Tough versus not tough rabbit

[NorseNW]

I'm talking tough while eating not which one will take a 300 wsm to take down.  I had two rabbits in the freezer and made a dish with them tonight.  One came out nice and tender the other was tough as all could be.  Both were shot with a bow.  Can't really remember where one was hit but one got his rear hip shattered by the shot.  I believe I let one lay for a about an hour or so because I shot him in the yard and had to get something done before I tended to him.  I gutted him quickly an let him sit until I could get to skinning and completing cleaning.  One rabbit was a little bigger than the other but nothing to indicate one was much older than the other.

Just curious if anyone has input on their experience with tough rabbits. 

[GBoyd]

It was probably age. That difference in texture would make sense if one was young of the year and the other was from last year.

[NorseNW]

I was leaning towards age as well.  If one was poorly shot and ran around a bunch before I could dispatch him I would attribute to stress or something like that but I don't recall that.  The leaving one lay for an hour or two doesn't make sense to me although he was stiff when I returned to skin him. It was cold out so not a spoilage issue.  Guess I try for younger looking ones from now on.

[jackelope]

With domestic meat rabbits, it’s all about the age they’re harvested at. Once they’re old enough to build fat around 16 weeks, they’re not nearly as good as around 12 weeks. They’re different species from a cottontail, but they’re not too far apart.