Big Game Logic is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Rabbit hunting is a fast growing avocation for hunters. It's a welcome respite from "cabin fever," there are a lot of them, and they taste real good. The problem is, that lots of hunters fail to recognize the often simple tricks that will set apart a good hunt from a "skunker."
Here are some points I've learned over the years about rabbit hunting, and I hope you'll find them quite useful. It's sort of the "light bulb going off in your head," saying, "gee, I never thought of that", or "I never knew that."
Scouting
Rabbit hunting is pretty simple. You grab a shotgun or a .22, for instance, go to your favorite woods, and pick apart these tasty little fur bearers. You can increase the odds of success by doing some pre-season scouting, and recognizing that rabbits are most active early in the morning, and late in the day.
Look through the woods that you want to hunt. The best places to look are fence rows, with brush around the bottom, fallen trees, and old brush piles. These are real "hot spots" for rabbits. They seek cover and concealment, and the areas described are where they normally will want to locate.
Know the Weather
The most productive days to hunt rabbits are cloudy, cold, damp days. A perfect day is one with a foggy morning or afternoon, where there is heavy mist in the air, and the woods are real, real quiet. You can sneak in the woods very stealthily, making sure you move slowly, and keep a keen eye out. Constantly watch ahead of you for any type of movement. Savvy hunters will find one of the spots that we've described, and when coming up on it, will literally give it a good, swift kick. Trust me: If there's a rabbit in that spot, it'll come scurrying out at warp speed.
Good, you say. Well, not quite. Those rabbits come really flying out, and I don't care how quick or how good a shot you are, you're not going to get a good shot instantly. "It ain't gonna work that way." What you'll want to do when you see the rabbit run out, is stand still, and either whistle or click your tongue. Some type of noise from your mouth. Half the time or more, the rabbit will instantly stop, and offer you a perfect shot.
Be Stealth
Another good thing to know is that you should never move. Stay perfectly still and motionless. That rabbit will come right back to you. No kidding. They do. They will stop, turn around and circle right back to where they came from.
Continue to zip through the woods, and you'll get your bag limit quickly, following these simple suggestions -- again, assuming you've pre-scouted the area and know it has a rabbit population.
Watch Out For Fleas
One thing that you should recognize and to me at least is a negative when it comes to rabbit hunting, is that they're usually infested with fleas. Lots of hunters don't know that. When you get home, leave the rabbits outside for awhile, until their bodies get cold. When that happens those warm loving fleas will skedaddle. If you do bring the rabbits in the house immediately, you're going to have an infestation of fleas – and for sure if you've got a cat or dog, they'll become infested.
Being a successful rabbit hunter means you'll really have had some fun experiencing nature, and will put some delicious "protein" on your family's dinner table. You also won't have to worry about mortgaging your home to afford one of those fancy dan restaurant dinners, which for rabbit can go up to $50 (no kidding- -that's what they can run). Br'er Rabbit is waiting for you. Go for it.
