Rabbit Hunting Help

[Jesse059]

My farm has a section of about 50 acres of bush with a few creeks running through it, Some dense some light some steep some flat i hunt down in the creek often for grouse. All my land has rabbit tracks, thats all you see after a fresh snow but ive never seen any when i have a gun in my hand. Ive walked and walked and walked, stomped through all the brush but i never find them.

There are alot there i know but what am i doing wrong? Ive tried sunny days, mornings, evenings and nothing. Short of getting a dog to sniff out the little buggers what can i do different? Thanks

[CF8889]

A partner definitely helps with rabbit

[Abe89]

Walk slow, few steps then stop. Go in zig zags. When you walk they figure their safe and stay still, when you stop the figure they've been seen and bolt so be ready!
Go through the thickest nastiest stuff, often they take off right from under you. Nothing like a heart attack.
Keep your eyes moving as far as you can see; often they hop ahead of you then off to the side and hide, no more than 50ish yards. Look for movement or their eyes.
Also keep your eyes moving to the sides and behind. Rabbits have a home and don't like to leave it, so they hop ahead, off to the side, then circle behind.
A partner helps. Stagger when you move...one goes, stops, rest, then the other staying just behind. One covers escape routs the other pounds on deadfall. When by myself I sometimes manage 4 in an hour, sometimes Im skunked after a day.
With a buddy, he moved through bush, I worked parallel on a quad trail. I caught at least 4 or 5 rabbits busting back behind him back away from where he was heading, cutting between us in no more than 10 feet of willow. Another strategy I often flushed rabbits to him that stayed ahead of me. When stopped in a clearing he flushed and I caught 2 of 4 breaking through the clearing. We had 12 rabbits in 1.5 hours, saw at least 10 more but no shots. Sometimes the 22 gets the long shots, mostly a head shot with a 20 gauge punches through brush.
Evenings see the most movement.
I think thats it!
Good luck!


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[bb356]

My farm has a section of about 50 acres of bush with a few creeks running through it, Some dense some light some steep some flat i hunt down in the creek often for grouse. All my land has rabbit tracks, thats all you see after a fresh snow but ive never seen any when i have a gun in my hand. Ive walked and walked and walked, stomped through all the brush but i never find them.

There are alot there i know but what am i doing wrong? Ive tried sunny days, mornings, evenings and nothing. Short of getting a dog to sniff out the little buggers what can i do different? Thanks


Slow down ... once you get adjusted to seeing one's little beaty eye's .. you'll get it :)

[waterninja]

How about a different approach entirely? Set up at least one snare. Easy to do, legal, and then you'll have some added anticipation when you head out.

[antlercarver]

If you cut down a few small 2" white poplar and check back 2-3 days later, the rabbits will be feeding on the bark. they will totally strip the small branches. Birch, willow or sometimes spruce will work. Try in more than one location, cut these trees in a location where you can approach and get a .22 shot at your comfortable shooting distance.