[ribka]

They say that grouse and rabbits populations typically have 7 year cycles. I spent many hours as a young lad chasing rabbits and squirrels, grouse woodcock in NW Wisconsin

In eastern Montana deer hunting this week and seeing a lot of rabbits and huns. After filling my deer tag I thought why not try my hand at rabbits again as I enjoyed chasing them in my younger days . I remembered that rabbits provide excellent table fare. Mushrooms, onions, carrots and sour cream baked slowly in he oven. My dog , a whpg , held point, retrieved and I managed a few to take home with a decent 4x4 buck.

 

[Jim F.]

I spent many hours chasing rabbits when I was a kid, and they do make for good eating.

 

[Wormonhook]

Shot rabbits incidentally as a kid while pheasant hunting around Yakima. They were cottontails for the most part but the big jackrabbits could startle a guy when they jumped at close range in the sagebrush. I understand that the jacks have all disappeared in eastern Washington now.

By the way, what kind of "slam" did you complete with bunnies, bucks and birds?

 

[Jim F.]

Following my Dad's first heart attack when I was 10, he couldn't hunt strenuously for several months. Dad would drop me off in the Deer Lodge Valley so I could jump-shoot ducks. After several hours of wandering creek banks, I would hike into Warm Springs some 5 miles away & call Dad. He'd pick me up & we'd take .22s and go hunt Cottontails. Initially, Dad would follow me along primrose-covered ditch banks & he always bagged more bunnies than I did until the day he taught me how to spot them more efficiently. "You're looking for a whole bunny, Jimmy; you need to look for a perfectly-round, black eye. There are very few perfectly-round black objects other than eyes in nature." We used to trade-off the lead after I got the hang of it. Those remain cherished days - they honed my hunting & shooting skills, enhanced my love of the outdoors, and provided many a meal for my family. Hunting Snowshoe Hares was another favorite pastime during the cold & snowy winter months.

 

[Mark Walker]

Used to hunt the standing corn in the fall back in the midwest for bunnies. Someone would holler "bunny your way, Mark". Not much of a window of opportunity between corn rows. Sometimes the bunny was too close. Maybe bunny puree for dinner.

 

[River Pig]

Anyone hunt them in western WA? Used to hunt them in Tennessee as a youngster. I'd like to get into it again. Maybe fill out the day between morning and evening steelheading.

 

[dust in the wind]

Rabbit stew is hard to beat

 

[Guest]

I really enjoyed hunting rabbits as a kid. I could ride my bike east of town with my 12 gauge and .22 pistol. The runners Id take with the shotgun, a Belgium made Browning auto-5. When Id see those round black eyes staring at me from under the sage, Id take them with the .22 Colt Woodsman. .

On weekends my dad, my best friend and his dad and I would drive down to the San Luis Valley of Colorado. We'd typically limit out by noon and then go shoot jackrabbits.

My Mom had about a hundred cottontail recipes. I like most of them.

I still have both guns and a hell of a lot of memories.

 

[Guest]

I really enjoyed hunting rabbits as a kid. I could ride my bike east of town with my 12 gauge and .22 pistol. The runners Id take with the shotgun, a Belgium made Browning auto-5. When Id see those round black eyes staring at me from under the sage, Id take them with the .22 Colt Woodsman. .

On weekends my dad, my best friend and his dad and I would drive down to the San Luis Valley of Colorado. We'd typically limit out by noon and then go shoot jackrabbits.

My Mom had about a hundred cottontail recipes. I like most of them.

I still have both guns and a hell of a lot of memories.

Can you imagine the ruckus it would cause if a kid was seen riding a bicycle carrying a shotgun & a pistol in these times !

 

[Guest]

Can you imagine the ruckus it would cause if a kid was seen riding a bicycle carrying a shotgun & a pistol in these times !

I grew up in rural Colorado, so I like to think it would still be ok, but I'm guessing since where I hunted is now the site of the Colorado State Penitentiary, it would get some kid in trouble.

 

[KerryS]

I hunt rabbits in the backyard with a .177 break barrel pellet rifle. Good sport but not as challenging as hunting starlings which also frequent my backyard.

 

[Alex MacDonald]

Can you imagine the ruckus it would cause if a kid was seen riding a bicycle carrying a shotgun & a pistol in these times !

do it all the time here: never encounter any problems, but we don't have city people around either. Next time I'll have to load up my M-4!

 

[ribka]

I did the same with a marlin 39 on my handle bars or a hr single shot 12 gauge or a bear 45 lb recurve after school in NW WI

About a six mile trip after school peddling on my bike north of town on th highways then a dirt road, then riding back home in the dark on the shoulder of the highway.

Shot quite a few grey and trophy fox squirrels, woodcock , grouse, snow shoe hates, rabbits, a ****, ducks and a nice wt doe.

Used to really enjoy eating squirrels and rabbits

I really enjoyed hunting rabbits as a kid. I could ride my bike east of town with my 12 gauge and .22 pistol. The runners Id take with the shotgun, a Belgium made Browning auto-5. When Id see those round black eyes staring at me from under the sage, Id take them with the .22 Colt Woodsman. .

On weekends my dad, my best friend and his dad and I would drive down to the San Luis Valley of Colorado. We'd typically limit out by noon and then go shoot jackrabbits.

My Mom had about a hundred cottontail recipes. I like most of them.

I still have both guns and a hell of a lot of memories.

 

[Jim F.]

I could ride my bike east of town with my 12 gauge and .22 pistol.

We used to just walk out of town & into the hills when I was a kid; after I had a car in high school, guns & gear were in the trunk - no issues, but I reckon times have changed nowadays.

 

[IveofIone]

Same here Kerry-H & N Baracuda pellets in a .177 break barrel. All of the bunnies here are snowshoes and right now with little snow on the ground they are an easy target. Imagine a deer in an orange jacket, that's how visible they are right now.

 

[KerryS]

We used to just walk out of town & into the hills when I was a kid; after I had a car in high school, guns & gear were in the trunk - no issues, but I reckon times have changed nowadays.

I can't remember all of the hunting trips planned and launched from the high school parking lot. Also, it wasn't uncommon for someone to throw a blanket over a truck hood and lay out a few hunting rifles or shotguns. A walk through the school parking lot would also reveal up to a dozen pickups with rear window gun racks holding a couple rifles or shotguns each. No one got shot. No one was threatened. Times have certainly changed.

 

[shotgunner]

My earliest memories have Beagles integrated.. Running both Snowshoes, and later years Cottontails, with them was a big deal. Some of the only winter sport friends and family capitalized. Shot my first snowshoe age 9 - Dad would carry S&W revolver in shoulder holster along with .22 auto, handing me the long gun once we were well into the field and away from roadway.

Shooting running rabbits ahead of dogs with rimfire was very instrumental learning how to take moving game with a rifle. Pulled off some amazing distance shots ..and totally farmed some simple ones. Have heard (and took part in!) incredible strings of shots by 2 - 3 guys, ending with target still going strong, unscathed ..lol.. Good times.

 

[Jim F.]

Also, it wasn't uncommon for someone to throw a blanket over a truck hood and lay out a few hunting rifles or shotguns.

It also wasn't uncommon for a few teachers to be included in the group - usually trying to get us to reveal our "secret" spots, lol.

 

[KerryS]

It also wasn't uncommon for a few teachers to be included in the group - usually trying to get us to reveal our "secret" spots, lol.

LOL! I remember a couple teachers that would join in on the trip planning taking place in the parking lot. Usually the information was passed both ways but what the teachers might not have had was access to the farm lands and orchards owned by students' parents.

 

[Jim F.]

but what the teachers might not have had was access to the farm lands and orchards

We owned no farm/ranch land, but haying/irrigating/branding/shoeing horses/fencing/tending cattle/etc. during summers payed huge dividends come fall, lol.