Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: beagledog on February 28, 2011, 08:55:15 PM

Title: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: beagledog on February 28, 2011, 08:55:15 PM: Rabbit season is over as far as I'm concerned as they are carrying babies now.
Over a hundred cottontails in the freezer for me and some buddies.One new hunting buddy and 1 pheasant kicked up by the beagles this year. Just thought I'd share with you all and share some pics from the season. (before I get flamed for the pic with my sons holding the guns they were unloaded)
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: carpsniperg2 on February 28, 2011, 09:00:00 PM: Very cool, Thanks for sharing the pics :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: MuleySniper on February 28, 2011, 09:02:33 PM: Nice! Some of those suckers look pretty fat. Never had rabbit before, I want to give it a try some time.
MS
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: Forrestrover on February 28, 2011, 09:35:44 PM: Right on! Great pics. That must be a lot of fun with the dogs.
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: pjb3 on March 01, 2011, 09:31:50 AM: YUMM
Good eating right there :drool:
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: BIGINNER on March 01, 2011, 09:38:45 AM: WOW!! NICE :yike: was this local? the area looks familiar. i know a couple places where i see lots of cottontails, but never hunted rabbits before, how do they taste compared to domestic rabbits? i used to raise rabbits but gave it up a while ago. what are the chances of getting any without dogs?

i've always anted to hunt over beagles, looks so awesome.

as for your sons holding the guns, the action is open, :dunno: nothing wrong with that :)
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: h20hunter on March 01, 2011, 10:12:10 AM: Regarding the pics with the kids and guns. I noticed that the bolt was open, muzzle control was there, and no finger inside the trigger guard...very nice.

Good looking bunnies for sure. Good times.
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: GoldTip on March 01, 2011, 10:42:23 AM: Lots of bunnies, congrats. Lots of good meals right there!
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: beagledog on March 01, 2011, 04:11:25 PM: Thanks for the comments. Just thought I'd put someting differant on here besides coyotes.not that theres nothing wrong with dead coyotes cause that's how I like 'em,cause the eat less rabbits that way. All the rabbit hunting was done in the Yakima valley. I would love to find some spots around tri city's area but have to many other things keeping me busy to find new spots.Hopefully I will do some scouting in the the off season(next season only seven months away so I got time i think?)
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: Dan-o on March 01, 2011, 04:21:47 PM: That would be so cool to hunt cottontails over beagles like that. How classic.

How many beagles do you have???? Looks like you take your rabbit hunting mighty seriously.

I'm jealous....
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: beagledog on March 01, 2011, 04:34:58 PM: Dan-o I take it some what seriously it just gives me something to do during the winter cause we all know we cant hunt big game to long in this state like in some others. The dogs and my sons have a good time so that's the most important thing to me.I just have two beagles and I have a buddy that has two (the pic of the two standing in the snow are mine)And I have a another guy that I got hooked so know he is looking for a beagle for next season. I tell the guys that I take rabbit hunting that I cant be responsible forany divorces that happen cause you decide to get beagles :chuckle:
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: Blacklab on March 03, 2011, 05:16:19 PM: lol those are some great pics ;)
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: GermanShorthair on March 06, 2011, 03:58:44 PM: That is awsome... i just acquired a beagle/ walker hound pup it would be awsome to get into rabbits... but i have no idea where to start with finding them..
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: JKEEN33 on March 06, 2011, 04:11:28 PM: I see a lot of rabbits out and about, but have heard a lot of stuff about them and I don't know what is true. I hear certain times of the year you are not supposed to eat them or if you shoot one and the skin looks like it's crawling you should stay away. You look like the expert, can you shed some light on rabbit hunting? I would love to get a few of these in the freezer.

Thanks,
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: CastleRocker on March 06, 2011, 07:37:07 PM: I think that you are referring to Tularemia. A good friend of mine had beagles for years and so we used to hunt rabbits a lot. The rule of thumb was always, hunt them only in the months with an "r" in them. I think that's why our season runs from Sepember to March. If I remember right, it's caused by ticks. A good practice is to use latex gloves when handling them, and cook them well.

I'm sure someone else that still hunts them will chime in and fill in the blanks, but that's what I remember. They are great eating, I do remember that much!
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: blacktail luv on March 09, 2011, 03:42:33 PM: You don't hear of people hunting rabbits too much around here it looks and sounds like it would be a lot of fun though.
Title: Re: Another great Rabbit season
Post by: beagledog on March 09, 2011, 04:54:15 PM: Quote from: JKEEN33 on March 06, 2011, 04:11:28 PM
I see a lot of rabbits out and about, but have heard a lot of stuff about them and I don't know what is true. I hear certain times of the year you are not supposed to eat them or if you shoot one and the skin looks like it's crawling you should stay away. You look like the expert, can you shed some light on rabbit hunting? I would love to get a few of these in the freezer.

Thanks,
Just cook them all the way and you will be fine.
Oh yea and if you get them in the sage look for warbels (looks like a huge catapiller under the skin) :yike: Cattle and other animals that live in the sage country get them I think the are caused by a certain kind of fly if I rember correctly