into the landscape.
Roughly one percent of all rabbits born reach
their second birthday. Part of the problem,
and unlike hares, cottontails don’t change
colors as the seasons change. In a blanket
of snow, they stick out like a sore thumb.
To successfully hunt
cottontails, you first have to learn their
various habitats. Cottontails are attracted
to field and cover edges and weedy habitats.
Where any two of these cover types meet, you’ll
likely find rabbits. However, cottontails prefer
a mixture of grass, forbs and dense, thorny
shrubs – all next to open areas. Try
hunting along fence lines, especially if one
side has a harvested crop field.
Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) acres also are rabbit magnets,
although when the stand of grass matures, they
prefer to use other cover types. Keep a close
eye on brush and woodpiles, not to mention
rusted-out farm implements and vehicles. In
a pinch, find an abandoned farm. These manmade
habitats almost always hold a few cottontails.
Keep in mind that cottontails
rarely stray from the their home range, which
is about five acres. If you bump a cottontail
while walking a field, they’ll almost
always circle back in their territory. If your
patient and stay put, you’ll be rewarded.
Hunting bunnies with
beagles, which has a long tradition in the
eastern U.S., is another great way to spend
a day in the outdoors. Beagles have excellent
noses and are extremely entertaining to watch
work, with their short legs churning like pistons
and their noses working the ground like mini
vacuums. When a beagle makes game (they run
big, even on a cold trail), it makes a high-pitched
bark/bawl that’s impossible to imitate,
let alone forget. Bottom line: If you like
dog work, beagles are great fun and won’t
disappoint.
While cottontails can
be spied anytime during the day, they’re
most active near dusk and dawn. Their activity
is greatly decreased at midday – unless
the sky is heavily overcast.
Public lands are good
places to hunt cottontails, particularly after
the pheasant and deer hunting seasons are over.
You’ll probably have the tract of land
all to yourself, particularly in the dead of
winter. Another virtue of cottontail hunting
is that you don’t need much in the way
of equipment. Any scattergun or .22 rifle will
do. Remember to walk slowly and scan the ground
for movement.
When cottontails sense
trouble far away, they’ll stop and remain
motionless, using natural cover as camouflage.
When a threat is near, they’ll usually
move quickly to the closet bit of dense cover – thickets,
brush piles, shelterbelts, etc. In
short, be ready for anything.
In the end, renew a tradition
and go hunt cottontails. They won’t disappoint.
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