West Side Rabbits

[janttihunter]

Found some well used rabbit trails in the snow along with rabbit scat and pee everywhere, didnt see any rabbits..Now what?

Just brush bust?

[Heredoggydoggy]

Get off a ways and sit quietly.  They'll venture out eventually when they feel safe.

[carpsniperg2]

I am not 100% sure but I would think it's o.k to spotlight them. Never looked into it because we don't have them here. Get a little weapons mounted light and you should do o.k if its legal.

[wablkandtan]

get a begal

[Heredoggydoggy]

I am not 100% sure but I would think it's o.k to spotlight them. Never looked into it because we don't have them here. Get a little weapons mounted light and you should do o.k if its legal.

The only reference to hunting with artificial lights I could find is on pg. 76 of the Big Game pamphlet.  Illegal for big game hunting.  Looks like Night Vision and laser sights are only illegal for deer or elk. (#12).

[janttihunter]

Ok thanks. Its a couple mile hike in the woods so I prob wont be in there after dark. But thanks for the help!

[raydog]

can you eat rabbits here on the west side.  My grandpa always said not to eat them. i'm not sure why

[Heredoggydoggy]

can you eat rabbits here on the west side.  My grandpa always said not to eat them. i'm not sure why

Maybe they carried some sort of parasite?  Rabbit meat is tasty, but lacking in nutritional value.  If rabbit meat is all you ate, you'd starve to death!

[janttihunter]

Back home on the east coast hey have worms in the summer. Im hunting them up high in the snow so I think there ok?

[Heredoggydoggy]

I know a guy that shot a rabbit that was eating his garden, and it had a huge maggot in its skin.  Turns out that there's a Botfly that targets rabbits specifically.  The maggot was nearly as big as your little finger, and ugly as heck.  Rabbits shot at high altitude in winter are probably OK.  Cook them well done to make sure.

[wafisherman]

Any animal will have a certain amount of parasites and certain risks when eating.  Generally, the parasites will pose no health risk to humans - other than just being gross to think about.

Since most wild rabbit will be kinda tough to eat, rabbit stew and crock pot recipes will help with making it more tender and killing anything you may be worried about.  Putting meat in a deep freeze for 10 days will also ensure any parasites are killed.

Also, when in the feild, dress the critter as soon as possible.  This can prevent parasites from migrating from the stomach and into the meat.

[janttihunter]

Good to know. Thanks!! I was thinking either stew or chicken fried rabbit.

[plottwalker]

as long as your killing them after the first couple frozen nights of the year you shouldnt have problems. i raise meat rabbits, and hunt the cotton tails/brush rabbits. only real difference is the wild ones are alittle tough. they are like roaster meat rabbits(3 months or older) and they cook better on a low heat, or in the pot. as for hunting them, run a beagle! pic of this weekends hunt.

[raydog]

 

[janttihunter]

Nice work plottwalker!! I wish I had a beagle! I grew up running beagles in New England, I miss it..

[magnanimous_j]

i raise meat rabbits, and hunt the cotton tails/brush rabbits.

When I was a little kid, my parents had a farm and we raised meat rabbits, but sent them live to auction. I don’t have a problem with blasting them while hunting, but I would have a pretty hard time picking up a big fluffy Easter bunny and snapping its neck. Does that ever get easier? Rabbits are such an economical meat to produce that I would like to do it again some point in the future.

[MadHatter]

i raise meat rabbits, and hunt the cotton tails/brush rabbits.

When I was a little kid, my parents had a farm and we raised meat rabbits, but sent them live to auction. I don’t have a problem with blasting them while hunting, but I would have a pretty hard time picking up a big fluffy Easter bunny and snapping its neck. Does that ever get easier? Rabbits are such an economical meat to produce that I would like to do it again some point in the future.

You could do what the idiots around my head place too and turn them loose...  Being that they are domestic there is no season. I have fresh rabbit year round, and don't even need to raise them, just have to take my plott hound and air rifle out and get me one or two...

Probably sent while sitting on the ferry... While using Tapatalk 2

[plottwalker]

 i dont have a problem killing them, but they are just for meat, and i dont think of them any other way i guess...  its not really a cheap way to produce food for the table, but it is very healthy and taste good, and thats why i do it.(plus there not a nasty as chickens!lol)

[Heredoggydoggy]

i dont have a problem killing them, but they are just for meat, and i dont think of them any other way i guess...  its not really a cheap way to produce food for the table, but it is very healthy and taste good, and thats why i do it.(plus there not a nasty as chickens!lol)

But do they TASTE like chicken?   

[bullchaser]

I bet that (hound hunting) would be fun to do with the kids. Dang i dont need one more hobby.

[plottwalker]

beagles are alot easier to get into then hounds, you can spend all your time doing either, but you have shorter races and normally more action with the bealges. i think kids enjoy either, once a kid is old enough to claim a dog as thier own....there hooked!

i dont know if i would say "taste just like chicken" but rabbit does taste closer to chicken then anything else.

[Heredoggydoggy]

I bet that (hound hunting) would be fun to do with the kids. Dang i dont need one more hobby.

Hunting those things would be great fun for the kids.  Once you jump one, you stand and wait for it to circle right back to where it started! 

[Fishaholic]

can you eat rabbits here on the west side.  My grandpa always said not to eat them. i'm not sure why

  worms..... it is not cold enought to kill the worms. if you take a flash light to the meat you can see the worms