Cottontail Rabbits Round Out The Hunting Season

[shrapnel]

The cool thing about science is that you don't have to buy into it for it to still be true.

Population cycles are highly correlated over long time series and large spatial scales in two unrelated species: greater sage-grouse and cottontail rabbits - PubMed

Animal species across multiple taxa demonstrate multi-annual population cycles, which have long been of interest to ecologists. Correlated population cycles between species that do not share a predator-prey relationship are particularly intriguing and challenging to explain. We investigated...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I don’t need to read about what I have observed for over 40 years of hunting cottontails. Empirical data from being in the hills all those years, I have observed the decline in the past 6 years that I would agree with the rabbit disease, because the rabbits just aren’t there at all.

Year to year I would see different numbers but nothing to indicate the common 7 year cycle that many claim happens in the general rabbit population. I’m talking many days in the field looking for rabbits from the middle of December through February…

 

[Bambistew]

I saw this recently... Maybe appropriate?

 

[Hem]

I saw this recently... Maybe appropriate?View attachment 263338

Shrapnel hasn't figured out the "like" button, so you are out of luck.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

E. Oregon must be on a 30 year+ cycle. I have good habitat, sage,rock,blackberries,pasture. I see a few each year. There are lots of predators, especially raptors and coyotes. After a snow there's quite a few tracks from the previous night so there's more than I see but nowhere near what there could be.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I haven’t bought the cycle theory for a long time. Hunting cottontails for decades, I have seen banner days and rabbit-less days within a week of each other. I have also seen years that were more rabbit prolific than others, but still not following any distinct cycle.

This area has always produced good rabbit hunting, but in all the years since, I haven’t even found a rabbit where there used to be dozens. Raptor predation is a contributing factor, but not to what appears to be extinction…


View attachment 263311

In early Nov. my son and I went quail and chukar hunting and only saw 3 cotton tail rabbits in 2 days of hunting in the exact same area where a few years ago we had shot so many rabbits we had to stop because they would no longer fit in our game vests. We also saw zero jack which was very unusual.
So I do believe rabbits are cyclical.

 

[shrapnel]

In early Nov. my son and I went quail and chukar hunting and only saw 3 cotton tail rabbits in 2 days of hunting in the exact same area where a few years ago we had shot so many rabbits we had to stop because they would no longer fit in our game vests. We also saw zero jack which was very unusual.
So I do believe rabbits are cyclical.

No rabbits 6 years running is no cycle, it is an indicator of no rabbits….

 

[PaulFWI]

Cottontail populations here in WI are cyclical, as others have said. Some years I can shoot 8-10 on our 3.5 acre property without trying (just looking out the windows occasionally), other years you see one or two all year.

 

[vaversatile]

I haven't jumped a rabbit in years. It's been rough.

 

[EastCoast94]

This year I’ve taken 2 rabbits and had a few more chances at more here in downstate NY. I hunt without a dog. Last year I didn’t get any and went out a bunch in February.

 

[Don Fischer]

It’s the season now for sure. I’ve let a lot of rabbits live over the last couple years due to low population but this year I think it’s time to start harvesting them again. We ran out of rabbit in the freezer about 10 months ago. But there have been some mountain hares to fill the pot.

Used to love Snowshoes when I lived in Montana. never seen one here in Oregon!