rabbit report

Want to get my son out for rabbits. Anybody seeing any while pheasant hunting?

Cottontail Rabbits also run in population cycles (much like grouse) and this year seems to be very very low. Habitat loss, increasing numbers of predators (Including Hawks and other birds of prey). Last two years have been very slow for us. About 5 years ago it was GREAT hunting so hopefully the population rebounds. Three very hard winters with deep snow didn't help them either.........

On the poperties we hunt we do QBM (Qaulity Bunny Management) hahaha Putting in brush piles and doing logging to increase the amout of briers and other brushy habitat.

In all honesty, I feel the biggest detriment are these "bar hunts". There seems to be one almost every weekend in Jan/Feb, sometimes multiple/weekend. I have been to a few over the years and it is appalling to see the amount thrown away into the garbage so the participants can sit around and drink the night away. Most are 4 man teams, which is 12 rabbits x anywhere from 8 to 15 teams, some even larger, do the math.

I have seen "teams" go as far to soaking rabbits in water to shoving fishing sinkers down their throats to make them weigh more just to win the prize money.

Really has nothing to do with hunting as much as it has to do with killing just to make a few bucks.

I guess I'm old fashioned and still live by the rules my Dad taught me many years ago. Respect nature and don't kill anything unless you're going to eat it.

Other factors are the farming practices of tilling in the fall and clearing out all fence rows to make more tillable land.

The DNR trying to make WI a prairie state by brush hogging, bulldozing and burning excellent habitat which use to hold rabbits, birds, deer, etc.

Just take a look at the habitat they have destroyed in the Southern Kettle Moraine public lands along 67 before you reach Eagle, and down by Bong. Then take a look at Loews Lake where they detroyed an entire tree/brush line which held many rabbits, just to make a horse trail when they could have made the trail next to it along the field.

Swamp

I dont see much for rabbits anymore I think the coyotes are getting them but im not sure. I wish there were more around there a blast to hunt. Good luck finding some to hunt.