We may have certainly shattered the record for rabbits in a single morning. We started from Bozeman at 8:00 AM and headed to Big Timber for rabbits. The temperature was 3 below zero, but clear.

You can't go to Big Timber without stopping at the Fort and we did that. Then we headed out to the ranch with high hopes of seeing plenty of rabbits. There was plenty of snow, which isn't bad, but drifting can slow you down.

We had to dig our way through one gate and only a 1/4 mile later we had to chain up the front end.

Once we got to the top, where I wanted to get, we split up and I walked the top of the rims and every one else walked below the rims watching for rabbits. It sounded like the Battle of the Little Bighorn. I couldn't see anyone but I knew where they were from constant gunfire.

My son got a call from his wife at about noon and said that the furnace wasn't working at home, so we had to cut the shooting short to head back.

Only a total of around 3 hours, we had the best shoot I can ever remember. We ended up with 50 rabbits that were not blown up beyond salvage, started cleaning them and headed back.

What a day...

Looks like a great day afield.
How do you mainly cook them? bread and fry like a chicken?
when I was little and lived in New Mexico that's how mom cooked them. Not enough rabbits around me to bother to hunt. now.

It looks like a great day for you. Not so much for the rabbits.

I love a good rabbit hunt.

That's pretty dang awesome Shrap... It certainly is a banner year for them. I'm even seeing some jacks.

Sharp,

Is that rifle from the "force awakens" movie ?

For a second there I thought .. WTF !!!

Then I saw the murderous horde of fuzzy bunnies... Huh... Not bad.

Be careful....there's a Piddler "ground sluicing" rant on the horizon!

Gawd demn!

Looks like a blast! We've never had a population of rabbits like that. Ever

Wow, that sure sounds like a lot of fun and good eats.

Sounds like a great time for all!

He haven't had good numbers of rabbits since the 80s. That my dear Sir looks like a hell of a fun time. Big smiles across the board, that's what it's about!

Yall must be some sho-nuf marksman!

Where is a pic of the dogs? Mostly beagles?

Looking good, Shrap!

I've "heard" that Jackrabbit numbers are really high this winter in Eastern Oregon.
Can anyone confirm this?

I'm heading over soon to check 'em out.

Virgil B.

Damn Shrap! I might have to get back out there. I had a couple afternoons This fall where Id kill 20 or so by myself in an hour and quit because I simply didn't want to dress anymore of them, meanwhile Id see three to four times that number that I didn't pursue...
I might have to get back out for another go at them!


I have never seen a year like this for bunnies./

Im sure Im speaking for Shrap here too when I say we don't use dogs. To save the meat we head shoot them with a rifle mostly...





Shrap uses a handgun on a lot of them too it seems.

Lucky fellas!

If I see more than 3 jackrabbits it's a schit load of rabbits.

Yup, I shoot them with everything I bring along.

Ruger Bearcat...

Ok-- there must really be a lot of rabbits, if your 'still- hunting' and getting that many. Good shooting!

Didja fix the furnace?

Furnace is better.

Smith and Wesson 25-5...

You guys have lots of fun stuff to do out there. Rivers are high and muddy, the lake is up and muddy it's been so warm no ducks now I have to look at a thread like this,,, as poobs would say,,, your starting to pissee me off... grin

On my last trip, as I said, i killed 20 in an hour and let 4 times that many walk, then, just for the hell of it counted 31 more in my headlights on the two mile drive out of the property.


Last time I saw them like this was the late 70s. my best friend came to visit from Arkansas ( where they use shotguns and beagles...) He was quite an accomplished shot so I gave him my 4" Colt Diamondback, told him " Head shots only" cause I wanted to eat them, and turned him loose. he was back in 1.5 hours with 31 rabbits...all head shot with the handgun.

I have killed hundreds and hundreds of rabbits and never once, used a dog. This is the best example of hunting a person can find anywhere. If you go elk hunting, you hunt much the same, spotting and getting to where you can make a calculated shot to the head.

Once you pull the trigger, it isn't over like elk hunting, you just put your game in the bag and keep on hunting. Also not like elk hunting you can do it day after day, all winter...

We have a few more rabbits this year but nothing like that. My son and I went out the back and shot 2 the other day in about 15 minutes. We only have a few acres in the back yard though but it is prime rabbit land. We planted a lot of spruce trees , pines and have a lot of Red Dogwood,, and grass. I think the reason is cause I trapped 23 coons this summer. I'm sure coons get a lot of baby rabbits in the nest in summer. I also chase the hawk out of the oak tree in the back so it won't kill my chickens. Shrapnel, what do you think made the rabbit numbers go up so much? Hawk die off, coyotes get mange? We use shotguns most of the time. When we use 22's the rabbits run like crazy and dont stop. When we use shotguns they run 10' and sit there and look at you every time. We ate them last night. They were so good I can't believe it. I put them in the Dutch oven, with flower on them, put some onions and beacon in there too. After browning them we put in Red Wine Viniger and chicken broth. It was better than out home grown chickens and that is saying a lot.

i, sounds like a great way to cook the little guys.. Our numbers are up also.. I was taking a ride this am, and pulled into a stack yard looking to pop a jack or coyote.. At least a dozen cottonbunnies sat sunning themselves in the warm afternoon.. I will be back!! Some will come home with me..

What would I do to live out west. There are years you can walk miles and not kick up a rabbit. Was a time we could go up to northern WIs. and get a few snowshoes. Not anymore. I have not seen a snowshoe in 8 or 9 years. Pheasants are rare as hens teeth too. Was a time ya could go and kick up some roosters. Not anymore. If ya see one it is planted by the DNR. Grouse up north, that we still have. Turkeys too. I would not be surprised if turkey also came by and ate baby rabbits and also will eat pheasant eggs if they find them. A chicken will eat a baby mouse , I know. No reason all these turkeys won't kill baby rabbits and pheasant eggs.

I don't believe in the 7 year cycle theory. I have hunted rabbits for decades and never seen any sign of that being true. Certainly there are up years and down years, but as far as the cycle goes, I haven't witnessed anything that would confirm a 7 year cycle.

Predators are a serious component in the equation, as well as harsh living conditions that will impact rabbit mortality by disease, parasites and weather. I believe that all the variables are so unpredictable in the final determination of the survival numbers, that a year like this will usually be accompanied by years on either side with high numbers before a real decline will affect the rabbits.

This is not a cycle as much as residual effect from all the variables that can cause high/low rabbit numbers that have no bearing on a time basis as much as conditions...

Nice shooting Shrap.
A guy needs to get out in that open country more, the Flathead is nice but sometimes all the trees get a little tight on view.
Those the Crazies in the background?

Did I mention we did find some sign of rabbits....

Are people in general frowned upon for using a beagle or three in the Western states?

You're nearly overrun with rabbits!
Are you gearing up for a boom in coyote numbers following the bunny explosion?

I am not patient enough to call coyotes and wait for them. Rabbits are shootable as soon as you get there and you don't have to be quiet about it. The best coyote callers won't get 50 in a morning either. Shooting from a helicopter may change the coyote take, and I would certainly be willing to try that...

I just don't see how beagles could help when you have this kind of success. Shooting running rabbits with a shotgun is like shooting grouse that fly. Shot on the ground, you can head shoot them and eat what's left without picking shot out of your food. You can see this load of rabbits are head shot and lots left for the frying pan...

A lot of it is the fun of watching the dogs do what comes naturally, less about bringing home lots of game.

Just different strokes for different folks.

Might have already been asked, whats the limit on cottontails?

We could have gotten 100 more and still not shot over our limit. We don't hunt to watch dogs, we hunt to shoot rabbits...

In your part of the world, hunting rabbits the way you do, works very well...

But, where I live, you would do good to get 1 or 2 rabbits a day. Using dogs, we sometimes strike out... but sometimes we get a limit (8 per person), and get to hear/watch the dogs run.

I guess running dogs is just something you have to grow up with, to enjoy.

Fun Times, with a possible bad prediction, if that's the case here, I'll be doing double duty keeping the. 'long-eared trimmers' shot outta Wifeys garden come this Spring and Summer.

I'm with Shrap and don't really buy into the 7 year cycle thing...but concurrent with that usually after a high numbers year, things crash back down to almost zero.....and Im hoping Im wrong about that, cause I'll be looking forward to next fall....BTW: Bunnies in the crock pot right now, with a sherry/ portabello mushroom sauce for supper!

In the infamous words of our buddy ET:

YOU LUDICROUS-TURBO SUKKK!!!

It's not so much that it is frowned upon as it is just a totally different activity out here.

A dog is totally unnecessary as evidenced by shrapnel's pictures.

I know out east you may find four rabbits in four miles so dogs help. But it's not that sort of activity out here.



Travis

If you recall, last year was another great year for rabbits as well, not this good but still fantastic, and I will predict yet another great year next year...

After reading your description and seeing the pics, that sounds like a heckuva good time!

If next year is as good...Im gonna have to buy a new freezer!

glad someone has some rabbits to hunt

Paddler would be soooo disappointed!

Man, those TRACKS!

Never felt the need for a dog. Usually, I would "find" wabbits by looking for road kill, like three in a mile would be promising. Then all it takes is a slow walk with fast eyes. But I have NEVER seen snow tracked up like that. Wow!

Good for you, Shrap.

Is that a Beretta Carbine in the first pic?
9mm?

So how do they taste?, all the cottontails I've shot in Oregon tasted like a piece of chitlins that missed the cleaning station . I've haven't been brave enough to try the MT variety. I love domestic rabbit raised on alfalfa pellets.

Like chicken.





Travis

No.

It's a Dodge. That's his elk slayer.

The second pic is a Beretta Storm though.



Dave

I can look over my deck and see up to 35 rabbits at a time. Unfortunately, I live in a golf course community in Northern Colorado and the locals would frown were shots to ring out - I might even have a visit from the local sheriff.

BUT, my RWS Model 47 air rifle is rather quiet and is accurate.

LOL
Nice catch!

Global warming is a wonderful thing!

I 86ed them too...

Gadfry

I could only wish for rabbit population like that!

Rabbits for dinner...

Damn that looks good.

So,..what's a fully guided rabbit hunt going to cost a non-resident?

You got any turkeys in your neck of the woods?

In my neck of the woods, Homeland Grocery is having an after Christmas special,..You like Honeysuckle White.?



Wish I did have some birds, I'd do some swapping with you in a heartbeat. On a good year, I've caught 12-15 rabbits in the headlights in the morning driving to the woods, over about 8 miles of dirt roads. I used to think that was a lot. Can't even contemplate how many bunnies you must have up your way to kill that many.