Rabbits?

Flbt said:
Taking the nephews rabbit hunting this afternoon.
Any one else still like fryed rabbit or rabbit stew and cornbread? Or biscuit?
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Yes, I still hunt rabbits! Sadly, I only good a few times a year with a friend who has great dogs.
When I was a kid, opening day of rabbit season was as big as the 1st day of deer season.
Now in my area, hardly anyone still hunts rabbits. Kinda sad, as people don’t know how tasty they are. Maybe it’s a good thing, there’s more for me.
Pictures from our last outing this past February.
 

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Oh, and small game in general isn’t a big thing here in Maryland either. Looking through my pictures, I realized that after we hunting rabbits that morning I took my dog out that afternoon to hunt squirrels. What a fun packed day that was.
 

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Brickman301 said:
Oh, and small game in general isn’t a big thing here in Maryland either. Looking through my pictures, I realized that after we hunting rabbits that morning I took my dog out that afternoon to hunt squirrels. What a fun packed day that was.
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@Brickman301: I think a reason for the drop off in small game hunting is the “Lack of small game” and accessibility to property to hunt —other then Public land which rarely has good small game populations (other then squirrels). The population of ALL “Wild” upland game birds is way down: Wild Pheasant & Bobwhite quail nearly extinct in the Northeast, New Jersey CLOSED Bobwhite quail season 7 years ago and recently closed Ruffed Grouse Season because of population declines. Hunting for these birds is exclusively done on “released” birds or game preserves. Finding good rabbit covers has gotten hard also, my Son no longer maintain Beagles because of few good areas to hunt rabbits. Now, we drive 140 miles to a Farm we have permission on that has a great population of rabbits (even though it is loaded with FOX & Hawks) we make the trip 3-4 times a year and it’s worth the trip!! We have a few other farms we hunt that are closer for deer & turkey but they no longer hold rabbits — no idea why, cover looks good, very few fox & coyote….just gone. Squirrels seem to be the only consistent game thats easy to find and exist in many areas. I agree with You — love small game hunting and getting into a good rabbit area is a “treat”.
 
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Here as Kevin said don't get...but proper rabbits are bred for meat...so Gardner gets sent off to the market or wherever they being sold and chooses one and brings it back....usually have it in a stew.....spring hares are good as well...big back legs...looks bit like a bushy tailed mini kangaroo
 
HankBuck said:
@Brickman301: I think a reason for the drop off in small game hunting is the “Lack of small game” and accessibility to property to hunt —other then Public land which rarely has good small game populations (other then squirrels). The population of ALL “Wild” upland game birds is way down: Wild Pheasant & Bobwhite quail nearly extinct in the Northeast, New Jersey CLOSED Bobwhite quail season 7 years ago and recently closed Ruffed Grouse Season because of population declines. Hunting for these birds is exclusively done on “released” birds or game preserves. Finding good rabbit covers has gotten hard also, my Son no longer maintain Beagles because of few good areas to hunt rabbits. Now, we drive 140 miles to a Farm we have permission on that has a great population of rabbits (even though it is loaded with FOX & Hawks) we make the trip 3-4 times a year and it’s worth the trip!! We have a few other farms we hunt that are closer for deer & turkey but they no longer hold rabbits — no idea why, cover looks good, very few fox & coyote….just gone. Squirrels seem to be the only consistent game thats easy to find and exist in many areas. I agree with You — love small game hunting and getting into a good rabbit area is a “treat”.
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I have all ways been told rabbits have a 7 year schedule.
You will have good number for 7 the some for 7 then none for 7
I don’t know.
I can tell you when I was a kid they were everywhere around in big enough numbers they could hurt crops.
Then there was a long time that you hardly saw one.
Now there back on numbers not quite what they were when I was a kid. But we don’t row crop any more and the farm close to me grows tomatoes and satsumas so I don’t know if they really eat that or not.
 
Went up to Western Tennessee for a Swamp Rabbit hunt, first time rabbit hunting. Ended up w/ 7 total, which I got 2, plus slowed one down for another guy. Fun to listen to those beagles, reminded me how out of shape I am though. Now just need to find someone in GA that does guided rabbit hunts!
 
I haven't shot rabbits for years but really want to get out again this coming season.

I boned them, breaded/fried the meat and put it in a ragu style sauce. Almost like a Bolognese.
One of the best dishes I've ever made!

1746209735209.jpeg
 
HankBuck said:
@Brickman301: I think a reason for the drop off in small game hunting is the “Lack of small game” and accessibility to property to hunt —other then Public land which rarely has good small game populations (other then squirrels). The population of ALL “Wild” upland game birds is way down: Wild Pheasant & Bobwhite quail nearly extinct in the Northeast, New Jersey CLOSED Bobwhite quail season 7 years ago and recently closed Ruffed Grouse Season because of population declines. Hunting for these birds is exclusively done on “released” birds or game preserves. Finding good rabbit covers has gotten hard also, my Son no longer maintain Beagles because of few good areas to hunt rabbits. Now, we drive 140 miles to a Farm we have permission on that has a great population of rabbits (even though it is loaded with FOX & Hawks) we make the trip 3-4 times a year and it’s worth the trip!! We have a few other farms we hunt that are closer for deer & turkey but they no longer hold rabbits — no idea why, cover looks good, very few fox & coyote….just gone. Squirrels seem to be the only consistent game thats easy to find and exist in many areas. I agree with You — love small game hunting and getting into a good rabbit area is a “treat”.
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You are correct that there is hardly any pheasant, or quail left in the area. they haven’t been here in a long time. Luckily, we got plenty of rabbits and habitat despite all the hawks, foxes and coyotes and building going on around here.
It’s mostly squirrels and rabbits left, with a few woodcocks and very few grouse.
 
Flbt said:
Taking the nephews rabbit hunting this afternoon.
Any one else still like fryed rabbit or rabbit stew and cornbread? Or biscuit?
Click to expand...
Soooooooooo many good recipes for rabbit. Hassenpfeffer is probably my favorite, but rabbit stifado is good, so is Maltese-style rabbit stew.

In fact, I love rabbit so much, I raise meat rabbits. I have 10 new baby rabbits in hutches with their mommas sitting in my back yard - all a week old as of today. In about another 11 or 12 weeks, they'll all be in the freezer.
 
No photos to share but...

My JH, HS, and college years were filled with cottontail hunting. Hunting shelter belts in Kansas it wasn't uncommon to limit out in under an hour. My weapon? An Ithaca Model 49. (I still have it)

Here on Alaska I hunt snowshoe hares during up years for them. I sometimes use a 10/22 but I also frequently use a Colt Frontier Scout 62 revolver.
 
NOTHING BETTER THAN THE SIMPLE PLEASURE OF A TRIO OF BEAGLES AND A BRACE OF GRANDKIDS.
 
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