Hare hunting 101 tips

[Speckle55]

Hare hunting you need to know a few things

1… where do they eat

2…where do the sleep

3… where are the borrow holes

I have hunted hare since I was young so let’s try to shorten your learning curve

In all area where hare live there will be spots that are thick bush

If your In hare country there will be poop on ground ..lots if not move

Tracks in snow should be everywhere n trails

When your in hare country the sign,s of hare are everywhere even in summer

When you walk so you should see hare moving around you.. or sit

Remember to change the angle your looking from move head to body too

Look into the forest in front of you not at it

Elder,s in your area love hare stew or would love have a few if your not using

Local trappers will be looking for bait to in season..

Hausenpepper stew if the reason to hunt hare..mmmmm

Hare are listed in Alberta as a pest can be as high as 4000 per km squared

Hare do carry disease’s so where gloves .. when cleaning

Small game hunting at its finest

Fun fun fun

Just saying

As always this is

Food for Thought

David

[jungleboy]

Good post , thanks for that .

[raised by wolves]

Once in an area with loads of rabbit signs, walk a few yards then kneel down and look under the trees. Scan from left to right, then right to left. Look for the ears and eyes. Walk the cutlines in the evenings as they really start moving as the sun starts to drop.

[crazy_davey]

I just step out in my yard, kill a rabbit and done. Almost any day of the year. Most go to the birds or dogs.

[Bulseye]

Good post.

[58thecat]

Nice haul

[LandlockedIslander]

Just started hunting them with my versatile dog. What a riot. Less thorns in me and more rabbits in the game bag. Definitely a fine way to do it as well!

[Terrierman]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

Hare hunting you need to know a few things

1… where do they eat

2…where do the sleep

3… where are the borrow holes

I have hunted hare since I was young so let’s try to shorten your learning curve

In all area where hare live there will be spots that are thick bush

If your In hare country there will be poop on ground ..lots if not move

Tracks in snow should be everywhere n trails

When your in hare country the sign,s of hare are everywhere even in summer

When you walk so you should see hare moving around you.. or sit

Remember to change the angle your looking from move head to body too

Look into the forest in front of you not at it

Elder,s in your area love hare stew or would love have a few if your not using

Local trappers will be looking for bait to in season..

Hausenpepper stew if the reason to hunt hare..mmmmm

Hare are listed in Alberta as a pest can be as high as 4000 per km squared

Hare do carry disease’s so where gloves .. when cleaning

Small game hunting at its finest

Fun fun fun

Just saying

As always this is

Food for Thought

David

Looking to get started in hunting rabbits/hares. Been doing lots of pigeon hunting recently. Seen a few rabbits around red deer county area but it doesn’t seem to have a ton of them. That said never really went scouting for them either. Any tips of certain WMU’s/areas I should be looking at? Also what terrain? The woods, or stick to praries with brush in them?

Thanks

[bluetick]

https://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/mamma...shoe-hare.html

Fun Fact
Hare do not make burrows yet live above ground under shrubage and fallen timbers where you will find them during the daylight hours .
Looking for weird shapes or large ears or black dots of the eyes is in your best interest.
Of course if its a brown winter and the under growth is brown and green , A big white hare stands out pretty clearly.
Go to the foothills for hare .
Rabbits live around the cities . (Jacks)

[Sundog57]

and as posted previously...
If you really want to have some fun with bunnies (snowshoe hares) find someone with a beagle

[Yaha Tinda]

Beagles and Hare's!

[Pekan]

What an awesome post. Glad to have read it.

I arrowed a bunny back in September and have been thinking about taking the ole 22 for a walk in the snow looking for them.

I ate the bunny, but broke the arrow. So I consider it a wash!

Rabbit tasted great tho.

[Pekan]

Originally Posted by Yaha Tinda

Beagles and Hare's!

410 shells! I was starting to think they were just a myth!

[MK2750]

As mentioned, Snowshoe Hares do not burrow but sit in what is called a form.

They move territory from willow type fringes into thick conifers for the winter. They are one of or maybe the only critter that can survive eating just conifers. Not only does this affect the taste in late season but they offer little nutritional value compared to the other critters we harvest.

We use to hunt them using two guys. Sneak around good areas until you flush one or find a very fresh form (miniature deer bed). One guy waits quietly while the other tracks the hare. Hares will always circle back to their bed or form as they live and die in a very small area that they will never leave. The same concept is how the little hounds work.

Alone is a little trickier but doable. Again find a fresh bed and follow along after flushing. Do not try to be extra quiet as this spooks the hare. Their main predators (Lynx and Coyotes) are obviously very stealthy. Not unlike the fabled "Tortoise and the Hare" the hare becomes complacent thinking this slow and noisy predator is of little threat (this is why beagles work best in deeper snow) He will actually start to sit and wait for you. When you see movement whistle. 9 times out of ten a hare will stop for a whistle. Now become stealthy and carefully move position looking for the black eye or ear tips.

If you do not make contact carefully sneak back to the bed area. Most often you get the hare in the exact spot you initially flushed him or within a few yards.

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by bluetick

https://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/mamma...shoe-hare.html

Fun Fact
Hare do not make burrows yet live above ground under shrubage and fallen timbers where you will find them during the daylight hours .
Looking for weird shapes or large ears or black dots of the eyes is in your best interest.
Of course if its a brown winter and the under growth is brown and green , A big white hare stands out pretty clearly.
Go to the foothills for hare .
Rabbits live around the cities . (Jacks)

Jacks are actually hares as well, European Hares I believe. They are also called White-tailed Jackrabbits.

Rabbits do not change colour like hares. Our rabbits (Cotton Tails) do in deed like to make burrows. They are delicious but not nearly are easy to find as the abundant Snowshoe Hare.

[trapperdodge]

European Hare were introduced to Ontario at one time.

White-tailed jackrabbit or prairie hare are native to western Canada