Jackrabbit hunting questions
Question:
Hello all, I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? And if not, is the fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input or pointers you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need to either kill them or chase them out). — Regards, Bill Walden in Fort Collins, CO Warning! I am *not* an official HP spokesperson. No warranty is implied. The opinions expressed above may or may not match those of the HP company. HP speaks for HP, I speak for myself. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text —— Original Message —– : Hello all, : I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what : weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no : success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? : Bill, Try using a larger shot size. You did not mention range, but give #6 a try. I have used them for jacks and they did the job. Jacks are edible, but I have found it best to pressure cook them for about 20 min to tenderize, then treat them as any other rabbit. NIC Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I always liked a .22LR, but have shot rabbits with any variety of shotshells while bird hunting when the opportunity presented itself. I think they’re tasty. Cheers, — – - – Rob Cookson "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" Benjamin Franklin
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello all, > I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what > weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no > success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? And if not, is the > fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input or pointers > you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need > to either kill them or chase them out). > — > Regards, > Bill Walden in Fort Collins, CO > Warning! I am *not* an official HP spokesperson. No warranty is implied. > The opinions expressed above may or may not match those of the HP company. > HP speaks for HP, I speak for myself. > Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what > weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no > success this weekend.
How close were the jack’s? Usually, I see jacks a LOT farther out than I do cottontails. I use #6’s on cottontails, they should work fine for jacks, but #4’s would also work. > Also, is jackrabbit edible?
Most people say "no", but here’s a quote from "Hunting Rabbits and Hares", by Richard Smith: "But for some strange reason, there is a strange prejudice against eating jacks among some hunters. Perhaps it is the fact that in many states where jacks are most abundant, they are considered pests and vermin and little else. "Fortunately, there isn’t total bias against eating jacks. Hunters who have eaten these hares aren’t shy about saying how good they are. "Myths have a way of perpetuating themselves among hunters without being questioned. One hunter tells another jack rabbits aren’t fit to eat and he will probably accept it as gospel without trying them himself. before you know it, a large number of hunters are claiming the same thing without one of them having cooked and eaten a jackrabbit. If someone tells you jack rabbits aren’t good to eat, ask how many he’s eaten." > And if not, is the > fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input or pointers > you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need > to either kill them or chase them out).
If they’re holding still, a .22 will surely do the trick. If you need to catch them on the run, a shotgun with #4’s or #6’s will do well. Use a choke selected for your distance. Jacks can run VERY fast, you need to lead them a good bit. I was out hunting cottontails about a month ago, and took a shot at one about 60 yards out, running at full speeds. I "tracked" him for a second, and as I pulled the trigger, I thought "Man, I’m leading it way too far. I’ll never hit it." Guess what – the rabbit dropped smack into the ground. I must have been leading it by about ten feet. I was pretty amazed. : ) Oh yeah… on the same hunt, we were walking back to the car to call it a day, and I brushed a bush with my pantleg – and a rabbit jumped out. I was so surprised, I shouldered by 12-gauge and shot without giving him time to ‘get away’ a little. When I shot, I watched his back end swing up in front of his head from the blast…. needless to say, I’d hammered his intestines pretty hard. What a stinky mess to clean. : ) steve Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> Hello all, > I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what > weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no > success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? And if not, is the > fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input or pointers > you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need > to either kill them or chase them out).
We used 4s and 6s. Funny thing about jackrabbits. If I took my rifle, the critters would bounce out at about 10 feet, dodge and dive, and disappear before I could get on ‘em. If I had the shotgun, they’d be plain as day, sitting there 100 yards or more away. But gone before I could get in range. Tom Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Hello all, I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? And if not, is the fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input or pointers you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need to either kill them or chase them out). Unless it is unsafe to do so, use a 22 long rifle. If you cannot use a 22, then use 4 or 6 shot in shotgun and try to keep shot under 30 yards. Jackrabbit is edible. Do not eat if see sores on flesh when you skin them. Also, it is better to eat them after a good frost (kills a potential disease). Hope this helps. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> Funny thing about jackrabbits. If I took my rifle, the critters would bounce > out at about 10 feet, dodge and dive, and disappear before I could get on > ‘em. If I had the shotgun, they’d be plain as day, sitting there 100 yards > or more away. But gone before I could get in range. > Tom
Figures! Now I wonder, if you had an over-under rifle-shotgun what would those rascally wabbits do? Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
When I was hunting Jacks in Manitoba as a teenager (early 70s), they wouldn’t let you get within 100 yards before streaking for cover. You had to be a good shot with our 22’s to take one down. As with partridge, snowshoe hares we (the gang of us) just cleaned our game, built a fire and roasted right there for lunch. I can’t remember whether they were tough or not, just that they tasted really damn good to eat them that way. Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hello all, > I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what > weapon should you use? > Well back in the days when there was Jackrabbits in Wisconsin my > father and his buddies use centerfire rifles to shoot Jackrabbits. > Jack O’Connor wrote that he felt shooting Jackrabbits with a > centerfire rifle was one of the reasons he was a good rifle shot on > moving game. > So why not take a rifle out this weekend and give it a go. > Lite > Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
– "You probably wouldn’t worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do." – Olin Miller Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> Hello all, > I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what > weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no > success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? And if not, is the > fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input or pointers > you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need > to either kill them or chase them out).
Yes, they are edible. You need a Colorado small game license to hunt them. Season ends at the end of February, IIRC. #8 shot is too small unless you plan to shoot them at very close range. #6 is typical for cottontails. I would prefer #4 or bigger for jacks. If you have some duck or goose loads, (#2, or "T"), try that. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
>Hello all, > I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First of all, what > weapon should you use?
Well back in the days when there was Jackrabbits in Wisconsin my father and his buddies use centerfire rifles to shoot Jackrabbits. Jack O’Connor wrote that he felt shooting Jackrabbits with a centerfire rifle was one of the reasons he was a good rifle shot on moving game. So why not take a rifle out this weekend and give it a go. Lite Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> Hello all, > I’ve got some questions regarding hunting jackrabbits. First > of all, what > weapon should you use? I tried a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 #8 shot with no > success this weekend. Also, is jackrabbit edible? And if not, is the > fur any good for fly tying? Thanks in advance for any input > or pointers > you can give me on this (they’re eating my windbreak trees and I need > to either kill them or chase them out).
First off, the #8 shot may be a bit light unless the shots are close. Try 5’s or 6’s. Many Jacks have also been taken with a 22. Jackrabbit is edible, but the meat tends to be a bit stringy. A young jack may be just fine pieced like chicken, but the older rabbits I tend to use for soup or stew. Jacks can get pretty big, and you can get quite a bit of stew from a single jack… I have heard of people using the fur for fly tying, but have never done so myself. There are several methods I have heard espoused to keep rabbits away from an area (jacks, cottontail, snowshoes, etc.) but it seems that the bunnies adapt very quickly to scare tactics. Probably the most effective, outside of a diligent hunting effort, is a large dog allowed to roam the problem areas. Rob Hatcher If it weren’t for my beautiful wife, my wonderful kids, or this fabulous job, I would be hunting or fishing right now. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
