# Has anyone been rabbit hunting this year?



## soccerscotty21 (Apr 15, 2010)

I went out last week west of Nephi and only saw a couple at a distance, i have also heard that there aren't many out west of Utah lake. Has anyone gone out recently and had success? I am probably going out again this weekend, and i'm still debating where to go. Thanks in advance.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I saw two dead ones on the road the other day. I didn't see any live ones. I did find some of these.[attachment=0:1zmentc8]owls 005.jpg[/attachment:1zmentc8]


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## Chief Squatting Dog (Oct 23, 2009)

wouldent waste my time on them this year.


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Chief Squatting Dog said:



> wouldent waste my time on them this year.


+1 I went twice and killed 1 rabbit. There are a few that had some good shoots this year but very few.


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## soccerscotty21 (Apr 15, 2010)

Where have yall tried going, who have been so far.


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## mjschijf (Oct 1, 2007)

Loke said:


> I saw two dead ones on the road the other day. I didn't see any live ones. I did find some of these.[attachment=0:16taanwb]owls 005.jpg[/attachment:16taanwb]


Burrowing owls! Good observation there! Awesome birds. I've always wanted to see one but never have.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

There has been a group from the forum that went out a couple of times this winter. NO RABBITS. The ones that were seen , jumped at about 100+ yards. Agreed . NO RABBITS.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Al Hansen said:


> There has been a group from the forum that went out a couple of times this winter. NO RABBITS. *The ones that were seen *, jumped at about 100+ yards. Agreed . NO RABBITS.


...And I think those ones were hallucinations! :lol:

I can only remember two rabbit kills this year.. one by Delta and one by Skull Valley. Slim pickin's for sure.

Nice hooters Loke!


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## huntinfool (Nov 1, 2007)

I know their is one left he hung around camp while we were turkey hunting. Of course he knows the season is closed, :twisted:


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I got 6 jacks Monday and 5 more on tuesday plus saw about 9 foxes and one lion.


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## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

I hope you gave the cougar a private burial. Always be discrete. :mrgreen:


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

redleg said:


> I hope you gave the cougar a private burial. Always be discrete. :mrgreen:


Oh I thought long and hard about it but since I was spotlighting I didn't want to break two laws  but if anyone has a HO tag I can show you were it was at. It didn't look to be to big so maybe its not worth going after anyway.


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## quakeycrazy (Sep 18, 2007)

I feel very confident I will shoot a bigfoot before I would shoot a jackrabbit this year. Were I hunt them they have been very, very sparce.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

There hasn't been very many for a few years now I know you can hunt jacks year round but wouldn't it be a good idea to put a season on them so they can reproduce rather than shoot them all year that might help the population. 8)


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Size Matters said:


> There hasn't been very many for a few years now I know you can hunt jacks year round but wouldn't it be a good idea to put a season on them so they can reproduce rather than shoot them all year that might help the population. 8)


Rabbits go in cycles and will be back. So I don't think a season is needed.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Oh and if anyone wants to come down to Emery county and do some spotlighting just let me know.


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## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

The rabbit population is controlled by, the rabbit population. The population grows until there are too many or them and they are too crowded, then disease hits them in an epidemic and they all disappear. It takes 3 or 4 years for them to come back. Then it starts all over again. If hunting has any affect, it slows the cycle.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

I think hunting them this time of year while the rabbits are breeding and having young is going to affect the population especially if you shoot a doe rabbit that has young bunnies inside it or she is caring for them IMHO. 8)


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## broncbuster (Jul 22, 2009)

I agree with Sizematters here. I think if you want a good rabbit population you don't shoot moms with kids.
Agree or not its true.


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

Better yet shoot the coyotes and fox that are living on the rabbits in any given area.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

I am sure it is just on a down cycle. Just gotta wait I guess. :roll:


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## Ground Pounder (Jan 27, 2010)

We have a spot that we go to and it always produces went out a few weeks ago and got into them


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## dartangion (Jul 2, 2008)

Went out a week or two ago and although I only saw 2 or 3 rabbits one of them was the biggest jack I have ever seen in my life. I don't even want to attempt to give measurements but it looked fat and sassy. I'll even tell y'all where it was cause I'd like to see this boy bagged. Just off the Iosepa exit about a half mile past the horseshoe springs. We parked on the side of the road and walked west where there was no fence. We scared a herd of Antelope and walked down to the stream that comes out of the springs, and when we turned around we saw the big boy taking off. We shot and shot but you know how it goes.....someone please go out there and get that jack because he is a brute!


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## Moostickles (Mar 11, 2010)

I've seen a lot more jacks this year than in the past two years, so hopefully they are finally on the upswing.


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## Leaky (Sep 11, 2007)

Any reports on White Tails?  Couldn't go this year because Sparky tore his shoulder up and is still recovering.


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

I have been waiting for 16 years for the cycle to go the other way. It ain't happening. Before they can reproduce, you must have some breeding stock. In the 1960s there was a lot of White-tailed Jacks in Cache Valley. Now there doesn't seem to be any. You can't even find a track in the snow. 

The Black-tailed Jacks in Boxelder County are about in the same boat. I went for an all day hunt there this winter. It was a good effort, and only saw one jack. Not any tracks in the snow either. In the 1960s you could kill a hundred jacks a day there. I don't see this changing any time soon either. Like I said, you need some breeding stock. 

I was asking the DWR to give jacks some protection 15 years ago. It fell on deaf ears. 
There excuses were: Their numbers will cycle. They transmit disease. The farmers don't like them. Blah blah etc. 

They are going the way of the passenger pigeon. 

Sorry there ain't any jacks for you young guys to hunt. 

There may be a few jacks in some of the Utah counties, for another year or two?


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