# Looking for good spots for cottontail and snowshoe hare



## shwiggaman (Sep 20, 2010)

Hello im looking for some good spots for cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare in and around Davis county. Please if you know of any get back to me. Thanks in advance


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Whoa buddy you just asked a 100 million dollar question. I know all over the state the rabbit pop is down and when people do find them they aren't to willing to share that info, even with there own families. :mrgreen: 
I suggest getting out and beating the brush and if you do find some keep your mouth shut about the location.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Oh and welcome to the forum!


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Not sure about the Davis county area, but I know you can find them in high elevation desert washes. Just do some looking! That's the fun part anyway!


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

I'd suggest getting away from Davis county, then get away from all the people where you decide to hunt!! Less people = more animals!!


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

There are vw rabbits on I-15 in Davis county


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## shwiggaman (Sep 20, 2010)

okay well what about a good spot for pheasant without having to pay 18 dollars a bird anyone know or willing to share info


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Welcome to the forum!

You are asking some HARD questions about two topics that are closely guarded secrets nowadays. You may not be originally from Utah, and maybe thats why you are asking these questions but I will try my best to explain: rabbits, pheasants, elk, and deer are things that are a rare commodity anymore in Utah and when we find them, we dont tell anyone.
Like Chaser said, its fun to explore and find them your self. But we can help you understand what terrain to find these animals in, and then you can work from there. But due to the scarcity of accessible game, we wont "hot spot" any specific locations. (Sorry)

As for cottontails, I personally look for places with lots of small washes close together (usually three or four close to each other running roughly parallel to each other) I also look for places with a few rocky outcroppings that would allow a cottontail to make a burrow under. You can definitely find them in other terrain, but thats what I personally look for. As far as snowshoe hares, I cant give much advice there (just starting to understand those enormous freaks of nature)


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

shwiggaman said:


> okay well what about a good spot for pheasant without having to pay 18 dollars a bird anyone know or willing to share info


There aren't pheasants in utah! :O•-: Rabbits are at the bottom of a cycle right now and when they rebound you should be able to find them most anywhere.
But pheasants are very rare unless like you said you pay money and go to a farm. If you know someone with land is your best bet.


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

Welcome!! The more you post advice and stories, then more people are willing to help you out!


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

katorade said:


> Welcome!! The more you post advice and stories, then more people are willing to help you out!





hoghunter011583 said:


> I'd suggest getting away from Davis county, then get away from all the people where you decide to hunt!! Less people = more animals!!





mikevanwilder said:


> I suggest getting out and beating the brush and if you do find some keep your mouth shut about the location.





Chaser said:


> Not sure about the Davis county area, but I know you can find them in high elevation desert washes. Just do some looking! That's the fun part anyway!


Right here is some of the best advice you will get off the bat.

As a forum member you will definitely make some great friends here that will give you some good private tips of areas to hit and so forth. Just dont let our input scare you off. If you search previous topics, you will find some of the best information around on here.


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## shwiggaman (Sep 20, 2010)

first id like to thank you all for the advice it is helpful if a little incomplete. I have lived in utah all 26 years of my life only recently have been able to go out hunting do to availability and all the spots my father and grandfather used to hunt are now all private property or been developed wwith houses and the like. Not having a lot of time on my hands generally prevents me from going out and searching for good spots.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

You never know until you go! Do some scouting on maps. Find areas that look like what you want to hunt. Then go check them out. You may come up empty, but you may strike gold! If you are smart, and use the resources at your disposal, you'll find what you're after. Just keep at it.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

I'd suggest picking a place and taking a lot of water 2 pair of new socks and walking! Not trying to be a jerk at all, I really am serious. The game is out there so don't let the fact that everybody says it is rare get you down. It all depends on what you are used to. I'm from Louisiana and I've never seen as much game as I have in Utah. Last year I was thinking this state was just over hunted and the animals were rare. The fact is I wasn't getting away from the crowds, I was hunting the davis county area like you might be trying to do. This year I'm looking on the maps for roads that go through national forest and find places that I can get atleast 2 miles from any given road or ATV trails. Once you get the hang of it you'll love it !! Oh and they have a lot of Pheasant in Utah, you just have to know how to find them!!!


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## jason.little (Sep 22, 2008)

Ok.. lets clear af few things. Game in Utah is anything but rare. The issue in utah is there is such a wide range of landscape from deserts to forests that frequently people are looking in the wrong place. I know because I used to do this, as I would just go to the closest location to hunt. Hunting is like the rules of realestate location, location, location. Your not going to find elk in delta, ut, but there are hundreds behind my house during the winter in lehi. There are chukar standing on my neighbors house (where I can't shoot) but it take miles of hiking in the west desert to find them. It took me dozens of hunting trips to learn where to find grouse. And there are still lots of pheasents in utah if you are willing to drive to the right location. Finally, there are a LOT of hunters in utahsomtimes an area is great but then will change depending on hunting pressure, this is why people don't like to hot spot not because there is few animals to hunt. Just to help out a little bit here are are some great habitat maps which show the most ideal condition for different species in the state. This doesn't give you specifics but can help you overlay areas that may carry more then one species and help to identify apropriate habitate. http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/ucdc/


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## shwiggaman (Sep 20, 2010)

again id like to thank you all for helping me out with the info and id also like to offer up a new hutning buddy for any one looking for one. like i said before a lot of the spots my family knows are just populated or developed areas now my dads first pheasant was shot at the junction of i-215 and 2100so before 215 was there. again i appreciat all the help


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## FishNaked (Apr 15, 2009)

I saw 6 cottontails tonight in a couple hours out kicking up sage hens...but you'll have to drive to St. Anthony out by the sand dunes to find them.


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