# Rabbit hunting - Where to go?



## outfishing13

My sons passed their hunters safety last fall and I wanted to take them rabbit hunting this year. We went a couple times last year with no success. I live in Utah county and don't mind getting out and driving. 

Any suggestions?

Thanks.


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## Mavis13

The last two years have been poor for us; we generally hunt on the BLM land north of the Great Salt Lake west of Promontory. We've seen quite a few Jacks but not many cotton tails.


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## outdoorser

Hey mavis I've been trying to find that BLM land on a map and can't. Could you explain to me where exactly it is? How to get there? Thanks


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## outfishing13

Mavis,

Thanks for the reply. We are going to try around Eureka or just north of the Sand Dunes tomorrow.


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## rooster96

outfishing13 said:


> Mavis,
> 
> Thanks for the reply. We are going to try around Eureka or just north of the Sand Dunes tomorrow.


Hit the rest area on the way to the sand dunes there's a dirt road that takes you east lots of thick brush makes it hard though


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## Critter

Take a drive either late at night or early in the morning and see how many rabbits are running around on the roads. If you don't see very many don't waist you time on that area. Dog Valley west of Nephi used to be fantastic but that was a quite a few years ago, also the road out to the sand dunes and the surrounding area. If you are looking for cotton tails concentrate on brushy areas, if you just want jacks then look for more open areas.


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## outfishing13

Thanks for the tip, Critter. My dad used to tell me that if there weren't some dead rabbits on the road to keep looking. 

I am curious what the rising coyote population has done to the rabbit population.


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## wyoming2utah

Drive to Otter Creek Reservoir....the sage on either side of the highway between Koosharem and the reservoir is loaded with rabbits.


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## outfishing13

Wyoming,

Thanks that is good to know. Are there cottontails there or just jacks?


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## johnnycake

Long drive, but LaSal mountain is loaded with cottontails this year....


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## Mavis13

Maybe it's not BLM land but I thought it was... there's a few ways to get out there; there's dirt roads from Park Valley area to Snowville area to the Promontory area. We generaly start on the dirt road that starts near the trun off by the visitors center in Promontory that heads towards locomotive springs and just drive untill we see a spot with tall brush. We hunt for 30min or so if we dont see anything we drive farther twards Park Valley and try some more. We got into all kinds of Jacks last year but never saw any cotton tails. I haven't been yet this year but I'd love to find a closer place to Cache Valley.


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## outfishing13

Johny,

Thanks for the tip. I might have to make a weekend of a trip like that. The drive out to Moab is always beautiful. 

I have heard that cottontails around Beaver is on the rise as well.


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## johnnycake

yeah, we didn't see too many rabbits on the beaver unit this september(not claiming to be an expert on the area as it was our first time on the mountains there). But driving on the LaSals we averaged seeing 100 cottontails in the last hour or so of daylight every day. Way more than I have seen elsewhere in the state recently. TONS of coyotes too, fyi, and like 3-4 together in a clearing at 2 in the afternoon, seriously fat and stupid dogs.


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## outfishing13

Johny,

Thanks again for the information. We'll eventually find a good place to hunt for rabbits that is closer, although it would be a nice trip out to the Moab area. When I lived in Alaska the snowshoe hare population was very cyclical and when there was a bunch they were fun to hunt.


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## El Casador

Head north plenty of bunnies every where passed snowville lots of cotton tails and plenty of jacks to let loose on.


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## Critter

I drove through the Otter Creek area this last weekend and will have to admit that there are a lot of jacks out there south of Greenwich on HWY 62. The plus side is that fishing was great.


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## wyoming2utah

outfishing13 said:


> Wyoming,
> 
> Thanks that is good to know. Are there cottontails there or just jacks?


Both...but mostly jacks. I was out deer hunting on saturday and saw lots of cottontails just above Bicknell on the Boulder as well.

Another good area is around Parowan Gap near Parowan. Drive west through the gap and hunt the sage on either side of the road....lots of rabbits. I will also head out south of my home in monroe on poverty and find a few rabbits as well.


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## ajwildcat

:hungry:


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## outfishing13

Wyoming,

Thanks for the locations. 

Years ago, back in 1980, my dad took my brothers and me hunting for jacks on the west side of Utah Lake. It was just a couple days after Christmas. Anyhow, the rabbits were pretty thick. My little brother was with me and was was helping me carry the rabbits I had shot. Pretty soon we had several. My dad came over and asked us why we were carrying them. We said so we could eat them. He explained that Jacks weren't good for eating. "Why are we shooting them?" we asked. He looked at us and said that was a good question. I think that was the last time he took us hunting for Jacks. A couple years later, I read an Outdoor Life article that had several recipes for Jack rabbit. Never did have the chance to try them out though. lol.

The snowshoe hares in Alaska are pretty tasty. Looking forward to some cotton tail and perhaps some snowshoes, if I can find some.


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## KineKilla

You don't eat Jacks...but cottontails are an option I suppose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tularemia


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## Mavis13

I've eaten Jacks; they are quite a bit tougher than the cotton tails but the taste is similar but not as good. We were always told that they were "dangerous" to handle because of tularemia but after I read this article much of the info I "knew" proved to be myth so I brought two home last year and we tried them. Cotton Tails are better but in stew the Jacks were acceptable but not great.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame/rabbits_hares/biology_ecology.php


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## johnnycake

as far as I know, jacks and cottons both can carry tularemia....just be cautious and it is ok. I have eaten jackrabbit, a bit tough, but not bad.


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## Mavis13

Exactly; so can a host of other animals; the article says it's more likely to find a cotton tail with it than a Jack.


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## outfishing13

Mavis,

Thanks for posting the link. I had read that article several months ago and took a couple minutes to refresh myself just now. Good information to know. I have been out hunting and encountered a rabbit or two with rabbit fever. They were obviously very sick and we dispatched them and let them lay. 

I have also killed rabbits that had quite a few fleas. Fleas are common, but it didn't seem to effect the quality of the flesh or the vigor of the rabbits.


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## outfishing13

Johny,

I think we will have to try some stewed or slow roasted Jack. The best rabbit I have ever had was some cottontails my brother shot one day. He coated them in flour, fried them in oil and flavored them with just salt and pepper. Then he wrapped each piece in foil and slow roasted them in a dutch oven on low in the over for 2-3 hours. they were tender and delicious!


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## johnnycake

my favorite way to have cottons is to take the loins on the bone and the back legs dredge in flour deep fry in lard(important) and then toss in frank's redhot+butter for some killer buffalo bunnies! seriously to die for, better than chicken wings.


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## utahtim

tempura frying cotttons with cajun spicing is the best. Also for rabbit fever check the liver if there are small yellow to white spots those are what you are looking for. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12150_12220-27293--,00.html


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## outfishing13

Utah Tim,

Mmmm... Cajun bunnies... gotta be good. 

Thanks for sharing that link. That is a great article and the photo really helps.


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## Novohunter

outfishing13 said:


> Mavis,
> 
> Thanks for the reply. We are going to try around Eureka or just north of the Sand Dunes tomorrow.


Outfishing13,
Any luck with the rabbit hunt? I was thinking of taking my boy out this weekend and was just wondering how yours went.


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## Mr Muleskinner

Slow cooked Jacks are just fine but need they do need to be slow cooked. I plan on smoking one this year after soaking it in a brine solution overnight. The meat will fall off of the bone.


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## outfishing13

Novo,

We never made it down that direction. We did go for a little while up Sheep Creek road looking for some snowshoes, but didn't see any. Going to try another location in a couple weeks.


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## Critter

For snowshoes you are going to have to get off of the beaten path and into the conifer forest. A lot of people mistake the mountain hare or white tail jackrabbit which is a lot larger than a snowshoe and will see a lot more of the hares than a snowshoe. They both have hides on them that will turn white during the winter.

Here is a link to the different rabbits in Utah


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## jeff788

As other have said, Jack rabbits are actually pretty good if you cook them slow and low. Check out some of these recipes:

http://honest-food.net/wild-game/rabbit-hare-squirrel-recipes/


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## Packfish

In college we used to go over to the So West side of Bear Lake and go back in by Pickelville. We used to shoot Jacks and then out roomate " the aboringinie"
used to slow cook them- then roll them is floor and fry them for a second and serve them with a hot sause he made. Actually weren't too bad. If it was wild game that kid knew how to get and cook it.


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## Lonetree

Critter said:


> For snowshoes you are going to have to get off of the beaten path and into the conifer forest. A lot of people mistake the mountain hare or white tail jackrabbit which is a lot larger than a snowshoe and will see a lot more of the hares than a snowshoe. They both have hides on them that will turn white during the winter.
> 
> Here is a link to the different rabbits in Utah


Good info, also look for lots of tracks in the conifers, and specifically look for firs and spruce. If you don't see tracks in the snow, they are not there. I have had the best luck in mixed forests where you find some mountain mahogany, snowberry, or maple mixed in. And besides that, dusk and dawn are key to success also. When you get into an area with lots of tracks, it will look like there are 100 hares in there, but there are probably only a few. When you get into an area like that, go slow and glass the base of trees, Snowshoes will hold for a very long time before busting.

Cotton tails are just coming off of a big boom, they are not what they were 1 and 2 years ago, but there are still alot of them. Rolling hills, sage brush, and rocks. hunt the edges of talus, rock piles, or rock outcroppings, that are in conjunction with sage brush. With some snow, you find tracks if they are there. No tracks, no rabbits. Cottontails, have small home ranges, if you find tracks, they are close, same as snow shoes. Also, dusk and dawn are best.


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## Bax*

Not that my response helps a ton, but I always see cottontails when I am out chuckar hunting. Saw three last Saturday about midway up the mountain.

So maybe you can do a chuckar hunt with your kids, and find a rabbit or two in the mean time.


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## Bax*

Lonetree said:


> Good info, also look for lots of tracks in the conifers, and specifically look for firs and spruce. If you don't see tracks in the snow, they are not there. I have had the best luck in mixed forests where you find some mountain mahogany, snowberry, or maple mixed in. And besides that, dusk and dawn are key to success also. When you get into an area with lots of tracks, it will look like there are 100 hares in there, but there are probably only a few. When you get into an area like that, go slow and glass the base of trees, Snowshoes will hold for a very long time before busting.
> 
> Cotton tails are just coming off of a big boom, they are not what they were 1 and 2 years ago, but there are still alot of them. Rolling hills, sage brush, and rocks. hunt the edges of talus, rock piles, or rock outcroppings, that are in conjunction with sage brush. With some snow, you find tracks if they are there. No tracks, no rabbits. Cottontails, have small home ranges, if you find tracks, they are close, same as snow shoes. Also, dusk and dawn are best.


I want to learn how to hunt these better. I stumble across them periodically but havent ever found them when I look for them.


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## Mr Muleskinner

One place I always seem to see snow shoes is at the top of Lambs Canyon if that helps. I have seen them there just about every trip up on the east ridge.


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## Lonetree

Bax* said:


> I want to learn how to hunt these better. I stumble across them periodically but havent ever found them when I look for them.


I'm no expert, but I've learned a few things. I hunted small game almost exclusively for a lot of years, when deer numbers were down. Going after snow shoe hares specifically, can be pretty tough, I have not killed one in many years, but I've found some. They cycle like cotton tails, but they do it in a much more localized pattern. You may find them booming in one little valley, and no where else, in the surrounding areas. If Muleskinners tip on lambs canyon, is from as recent as last year, it would be a good start. I found very few tracks last year, but some decent places the year before. If there is some snow on the ground, you will know pretty quick if they are there.

With cotton tails, once you know a good area, just be there the right time of day. There have been so many the last 3 years, I have been going after them with my bow. Next to grouse, its my second favorite way to lose arrows.


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## Lonetree




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