With snow on the ground and deer season in the rear-view, rabbit hunting offers an exciting off-season pastime for whitetail hunters. Between cottontail, rabbits, jackrabbits, and snowshoe hares, rabbits are plentiful. Small game hunters have found that hunting rabbits is not only a lifelong learning experience, but it’s a great way to get novice hunters in the field, especially in a season that doesn’t offer too many options for hunting.
Rabbit bodies are designed for running and hopping, with strong legs and well-sprung muscles allowing the little fellows to basically outrun cars in more extreme cases. In many ways, rabbit hunting introduces a new and exciting challenge to all types of hunters. You don't need a pack of dogs to go rabbit hunting; you can head out on a solo hunt with a single shot and a pocketful of shells and be just as successful. By studying rabbits' defensive strategies, understanding their hiding places, and being patient, you'll be well on your way to bagging a few rabbits.
Understand Rabbit Habits & Habitats
A wary and timid herbivore, the rabbit is a quintessential small game animal. As with all prey animals, rabbits have specific defensive tactics. In the winter, these creatures tend to burrow into thick piles of leaves, brush, or shrubs for cover. When head-on with a predator, a rabbit's first instinct is freezing to blend in with the surrounding vegetation. Often, if a rabbit is kicked up with a line of escape heading away from you, it will zig-zag in leaps to shake you. One of the rabbits' primary defensive measures is this random pattern of running. Since rabbits are always on alert, it's easier to locate them by finding their favorite foods such as clover, alfalfa, and blackberry bushes. In the winter, if it's sunny, rabbits tend to be more active. On the ground, rabbits are drawn to overgrown brush piles, thick tangles of briars, or brushy fence rows bordering an ag field. However, overlooked and unusual locations, such as abandoned barns, junkyards, or powerline cuts, can often be goldmines for rabbit habitats. Around deteriorating structures, rabbits dig dens around the foundation or what’s left of it.
Gear Up For Success
One way to find rabbits' habitat is to go out at dawn or dusk and note where you see any rabbits disappear into the brush. In the winter, these times of day can be especially chilly. If you're planning a hunting trip, bringing along the proper equipment is key. In many public land areas, a blaze orange vest is a must. Many vests feature game pouches that can provide additional storage. In the winter, thick clothing, and boots are the most crucial. In the winter, a pair of heavy-duty gloves goes without saying. The most important item on your shortlist for a rabbit hunt is a firearm. For many lifelong hunters, the 12-gauge is a go-to. However, sometimes you'll find the 12-gauge is a little too much gun for smaller game. The power and velocity of shotshells can do a number on a rabbit, even if you're using smaller shot sizes. A .22 long rifle or .410 shotgun are another lighter option. When it comes to shooting rabbits, hunters aren't limited to firearms, bowhunting is an option. However, be prepared for a test of your aim and accuracy, as rabbits are small, less than a foot long, and are frequently on the move. Use a broadhead that is specifically designed for small game, as larger broadheads will obliterate the meat.
Understand the Weather
The majority of hunters go out for rabbits in the winter months. As with any animal, rabbits' habits change as the seasons come and go. If you're out on a very frigid day, you'll have to flush your prey from their hiding holes where they're keeping warm. If it's sunny and slightly warmer, especially after a cold snap, you may be able to find rabbits active during the day, instead of just evening and morning hours. Check south, or southwestern, facing slopes in the middle of a warmer day for rabbits sunning themselves to raise their internal temperature. At the same time, wind can have a dramatic effect on the movement of rabbits. While not ideal for rabbit hunting, strong winds force rabbits to seek shelter in ditches or under shrubs and bushes, making their location more predictable. Rabbits, like humans, don't like being cold and wet. Because their fur doesn't serve as a great source of insulation when the temperatures drop below freezing, you can likely find them taking shelter under bushes or in heavily wooded areas. HuntWise equips rabbit hunters with hour-by-hour weather forecasts and provides species-specific predictions based on wind, weather, barometric pressure, and more.
Be Observant
As you're walking through the low-lying brushy areas, be observant of rabbit droppings, which are small, about the size of blueberries, and round and amassed in small piles. Walk into the wind, working a field upwind so your scent and any noises you're making are carried away from your flighty prey. One trick that works equally with grouse or woodcock as it does with rabbit is to weave a long pause into your walk. If you're zig-zagging through likely rabbit habitat, pause every so often. Wait there, still and silent, for up to half a minute. Rabbits are incredible listeners and may uncover and hear hunters from long distances. When you pause, they think you've spotted them, and, if you wait long enough, they may flush on their own, escaping a perceived threat. Rabbit hunting is a favorite off-season pursuit for many sportsmen. Chasing rabbits allows for a hunter to hone their skills while enjoying a day out in the field with good friends. The HuntWise toolset can help take your hunting experience to the next level. With updated satellite imagery, topographic maps, a range of base layers, and species-specific forecasts, you can up your chances of success.
