im looking for a snowshoe hare honey hole in michigan..

[Tim Fishell]

Man I am all for it but I dont know where to go other that Drummond.  I have never heard of anybody hunting hares without dogs here in Michigan.  I have a lab but I dont think the rabbits would stand a chance!!  I am just along for the ride on this one you let me know when and where and I will make it work.

[WESTBROOK]

Used to be alot of them around here 20 years ago, swamps and Christmas tree farms. Your lucky if you find a track now. Too many Yotes, coon and big birds.

Back then after a dusting of snow we would follow their track and pop 'em with a 22 pistol. Was a real hoot with my old beagle.

Eric

[Brian Krebs]

You don't need a dog; you look for orange snow; and then start looking for big black eyes.

Snowshoes have a 'if I don't move they won't see me' belief system. If they are sitting in a dark bush; they are pretty obvious. I used to stalk them anywhere the snow started turning orange. I did a lot of showshoe hunting around the Charlevoix area- out towards where there was at the time a neuclear power plant. There was a state park; closed in the winter by virtue of snow; Farragut state park? That held a lot of bunnies too. I have hunting dogs; and there are snowshoe hares and cottontails here up high; and jackrabbits and snowshoes and cottontails down low. Here when your into the low flat country; dogs are kinda fun to have; but they will kick up a dozen to a hundred bunnies in a very short time; as in a hundred yards sometimes- and they have a hard time staying on one particular bunny.
  I use rubber blunts; and black shafted arrows with black feathers. The neon colored fletches glow under the snow.
  I have found the best way to keep arrows in your quiver is to shoot; and if you miss just walk over and get your arrow. Even if I have a second shot; if the bunny moves; I get my arrow first.
 Bunnies fried and dipped in ranch dressing   .......yum.  
  If you get a melt and the snow leaves; the bunnies still think they are invisible.. heh heh heh..

[jacobsladder]

yep..i shot a snow shoe..that was half white up north one season...he thought i couldnt see him..but there was no snow on the ground..i popped him at about 10 yds with a .22....when you say the snow is orange...im guessing your talking about their urine???

[Cherokee Scout]

I'd love to come up and hunt them too. If you want company, let me know your schedule. If I can work it out, I'd like to try it too.

[jacobsladder]

john..sent you a pm...steve

[Brian Krebs]

yes- rabbit urine is orange; and when your in a good rabbit area; the snow will be very orange everywhere.

[Steve O]

Brian,

You out west guys crack me up    .  There is NOTHING in Michgan, with 3/4 to one million nimrods tromping thru the woods that has a sit around and stay alive philosophy!  Our deer are hyper, our rabbits are jumpy, and our grouse do not stand around looking at you while you shoot arrow after arrow at them...they flush a LONG way out unless you find a 6 month old bird.

Apparently the ferry to Drummond runs year round.  Sounds like an interesting trip dogs or not.

[jacobsladder]

yep steveo is right on... our animals are used to being hunted and are pretty excitable... but, at the same time ive had a number of shots at cottontails sitting tight under cover, brush piles, pine trees etc..problem is..i cant ever seem to get a arrow in to them thru the brush... i used to hunt the same way with my compound..Whitebuffalo and i started doing mini drives on rabbits last year.. we went thru one piece of cover and were pushing the rabbits right to each other..it worked out great ..we had 7 shots... 2 of them we missed while they were sitting and the other 5 were on the move..you talk about a great time! My son and i do the same thing in thickets and have a blast.

[jacobsladder]

I'd like to try drummond also..sounds like a blast..

[Clem]

Hey, just thaught that this native Yooper could give you guys soem helpfull info. Any swamp area in the U.P. will hold Snowshoe Hares, buy the way up here we call them bunnies. We only seem to have cotton tail rabbits around the cities, not in the woods. I have hunted bunnies for over 20 years and the most effective way is with a good hound and a shotgun. The most effective way with a stick bow is to still hunt them. It is fun to shoot at a streaking bunny running from my beagle, but not all that effective with my longbow. The best time of year to hunt them with a bow is early November. This time of year they are white and hopefully there is no snow. They will sit really tight and if you are quiet you can sneak up pretty close before the take off. Good luck.

[jacobsladder]

Clem...thanks bud...maybe you can join us chasing them once we put this "bunny" tromp together.... we call the cottontails down here bunnies also..we'll keep this thread going and hopefully come up with a place to hunt after deer season..