Rabbit

[Dahdoe]

I have permission to cull the cottontail population on someone’s property. Last night I arrowed a rabbit using an ace broadhead. I feel horrible as 1) It was bad shot, the rabbit moved after I sent the arrow. Hit it in the back and the rabbit started screaming. 🥺😭. 2) the rabbit turned out to be much much smaller than I thought it was. The meat was ruined. I feel so bad.. I know this happens but dang… wish I could take back that shot. I didn’t have the heart to try to arrow any others I saw last night

[frank bullitt]

 I will say, first you are human with a heart, a soul and spirit. That won't change!
I won't tell someone how they Should feel!
It happens in hunting, no matter the weapon or tool we choose to use.
I've hunted squirrels since I was a young boy.
And have taken 100s with gun and bow.
Last year, I shot one with a  22 rifle, that made a noise like nothing I had ever heard a squirrel, make.
Animals have personalities, too.
It's an experience, I believe all hunters will have in the field.
What you do or hunt will be your choice and desire, going foward.
I have known a few people who shot a deer, and would never hunt again.
And that's okay, your still a good person, human being!
Your always welcomed here, for sure!

[Bowguy67]

Is the rabbit season even open there?

[Pine]

Try using Ace Hex Blunts, will stop a rabbit quick and doesn't cut them up.

[Dahdoe]

Yes I have ace hex’s and have switched back to them.  Head shots are the most humane imo. I don’t know a rabbit that would suffer from a hex head

[Charlie Lamb]

It depends on how much energy  your bow imparts on the arrow. I've knocked off more than my share of cottontails   
over the years. You need to accept the fact that some of your harvests are going to b e messy.
For a long time I thought the best medicine for rabbits  was an HTM bubber blunt on a 600gr. arrow out of a 70# recurve.

[Russell Southerland]

Is the rabbit season even open there?

NO.

09/14/24 - 02/28/25   Rabbit, Jack  Statewide

09/14/24 - 02/28/25   Rabbit, Cottontail and Snowshoe Hare    Statewide

[Bowguy67]

Is there a legality involved here than or is it allowed under some sort of control? If not I’d not advertise

[Terry Green]

I'm not sure how to respond, so I'll respond to Charlie......

Your statement means you 'thought' rubber blunts were the ticket and are still using the for such, or are you using and advocating a different head?

Thanks Bud!

[Charlie Lamb]

T... all I know is I shot through cottontails and snowshoe rabbits and put them down quick 

[mgf]

I prefer the legs so the meat wouldn't have been ruined by a back hit. My wife takes the back so she would have been out of luck.

I've killed lots of them with rubber blunts. Mostly very close shots at sitting rabbits and the blunt often tears right through.

Not saying blunts are the best just that I've killed some rabbits with them.

[Longtoke]

I recommend small game thumpers for bunnies.

[frank bullitt]

Ryan Gill has some good rabbit hunting videos!
Down in Florida, had one just popped up.
No points needed!

[Charlie Lamb]

Terry... My last post didn't give much of an answer. I don't have access to rabbit hunting anymore. Nor do I shoot those heavy weight bows. Following Howard Hill's advice, I've always preferred any type of blunt for bunnies. Most times just a plain blunt for cost effectiveness. From shell casings on up the line, I've used them all to good effect.

Nothing "pointy".  You must have a flat surface to make the kill as humane as possible to impart shock. Even a broadhead is "messy and slow" in the way it kills. Just one old bowhunters opinion after hundreds of rabbits taken.

[Terry Green]

No worries Charlie, I shot bows @70#s, but my arrows were 585 grains so close enough.

I have been on a few hunts in TX where lighter arrows and bow weights were not effective with a rubber blunt. Lots of the Rabbits escaped into the land of daggers and spikes carrying a very soar body part.

I prefer the Hex type blunt and some other, I can't think of the name at the moment, in normal woods or thickets. In TX below the frost line I do prefer my modified WWs as they will pin down the Bunny to the ground or base of a cactus or mesquite trunk for easy  retrieval.

By all means, anyone that has hunted with me knows I'm not afraid to go into that type of an environment for a hog or javie, but a 12 yard 'who knows whichaway' that bunny ended up at, its a LOT harder to see them in that mess.  I used the modifies ones in The Bowhunters of Tradgang DVD.

The Wensel Woodaman modified small gamers story from 2005......

I tried out some WWs with the tip severly pyramided on some bunny's at TX Sweat earlier this year, and they did real well....although I was really after hogs and javies...I didn't really go after bunnys.

So I used them again during the Littlefeather Bunny hunt last month...and I was really after bunnies so the heads got a LOT of use.

They performed very well...often pinning them to the ground, prickly pears, or mesquite trunks.  Very consistant hit-recovery ratio.  Best I've found OR seen for bunnys.

However, I did see room for improvement in getting them out of the back quiver....they tended to drag a bit.  So I took them to the belt sander and backed them up at the turn using the guard as a jig and took off the sharp corner and flat spotted it.  Made a big difference....now they just glide out.

   

   

[toddster]

One thing remember, nothing in the wild dies a "peaceful" death.  It is just the fact.  If lucky enough to survive old age then starve.  Yes we are human and compassionate, and all of us feel bad when we wound game.  That is ethical and human.  But still nature

[stagetek]

I would say, about 90% of the small game I've killed, were shot with Judo heads. I've shot a few pheasants and used old Bodkin heads on those (no dogs).