New to MN, hoping to bag some rabbits

[PracticalHunter]

Hey everyone,

I'm from the east coast originally, and moved to MN a few years ago. One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was hunt rabbit with a 22 in the fall before the deer season started. It was a challenge and a great excuse to spend some time in the woods (not that I need one). The trouble is, either the wild rabbit population in MN is smarter than they were back east, or there aren't as many of them. Another possibility (the most likely) is that I'm looking in all the wrong places. I went out a number of times in the last two years in some of the WMAs around the metro only to spend all day seeing nothing but pre-season deer.

What gives? I see rabbits everywhere in the city, so I know they live here. Any tips for a guy from out of town on where to find some nice bunnies? Any help would be much appreciated!

[dakids]

I have never hunted wma for rabbits.  As a kid my best spots were always the old farm houses that were abandoned and the wind rows of trees on the north sides of the farmers newer homes. 

[corny13]

I use to hunt bunnys north of the cities around Blaine Andover but would guess the areas I hunted 30 +yrs ago are all developed.  In Mn never hunted cottontails till there was snow on the ground... the thickest brush is where you find them. Disturbed land with lots of tall ragweed &Kosha will hold the most.  Cottontails in Mn and ND all live underground in burrows.  Not sure if still legal to do but using a female ferret (Jill) to bolt them works better than beagles....  Now hunting before deer season Id go north and look for snowshoe rabbits (a hare not a rabbit)  if late snow they will turn white in late Oct and really stand out.  Young aspen same as looking for ruffed grouse.  Best way to cook cottontails is to make  "Hasenpfeffer" a german bunny dish.  They use to have that on the menu of the BlackForest Inn in Mpls.  Snowshoes cause they are hares not rabbits are too tough to cook as Hasenpfeffer.

[deadeye]

We used to have lots of Snow Shoe and Cotton Tails on our property.  I don't remember seeing a single one last year.  I assume the coyote and bob cats cleared them out.   

[dew2]

 Kandiyohi county has thousands of cottontails,So many they are pests to gardeners.Best hunt is after snows and hunt the edge of slews.They are in the cattails.I get many with a bow,flu flu arrows and blunt tips.I get a few coyotes a year doing the bunny hunts. Course I live on the slew I hunt and across the road a WMA with lots a slews.
 If you want to try snowshoes PM me I know of a excellent black spruce and cedar swamp in Pine county actually the swamp is 200-300 acre.

[dew2]

I have never hunted wma for rabbits.  As a kid my best spots were always the old farm houses that were abandoned and the wind rows of trees on the north sides of the farmers newer homes.

When I Pheasant hunted that was always a great wat to bag a few bunnies!! Its sad most of those abandoned farm steads are now WMA WPA and the overlookers destroyed the bunny,deer habitat in the name of long gone ducks and pheasants!!!

[corny13]

Forgot to add how to cook Snowshoe hare.... Look up on the net recipe for Jugged Hare or Civet of Hare...a 500 year old recipe.

[PracticalHunter]

Thanks for all the info everyone! It sounds like I should be looking into snowshoes. If they're bigger and there are more of them, even better.

Corny13 - I was always a fan of making buttermilk-fried rabbit. It's even better than chicken!