# pointers for a newbie jackrabbit hunter



## wagdog

Fellas,
I've hunted very little since my move to this great state in 2004. I have an 11 year old and an 8 year old who got very interested in shooting the past two years. I started them earlier than that but a couple of years ago, everything seemed to click for them and they love it now. They both have their own 22 rifles and are excellent shots. The oldest boy handles a 20 gauge shotgun quite well too. They have been bugging me to take them coyote hunting. I haven't invested much into hunting since moving here but it seems like we would want some camo and possibly an electronic call to help lure them suckers in. I figured maybe we could start smaller (like where I grew up, most kids start squirrel hunting). I suggested go after jackrabbits to both of them and their eyes lit up. I've read several threads that seem to suggest the rabbits have thinned out. The only time I really paid attention to jackrabbits was about 4 years ago on scout campouts and I swear I saw a few every time out past Delta. 

Anyhow (rambling a lot), do yall have any tips for going after jacks? My boys are willing to put in the time and so am I. They are getting to the point where they have realized that they can have fun without being plugged into a videogame or TV show. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## UtahYetti

Its great to hear that you want to get out with the kids. Nothing better than getting them away from video games and into the outdoors.

You are correct about the rabbits being thin. Funny thing is that I've been hearing they are on the down cycle for more than 10 years. So much for the 7 year cycle. Try getting out up north. Seems everyone goes west along I80 and they are very sparse there. You may have better luck north west. I've never hunted them out by Delta, if you know an area, go try it!

The field work practice will be good even if you don't find much. I am new to yote hunting myself so I cant offer too many tips there.

Good luck!


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## 35whelen

they arent behind every bush like they were years ago, but if you find them they will be in bunches. get out while there is snow and you will at least see where they arent and not waste time and energy in those areas. all the popular places get hit hard though. go where there's sage and you will find bunnies eventually. it seems like its harder work than it used to be, but it'll be worth it to get out there with your boys. I would use high brass loads in the 20 ga. i took my sxs 20 ga out with some low brass #6 and those cottontail loads dont impress the jacks as much.


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## Speedbump

Get far away from people. The farther out of town you go the better. Don't waste time, if you have walked a couple hundred yards and haven't seen the droppings get back in your car and head out farther. There are still patches of jacks as thick as the old days just not in easy reach. Jacks love the thick terrain so if you see a patch of land that looks rough to walk through they are in there.


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## Last Man Standing

Going after jacks can be very fast paced if it's done right. I've heard the 7 year cycle thing a lot too, but it seems like most the guys who say we're still at the bottom are the ones who don't go out more than a couple times a year. From what I've seen in the last year, the rabbit population is huge right now, better than I've seen it in a long time. I do think there is some thinning, but only in their habitat, not their population. I had a good friend move to europe recently (no more guns for him), so we spent 4 consecutive weekends going after jacks since he doesn't have a whole lot of equipment or desire to hunt anything else. In the eight days we spent out there we got more jacks than I have in the last 3 years combined. I think if you find yourself a good spot, you can do pretty darn good right now. Just don't head an hour out west like everybody else. 

As far as tips go... With jacks a run and gun technique can work pretty well; Driving out to one spot, clearing it and moving on to another. But that could prove pretty hard with kids. The old line-sweep works good, staying about 20-50 yards to the side of each other, moving forward as a group. You could have some luck walking the sides of some of the washes out in the desert. Even setting up on a knoll with a scoped rifle and watching for em can be a lot of fun. One thing that I wish had been different when I was first starting out is the mindset of the guys I went with. They were only interested in how many they could get, not in the experience of just getting out there. It led a bunch of them to stop hunting when they stopped being successful. It's taken me a while to realize that you can still have a memorable hunt while getting skunked. I always try to pass that on to guys just getting into it.


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## wagdog

A big thank you to everyone who has replied. My kids are pretty excited to get out and look for rabbits. Y'all have really given some great tips and I appreciate it. Do y'all happen to eat jackrabbits? I never have. I only ate cottontails in Texas. Just curious...


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## Last Man Standing

They can be eaten, but I don't recommend it. Very disease ridden animals, and pretty gamey. For the amount of effort it takes to make them taste somewhat okay and the running the risk of catching something it is not worth it IMO. They're a great vector for tularemia, which isn't fun.


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## 12many

First off i'm not any kind of activist but growing up I was always taught you eat or use anything that you kill, with that said killing anything that will not be used is a waste of ammo and time, I know that I'm going to get BS for posting this but using killed jacks thinking that a coyote will eat it is crap, we all know that the deer carcass on the side of the road would suffice and can be done without wasting wildlife (via your hand) of any kind. People now a days think that it is ok to kill just to kill (no better than a poacher), go kill your neighbors cat they do more damage then any jackrabbit would ever do they kill just to kill (urban vermin). Jacks are not not diseased or a pelage despite what people think.


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## wagdog

12many said:


> First off i'm not any kind of activist but growing up I was always taught you eat or use anything that you kill, with that said killing anything that will not be used is a waste of ammo and time, I know that I'm going to get BS for posting this but using killed jacks thinking that a coyote will eat it is crap, we all know that the deer carcass on the side of the road would suffice and can be done without wasting wildlife (via your hand) of any kind. People now a days think that it is ok to kill just to kill (no better than a poacher), go kill your neighbors cat they do more damage then any jackrabbit would ever do they kill just to kill (urban vermin). Jacks are not not diseased or a pelage despite what people think.


I was taught the same thing but I never hunted/ate jackrabbit in Texas. Just cottontails. I don't know much about jackrabbits but the opinions seem to vary quite a bit when it comes to jackrabbits as table fare. I found a video on youtube https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=TulUnJ1e6miRQdfh-LgYTg&bvm=bv.42080656,d.cGE posted by the Arizona Game and Fish. They seem to be ok with 'em. I'm thinking if it doesn't look/act diseased, I'll wear gloves to skin it out and clean it. Should be ok with proper preparation.


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## utahtim

one other thing that you can do with jacks is the fur is quite soft if you tan it


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## 35whelen

the wildlife.utah.gov page says that cottontails are more prone to carrying that rabbit fever disease. 
I'd read that whitetail jacks actually taste a bit like antelope and make a great green chile or posole. The same article said the prejudice against eating em is supposed to come from the dust bowl and depression when people resorted to eating them out of desperation and the association with eating jacks and being destitute has stuck. I dont know how much of that is true, but I went out new year's day with the intention of eating any jacks i shot. just never shot any. if they dont have those spots on their kidneys theyre supposed to be safe.


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## Bax*

When i look for an area to hunt rabbits (jacks and cottontail), I prefer to look for areas with rolling hills that are close together and even some small ravines or washes. Flat open range does hold rabbits, but it is sometimes hard to get a shot off on them because they can jump up a long ways away from you. Whereas hilly areas allow for an element of surprise and it seems like these areas hold more rabbits due to the cover provided


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## swbuckmaster

Some people need to educate themselves before posting.

First jacks are safe to eat. They are just as safe as a cottontail. 

Second the diseases they carry are the same diseases cottontails carry and there not in the meat. If your not a gut eater you'll be just fine eating them. Wear gloves when processing them and cook the meat well in a crock pot and your good to go. 

Third jacks are good to eat all year long. Sure they have more grubs in the summer but that stuff isnt in the meat. Its in the skin

Forth all rabbits have ticks and flees some more than others. So i wouldn't recommend packing them around all day. Shoot them and get the meat off as quick as possible and put them on ice as quick as possible. 

Imho its not right to just go out and shoot them and leave them. I used to do this when younger and have learned my lessons later in life. Everything in life has a place in the cycle. You shoot out the rabbits and the yotes turn to deer. I prefer to hunt deer so ill leave the rabbits alone. Ill only shoot one now days if its going in the table.


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## Last Man Standing

Buckmaster, I wouldn't go around saying people need to educate themselves when some of the information you're sharing is straight up wrong. Tularemia, which is possibly the most dangerous thing you could catch from a jack, isn't just found in the gut, it can be in the meat as well. Wearing gloves while skinning is definitely advised, but more cases are contracted from inhalation of bacteria from the carcass during handling. About 12 years ago a guy caught it after running over a rabbit with his lawnmower. You're right about them carrying the same diseases as cottontails though, I don't believe anyone claimed otherwise.

Also, I can understand the whole dust bowl/depression thing 35whelen mentioned. My great grandma was dirt poor when she was first married. They lived out near tooele and my grandpa would bring a couple jacks home for dinner whenever he could. In less than a year of eating them she caught tularemia and it just about killed her. She managed to make it through but she refused to let anyone in the family eat them if it could be avoided.


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## swbuckmaster

Here are some facts

"Tularemia doesn't occur naturally in humans and isn't known to pass from person to person. However, tularemia occurs worldwide, especially in rural areas, because many mammals, birds, insects and fish are infected with F. tularensis. The organism can live for weeks in soil, water and dead animals.

Unlike some infectious diseases that spread from animals to people through a single route, tularemia has several modes of transmission. How you get the disease usually determines the type and severity of symptoms. In general, you can get tularemia through:

Insect bites. Although a number of insects carry tularemia, ticks and deer flies are most likely to transmit the disease to humans. Tick bites cause a large number of cases of ulceroglandular tularemia.

Exposure to sick or dead animals. Ulceroglandular tularemia can also result from handling or being bitten by an infected animal, most often a rabbit or hare. Bacteria enter the skin through small cuts and abrasions or a bite, and an ulcer forms at the wound site. The ocular form of tularemia can occur when you rub your eyes after touching an infected animal.

Airborne bacteria. Bacteria in the soil can become airborne during gardening, construction or other activities that disturb the earth. Inhaling the bacteria can lead to pneumonic tularemia. Laboratory workers who work with tularemia also are at risk of airborne infection.

Contaminated food or water. Although uncommon, it's possible to get tularemia from eating undercooked meat of an infected animal or drinking contaminated water. The signs include vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems (oropharyngeal tularemia). Heat kills F. tularensis, so cook meat to the right temperature —a minimum of 160 F (71.1 C) for pork and ground meat and game meat, 145 F (62.8 C) for farm-raised steaks and roasts —to make it safe to eat."

"How can I Keep from Getting Tularemia? To lower your risk of getting tularemia from a natural source: Do not handle sick or dead animal bodies. But if you must, then use gloves plus face and eye protection. Cook all wild meat thoroughly. Avoid insect bites by using an insect repellent containing DEET. Only drink water from a safe source. Consider wearing a facemask when moving the lawn or cutting brush, especially if you are in an area where tularemia is more common."


Handle rabbits or hares correctly, dont expose yourself to their ticks and cook the meat properly. This is what i said in my first post. You should be just fine. If your not up for the risk dont go out and hunt them. Just shooting to shoot isnt right inho. It not only makes us hunters look bad but disrupts the balance in predator prey. No rabbits and the coyotes turn to deer! Getting this disease is rare and is also curable with modern medicine. Yes in rare cases its even fatal but so is the flu. 

Ive eaten jackrbbits, cottontails, and even squirrels and still going strong. Im not worried about it and Im not worried about big foot either. :grin:


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