Post by: 7mmfan on December 25, 2019, 07:07:13 PM
Post by: JM on December 26, 2019, 12:05:09 AM
Post by: Bango skank on December 26, 2019, 01:37:18 AM
Post by: KP-Skagit on December 26, 2019, 09:02:07 AM
Seems to have a been a good year for them in the Winthrop area. They definitely boom and bust though.
Post by: boneaddict on December 26, 2019, 09:09:40 AM
Seems like the last several years weve had a bumper crop of snowshoes in my area, but then this year suddenly im not seeing near as many around. Way less tracks than usual in the snow. Maybe its just me, but it sure seems like a pretty sudden dropoff in their numbers after several boom years.
Pretty common. If you watch it long enough, you'll note the predator populations ebbing and flowing, matching it.
Post by: RobinHoodlum on December 26, 2019, 09:52:53 AM
In WA I have found them in pockets along forest roads in thick reprod about 10-20ish years old. In that situation I've used a bow and thumper tip and a shotty.
My experience is they can occur in lower elevations, but are more abundant above 1,000 feet. You will generally find them in clusters. They tend to think they are invisible, so they will go a short distance and stop. Even if they skitter off a road into the veg, you can approach and often find them barely into the cover.
Good luck and have fun!
Post by: KP-Skagit on December 26, 2019, 10:06:16 AM
Seems like the last several years weve had a bumper crop of snowshoes in my area, but then this year suddenly im not seeing near as many around. Way less tracks than usual in the snow. Maybe its just me, but it sure seems like a pretty sudden dropoff in their numbers after several boom years.
Pretty common. If you watch it long enough, you'll note the predator populations ebbing and flowing, matching it.
Growing up there was a bumper year for cottontails. Would not be uncommon to see a dozen or so in our yard at one time. About a month later I was walking down our driveway and saw what can only be described as a HERD of weasels run across the road in front of me. Must have been at least ten of them. In a week there was not a rabbit to be found.
Post by: KFhunter on December 26, 2019, 10:10:35 AM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on December 26, 2019, 10:25:39 AM
We would scout after several days without snowfall, locate concentrations of tracks and then go back after a fresh snow and stillhunt them. You can do it alone, or with 2-3 hunting parallel about 20 yards apart. Shotgun is best when group hunting as often one of the flankers will get a shot at them running from the tracker.
Post by: boneaddict on December 26, 2019, 10:34:52 AM
Quote
one of the flankers will get a shot at them running from the tracker.SO thats why Idabooner always sent me ahead into the brush tracking them things when I was a kid. ;)
Post by: 7mmfan on December 26, 2019, 01:22:46 PM
Post by: Bango skank on December 26, 2019, 01:28:56 PM
Good tips, thanks everyone. I'm planning on trying to find some higher elevation west side spots, as these will be opportunistic hunts at best for me. Do you often find them in areas without snow? I can't imagine they follow the snow line. From what jve read they have a quite small home range.
Theyre super easy to see this time of yesr in snowless areas. Bright white blob on a brown / green background.
Post by: boneaddict on December 26, 2019, 01:30:00 PM
In the snow, DOUBLELUNG was right, their eye is what gives them away 9 out of ten times. Train yourself to watch for it.
Post by: 7mmfan on December 26, 2019, 01:56:02 PM
Post by: cbond3318 on December 26, 2019, 02:15:40 PM
Good luck, sounds like a fun way to keep the legs in order!
Post by: 7mmfan on December 26, 2019, 03:02:21 PM
Post by: kball4 on December 31, 2019, 10:30:44 AM
Post by: 7mmfan on December 31, 2019, 10:32:28 AM
Post by: Born2late on January 08, 2020, 09:22:41 PM
Post by: Born2late on January 08, 2020, 09:26:21 PM
just found the call he said he was using
Post by: Machias on January 09, 2020, 08:57:39 AM
Post by: KFhunter on January 09, 2020, 09:15:02 AM
Post by: Cab on January 09, 2020, 09:18:08 AM
The first year I was stationed up in northern Maine (which is a snowshoe hare Heaven), I managed to kill a few without a dog. It took some time, but after a while you really get good at picking them out sitting there, the black eye or tips of the ears. Second year I slayed them with a .22 rifle. Then I got a long legged beagle, Sgt True Track! What BLAST!! I have seen a bunch up Milk Creek up to Milk Pond just west of Whistling Jacks.
I found a spot back home in Maine 30 mins outside or Portland and would go hunting for them in this spot my dads buddy knew had them. I would get about 1 or 2 for about every 2-4 miles of walking(didn't have a dog) which I didn't mind because I had the woods to myself. Super fun to hunt especially once you find an area and know they there.
Post by: Pegasus on January 09, 2020, 09:43:48 AM
Post by: Bango skank on January 09, 2020, 09:49:18 AM
Post by: Jonathan_S on January 09, 2020, 09:50:12 AM
Just set a trail camera up somewhere. Snowshoe hares love to get in front of trail cameras and just hop around all day.
Yeah a snowshoe hare does what a moose does in summer
Post by: Bango skank on January 09, 2020, 09:52:24 AM
Just set a trail camera up somewhere. Snowshoe hares love to get in front of trail cameras and just hop around all day.
Yeah a snowshoe hare does what a moose does in summer
Oh man moose are obnoxious if you have a mineral site in front of a cam. Just lay down on it all day.
Post by: 7mmfan on January 09, 2020, 10:25:47 AM
Post by: KFhunter on January 09, 2020, 10:32:59 AM
Just set a trail camera up somewhere. Snowshoe hares love to get in front of trail cameras and just hop around all day.
Yeah a snowshoe hare does what a moose does in summer
Oh man moose are obnoxious if you have a mineral site in front of a cam. Just lay down on it all day.
2nd that :chuckle:
ended up pulling that camera out.
Post by: KFhunter on January 09, 2020, 10:35:19 AM
Thats crazy, I never would have imagined using a rabbit in distress to call in a rabbit. Guess it's similar to how deer respond to fawn in distress calls.
I've used a lot of snowshoe hare young rabbit distress and never had one come in, ever.
It doesn't sound exactly the same, but I dunno...I'm skeptical that little black box will make rabbit does come running.