what am I doing wrong?

[Robert.Connell]

Hey yall I live in north/east Tennessee and my family has never ate rabbit. I went out not long ago and got one with in 5 mins. Dont even know if my family likes rabbit I only took that 1 rabbit and went home. I was gonna stew it but I dont have enough meat. So Ive been going out hunting rabbit mornins and evenings and striking out badly. I am not even seeing any rabbits. I never used dogs before but I even tried bringing my 2 dogs. They are not beagles but they ran the bush and sniffed around but nothing. Can anyone help me I am lost and only have until the 28th to bag about 2 more rabbit.

I want to hit them from a distance but my .22lr is down so I am using my .20ga scatter gun. Dont know if that makes a difference. Im also hunting fields with grown uo grass and thick briars. Places I assume rabbits would be. Never tried the woods. Any way to bag them works. Not night hunting though I am sure thats illeagle here and Im a wussy when it comes to breaking the hunting laws.

Thanks
Rob

 

[Packrat 6]

I absolutely hate seeing newbies post and no one answers!

Rob,
Don't know much about hunting rabbits where you are, since we always had rabbits penned, but hopefully someone will respond shortly. In the meantime, chickens are a likely alternative and can guarantee that they taste great! Do any of your neighbors have Chickens that can be poached? Don't recall many game laws relating to Chickens!

Here in Arizona, at least around Tucson, the young un's put out snares on the trails through the brush, and seem to do real well at cottontails. In fact they scrounged their first snare wire from me and when they asked, I gave them a roll of OD trip wire from the military I just happened to have hanging around just in case I ever wanted to wire up a grenade or something. I've seen it at the local Military surplus store.

Anyway, good luck and keep trying! BTW, what happens on the 28th, ya'll don't turn into pumpkins or something do you?

Here, you're not the only one hunting rabbits...djones (Hog Forum) hunts them too, when he can't find hogs!

Click to enlarge

Packrat

 

[wbm]

If you are hunting early morning and late afternoon-evening you are not doing anything wrong you just ain't hunting where there are wots of wabbits. Ask around locally and see what you come up with.

 

[Robert.Connell]

Lol packrat your funny. Thanks for the replys I was starting to wonder if I should give up lol. Ill ask around already but the locals seem to say "shine em!" But I obey the hunting laws bc I hate messing with the law soI dont give them any reason to mess wih me. I set out a trap i made. Its been sitting for 2 days now with nothing. I could try snares. Im not even sure how many rabbits are at this location. Any way to tell with out camping out with a flashlight?

Thanks again
Rob

 

[Speckle55]

Rob here is a couple tips

1. No Rabbit poop on ground where you hunt = No Rabbits

2. they need cover during the day ..bush/grass/trees and should be thick ..if there are no rabbit tails/runs through the bush = No Rabbits

3. as other have posted right a daylight they are active but at dusk and into dark is the best I find. . then take a drive at night just after dark in different area and just look don't hunt ..try to find them first

here are some I got with my Bro... from 2pm to 6 pm then pic at dark

David

 

[Robert.Connell]

David that looks like a good hunt. Im about to head out and try to get some rabbits. What do you do to hunt them? Walk around or run dogs? Im going to drive around tonight see if I can see any. Im still trying even got the trap out still.

Thanks
Rob

 

[Robert.Connell]

Well got back from hunting. I walked around and then stopped for about 30 seconds. When I stop I would look around for poop and I seen probably 10 piles of poop. Not like the piles of poop in Davids picture but they were little piles of rabbit poop. Probably see more poop but my focus also was looking ahead. I kicked fallen trees and walk and stop method. I hunted from 5-7 and jumped 1 rabbit. Nothing happened with the trap. Going to go out tomorrow morning before sun up and walk around as the sun rises. I am going to hunt the same spot and in the morning if my trap is empty I plan to move it.

So back at it tomorrow morning. Anymore advise be appreciated. David do you usually get that many rabbits each time you go out?

Thanks again
Rob

 

[Speckle55]

Robert I do all kinds of rabbit hunting

Spot and stalk
Tracking them down
Stalking go in after them thick bush
Road hunting and getting out to shoot
Flushing with dog
Running them without dog... stop and shoot

Those in pictures were stalked/spotted and road hunted (bad foot and now hip so not much walking)

and no on that many usually 4 or more

high was years ago 127 rabbits in 1hr 23 mingun) .. 5 guys pushing bush in high cycle

remember if in thick bush to change the angle your looking as you move thru bush a lot

Hope this helps

David

 

[Robert.Connell]

Success!! I went out yesterday morning as the sun was rising. My dog wanted to go really bad so I took him (he is a lab).. we walked for a good hour then we jumped 1 rabbit out of some thick brush. It was so thick the rabbit had trouble running through it to escape. I was able to shoot the rabbit. My dog was interested so I had him sniff it and what not.. We hunted for another hour but nothing jumped . Hard to get them to jump and its hard to get the dog to seek the brush pules and thick stuff. I ended up going in thicker stuff then my dog. David it all helps. I tried everything everyone suggested. My family gets to try Rabbit now. I havnt had it sense i was a little boy.. I never hunted them but they are fun to hunt whem you find them. I wonder if the Rabbit population is low where I am hunting or if its bc I am new to hunting them. I am done hunting for the season but I hope my family likes it so I get to hunt these rabbits more.

Thanks
Rob

 

[Robert.Connell]

David what do you mean change the angle you look at through thick brush? Could you explain a little more. I have to find a area and scout it more I guess. I found some poop piles but the picture you had that was some good poop. It seems that I would see more rabbits then what I been seeing. Usually 1 rabbit every now and then but never more. I wonder if thats bc its a poor hunting area or something im doing wrong? What are your thoughts?

Rob

 

[Speckle55]

When I am hunting Rabbits or Grouse in bush and walking or moving my head is always moving up and down as in from 6' too 3 feet ..that increases your odds of seeing them before they move or as they do

If you find poop the more the better in a given area ..but you are right there may not be lots in that area ..some areas have a higher carrying capacity

Also remember Rabbits will have 3 to 4 litters a year so no worry

Rabbits up here are starting the low cycle

Right now you are probable spooking most ..but remember even I do

When your in that thick bush you should be seeing runs as in trails if your not seeing lots as you move then move to different areas ..take your dog as he is learning too and when he knows what you want of him look out ..take him out for exercise and yourself ..then your scouting in those different areas that will have Rabbits

as always this is

Food for Thought

David

David what do you mean change the angle you look at through thick brush? Could you explain a little more. I have to find a area and scout it more I guess. I found some poop piles but the picture you had that was some good poop. It seems that I would see more rabbits then what I been seeing. Usually 1 rabbit every now and then but never more. I wonder if thats bc its a poor hunting area or something im doing wrong? What are your thoughts?

Rob