Upper Michigan SnowShoe Hare

[Jack Kenosh]

Hi, I’m new to hunting snowshoe hare, and with winter here, I’d like to get out on my cross-country skis or snowshoes and try hunting them.
I live near Marquette MI and was wondering if anyone has tips on good areas to hunt for snowshoe hare, as well as advice on how to do it without using dogs.

 

[recon6036]

Find a swamp and jump on brush piles….tried and true method!

 

[pabearhunter]

Wait till a quick melt of all the snow. Ground brown rabbits WHITE .

 

[Jack Kenosh]

Find a swamp and jump on brush piles….tried and true method!

Thanks, I’ll try this!

 

[Jack Kenosh]

Wait till a quick melt of all the snow. Ground brown rabbits WHITE .

It’s a good technique, but it doesn’t work in the dead of winter
Do you have any strategies that I can use with snow still on the ground?

 

[Jack Kenosh]

Thanks, I’ll try this!

If you hunt with a party of two, what strategies do you use when brush stomping?

 

[Perlodid]

I love snowshoes, they're one of my favorite animals to hunt. When I was in the UP I hunted them all the time. Focusing on swamps is good advice, I like walking the edges of the swamp, particularly if there are aspens or beech nearby. My favorite way to chase them is to go out after it snows and track them. Just get on a track and follow it until you find them. After a few days, this becomes basically impossible because of the sheer amount of tracks though. I'll either do that or I'll hunt sunny days and look for them anywhere that would have southern exposure. I think that way is easier, it's just hard to get a sunny day sometimes in the winter up there. Either way, when you're in a place with a lot of activity, slow down and really pick the area apart with your eyes. They're damn hard to see in the winter. Look for eyes and ears, because that's about all you can actually differentiate from the snow. If you go a couple times without seeing them, and you know you're in a spot that holds hares, slow down even more. They're there. That was always my issue when I started, I wanted to go too fast. I always hunted them by myself (no dogs) with a .22 or .17 hmr. They sit really tight, so I never had to worry about spooking them before I got a shot off.

 

[Jack Kenosh]

I love snowshoes, they're one of my favorite animals to hunt. When I was in the UP I hunted them all the time. Focusing on swamps is good advice, I like walking the edges of the swamp, particularly if there are aspens or beech nearby. My favorite way to chase them is to go out after it snows and track them. Just get on a track and follow it until you find them. After a few days, this becomes basically impossible because of the sheer amount of tracks though. I'll either do that or I'll hunt sunny days and look for them anywhere that would have southern exposure. I think that way is easier, it's just hard to get a sunny day sometimes in the winter up there. Either way, when you're in a place with a lot of activity, slow down and really pick the area apart with your eyes. They're damn hard to see in the winter. Look for eyes and ears, because that's about all you can actually differentiate from the snow. If you go a couple times without seeing them, and you know you're in a spot that holds hares, slow down even more. They're there. That was always my issue when I started, I wanted to go too fast. I always hunted them by myself (no dogs) with a .22 or .17 hmr. They sit really tight, so I never had to worry about spooking them before I got a shot off.

Wow, thank you so much for the in-depth advice on how to start looking for them. I really appreciate your willingness to share wisdom!
I guess the next step is to actually get off the couch and get out there!

 

[Birdbander]

PM with a set of GPS coordinates sent, although its a bit east of you but worth the drive in my opinion.
Good advice so far from previous posters

 

[recon6036]

I love snowshoes, they're one of my favorite animals to hunt. When I was in the UP I hunted them all the time. Focusing on swamps is good advice, I like walking the edges of the swamp, particularly if there are aspens or beech nearby. My favorite way to chase them is to go out after it snows and track them. Just get on a track and follow it until you find them. After a few days, this becomes basically impossible because of the sheer amount of tracks though. I'll either do that or I'll hunt sunny days and look for them anywhere that would have southern exposure. I think that way is easier, it's just hard to get a sunny day sometimes in the winter up there. Either way, when you're in a place with a lot of activity, slow down and really pick the area apart with your eyes. They're damn hard to see in the winter. Look for eyes and ears, because that's about all you can actually differentiate from the snow. If you go a couple times without seeing them, and you know you're in a spot that holds hares, slow down even more. They're there. That was always my issue when I started, I wanted to go too fast. I always hunted them by myself (no dogs) with a .22 or .17 hmr. They sit really tight, so I never had to worry about spooking them before I got a shot off.

This is good advice.
Hunting Snowshoes was a passion growing up. I enjoyed it as much as deer hunting.
Where I live the snowshoe population really took a nosedive years and years ago.
With two guys, just spread out but keep each other in sight and move slowly as mentioned above.

 

[Jack Kenosh]

Thanks gents