Bunny Thumping

[Bobby Bass]

Woods will be quiet here soon with all the deer hunters out, waiting on that first snowfall to go out and chase some rabbits! Up here we don't have many cottontails but a lot of hares or snowshoe rabbits. Usually we get a few guys together and will walk the river bottom using the river to keep them in front of us. There is a natural boundary as we get up next to a field. The last hundred yards or so can be fast as the snowshoes try and turn and double back. A good eye and either a 20 GA or .22 is all you need for this kind of hunting. The snowshoes seem to be on the rebound as they run in cycles just like the grouse. Lot of different ways to hunt them including dogs of course. Any bunny hunters out there?

[GRIZ]

Ahh yes bunny thumpin.

That is one of my favorite pursuits. Don't know if it's because thats how I got my start in hunting or what. Anyhow it is still a great way to spend a winter day.

Round here we don't have many hares or shoes mostly cottontails. The thought of it still brings back fond memories of yesterday. Scouring the woods with my model 24.(you mentioned a .22 or a twenty ga. Well my model 24 had em both. I think it's the perfect gun for small game/trappin) Kickin at and jumping on every brush pile I came across hoping that a little furball would get spooked out of it's hideaway.

Now I was just gettin geared for spearing and am going to have to stomp on every brush pile on the way to the lake. See what ya started now BB. Well at least I got another model 24 to take along. 

[Faceman]

I love bustin bunnies. I used to do it all the time. But now living in the cities I dont get out as much as I would like. I will probably be in Bemidji in December and I will have to go. I have hunted them with .22, .410, 20, 16, and 12 gauge. .22 and .410 are my favorites and man are they tasty. I have shot alot of snowshoes and cottontails.

[Dstark5625]

Quite a few years ago there were a couple winters when the snow came late.  The rabbits were white by then and the woods were still brown.  Both years my hunting party and I would walk through small patches of woods making little bunny drives.  I don't know if I've ever had so much fun hunting.  We came away with quite the harvest both years.  Good times.

[jkurkoski]

Been bunny hunting twice solo with no dog.  Zero luck or better said zero bagged.  Any ideas to increase my odds when hunting solo?

[GRIZ]

I normally go by myself w/o a dog. I think the first hr or 2 of daylight is the best, next would be the last couple hrs.

What I do in the early hrs is just walk along slowly lookin fora dark little hump or ball against the snow. They are normally just sittin there nibblin some bark or something. If when you see them you can't get a shot try to get into a position where you can without spooking them. Sometimes they move a bit but not too far, usually still within sight. I'll hunt the evening hrs the same way but they tend not to sit as still for some reason. This type of hunting is best done in woods with some thicker underbrush. You can use a 22 or shot gun for this.

During the day I'll go kicking in and around brush piles where they are hiding. If it happens to be an old farm site they could be under some old machinery or a dillapidated shed seeking cover. This is best done with a shotgun as most shots will be on the run. Usually they will stop once you kick them up but most likely out of range.

If there are bunnys there theywill leave plenty of sign in the snow as to their activities and whereabouts. If you see lots of sign but no bunny, take note of where the sign was for your next trip there. Leave the swamp bunnies to hunters with dogs.

[Bobby Bass]

We have snowshoe hares up here and what you look for up here is that black eye. Hunting alone is tuff, best to have a buddy or two and make drives. The best drives will use natural boundaries to help herd the bunnies. Along a river works well as does working gullies before they fill up with snow. Ever heard of whistling up bunnies? An old trick that works well. When you spot a bunny on the run from you just whistle loud and hard. Believe it or not a lot of times the bunny will stop dead in his tracks giving you time to take a shot. If hunting with a partner leave one where you first kick up the bunny and let the other pursue. They will make a circle and come back giving the hunter holding the rear ground a shot.  Good idea on finding tracks. If you return to that spot with a new snowfall you can get on a trail and run them down. Same trick works on hunting winter grouse.