question for all you rabbit hunters

[okcaveman]

how do you find rabbits? in my area even with GOOD dogs it is uncommon to see more than 3 or 4. without dogs you will be lucky to jump 1 rabbit in a full day of hunting. the rabbits are there, just drive the roads after dark, but they are nearly impossible to find in the day

[OS]

I like to practice my buddy stalks.  A partner and myself will sit on a hillside with binos and glass the thickets below in early morning.  When we find a rabbit one will take off to stalk and the other watch and give singnals to the stalker.  Like Mule deer hunting on a smaller leval and great practice.

[Blackhawk]

We have the same problem out here, and many folks believe the rabbits are in a period of decline in some areas of the west.  

After contacting the Game Dept, they recommended tromping around rocky outcroppings.  We found rabbit signs of tracks and droppings, but also found more signs of coyote.

[Rick P]

Rabbits are tough to spot but not impossible. First hunting at high noon is a exercise in futility, hunt early and late like you would for deer. Second slow down, slow down, slow down, most folks try to cover way too much ground far to fast. Focus on "hides" brush piles, thick scrub, overhanging tree branches especially pines. Scan for horizontal shapes not necessarily rabbits, horizontal lines are very uncommon in the plant world and shapes are far easier to pick out in heavy cover than critters. Not at all sure what your weather is like but some of the easiest bunny bustin is done after a sudden thaw, white rabbits kinda stick out in a brown back ground. Work in teams a scrimmage line will often move rabbits when a single hunter wont. Pay attention to local population trends. Rabbits run on a about 4-7 year cycle, right now you'd be hard pressed to get a bunny in my neck of the woods, thats why I'm driving an hour east this weekend. Get low, I spot more rabbits on my knees looking under brush than any other time. And practice you'll start spotting them allot more when you get a better idea of what visual cues to look for. That's what immediately came to mind sorry it's less than organized.

[okcaveman]

we get very little snow where im at. all the vegetation is briar thickets and pine plantations. our little cottontail and swamp rabbits dont do any color changes like the snowshoes do. but thanks for the replies folks

[Skipmaster1]

we get a few guys and set up "drives". the drivers get into the thickest nastiest stuff around and kick and step on every little peice of cover, even if it looks too small to hold a rabbit. if we hunted the same way by just still hunting we'd see very few rabbits. 2 weeks ago shawn kicked a little brush pile 3 times before a rabbit came zipping out

[Tsalagi]

Here in Northern Arizona, I just walk loudly through the brush. Both cottontails and jackrabbits will come jumping out.

[sweeney3]

Best way I've found to find rabbits is to hunt anything else.  Like the best way to see deer at 10 yards or less is to go out with nothing but a quiver full of blunts and judos after rabbits.    

Really though, what these fellas have said.  Walk slower than you'd think.  Rabbits trust themselves to blend in.  They are used to predators covering ground.  As long as you are steadily moving along, they'll sit tight and you'd have to kick it to move it.  Walk slow, stop for no reason and just stand.  Sometimes you'll stand there for a minute or so and suddenly one will take off.  Watch where it goes and look for it till you see it.  Good luck snaking an arra into the brush though.

[Wal]

Interesting you blokes are having a tough time with the bunnies, here in Oz we are starting to get them back like the old days after a few years of low numbers due to caleci virus. Hope it spins around quick for you all.

 This bloke has had a good year
  http://www.aussiebowhunter.com//showthread.php?t=24668  

Cheers

[Roadkill]

We ask horse ranchers to hunt near the barns-they do not like guns-or even compounds-as the noise frightens the horses.  Early and late are the key, move slow, use glass and you'll do better.  The other thing to do is use the night to scout-where you see a bunch ask the owners.  RR tracks ahve been consist producers for my boys-gun hunters.  Rabbits like the steep sides of the track to hide and movement is prretty easy

[GingivitisKahn]

Originally posted by Wal:
Interesting you blokes are having a tough time with the bunnies, here in Oz we are starting to get them back like the old days after a few years of low numbers due to caleci virus. Hope it spins around quick for you all.

 This bloke has had a good year
   http://www.aussiebowhunter.com//showthread.php?t=24668  

Cheers

500th rabbit - wow!  I'll say he's had a good season.  This year I've seen 2 or 3 rabbits total.  Granted, I haven't really been hunting them (mostly whitetails) but it's been a long time since I've really seen lots of rabbits to hunt.

The comment about RR tracks is right on - used to have access to a stretch of tracks to hunt and we always saw at least a few bunnies there.

[devonchristensen]

When I really want to see rabbits I just take my dog for a walk around our neighborhood.  Seriously, we saw seven bunnies within about three or four blocks of the house last night.  Now if only I could translate that to the woods...

[stevewills]

i like hunting open fields that have several old fencelines,i was out kicking a fenceline out at the farm yesterday and kicked up 3 pheasants,i was like what the heck only then did i find out we have a shooting preserve less than a mile away

[-Achilles-]

I stalk them like deer.If you move slow and quiet alot of times you will jump them and they will run 10 yards and look back trying to figure out what you are.

There aren't really enough rabbits to mess with here but I do it every once in a while.