Rabbit?

[Guy Miner]

Easter is wonderful, but after the morning prayers and before the family dinner tonight, I got to thinking about the Easter Bunny! More specifically about rabbit hunting!

It's been a long time since I did any rabbit hunting, but I used to thoroughly enjoy. I'd imagine that a lot of folks here have done some rabbit hunting. They can taste pretty good too. What have you used for hunting rabbit? I've used:

Recurve bow, 45# & 53# - when I was a kid I started using empty 38 Special cases as a blunt head. Those worked well! Later I shifted to rubber blunts and broke fewer arrows. I was tempted to try broadheads but often hunted in a rocky area and the rocks ruined broadheads. Also I worried about my beagle as she would be in hot pursuit of the bunnies and I was afraid that she could get cut by the broadhead. My buddy Larry and I were on our bicycles with bows and quivers slung across our backs. The little kids of the neighborhood asked us what we were doing... We grinned and told them we were going to hunt the Easter Bunny! That didn't go over well with the little kids, but I remember it fondly 50+ years later.

.22 rimfire, used a Colt Woodsman some, but mostly a Marlin 39M, later a Marlin 39A. Running jacks & cottontails both will make a marksman out of a hunter!

.38 Special, from a couple of different revolvers over the years. A mild load with a lead SWC or Wadcutter bullet works great.

20 gauge side by side Ithaca (SKB) shotgun - probably the most effective rabbit hitter I've used.

Happy Easter all

Guy

 

[gerry]

That picture makes me want to get out my CZ 452 22 lr! Shot them also with a 12 and 28 gauge in the past.

 

[grry10]

I grew up hunting rabbits and raising beagles. My favorite firearms of choice were a Winchester model 77 .22 and a Mossberg pump .410. I'm sorry to say that we nolonger have a huntable population of cottontail and the snowshore hare are gone. Therefore, I quit trying to hunt them and raising beagles. For the same reason I nolonger hunt grouse in the area where I live. On the other hand our rafters, wolves, coyotes, bobcat, and fisher are doing great.

 

[Thebear_78]

My two favorite bunny guns.

 

[Firebird]

Mostly .22 rifles. In some places we hunt I will use a .223 and try for the head.

 

[Blkram]

Started out raising our own meat rabbits when I was a young child. We ate rabbit as often as we did chicken.
When I was 11 I started snaring snowshoe hares on the family farm, and was taught to shoot the Winchester Model 37A .410 shotgun and Winchester Model 69A 22LR by grandpa, and hunting for hares and ruffies on the farm by Grandma.
Eventually acquired a Ruger 10/22 and spent years hunting hares with it. Now have another 69A but haven't taken any hares with it as yet. Have used the 28 ga on one hare at 35 yards, but figure that is about max for 7 1/2 shot
I have carried the bows (compound and recurve) for snowshoe hare a few times, but never found an opportunity. (Have taken numerous ruffies, and a few blues with the bows 5-52 yards, with most in the 18-25 yard range, and any over 30 yards with the compound, using the G5 SGH's)

Have always thought having a beagle for fetching hares and upland birds would be great!

 

[hunter24605]

Golly, that brings back memories. I’d hate to guess how many rabbits we killed over the years hunting old clear cuts and reclaimed strip mines. When we were sprouts the weapon of choice was a Winchester 42 .410, later a model 48 20 ga.

 

[DrMike]

Love rabbit, but the little tykes got their revenge on me. I killed hundreds during my days of research on heart mitochondria. And we ate many of them since all I needed was a heart. I would skin them and place them in the freezer, taking them home with me each evening. I do believe my lady could write a cookbook on 1001 ways to cook rabbit. Today, I'm grossly allergic to all rodents, and that includes hares and rabbits. The last rabbits I shot left me quite blinded and forced Gil to drive since my eyes were swollen shut and burning. I even had to change family doctors at one point because he had pet rabbits. The remaining dander on his clothing would cause a severe allergic reaction each time I tried to visit with him. Nothing like being blinded and driving hoe by braille.

 

[salmonchaser]

Love rabbit, but the little tykes got their revenge on me. I killed hundreds during my days of research on heart mitochondria. And we ate many of them since all I needed was a heart. I would skin them and place them in the freezer, taking them home with me each evening. I do believe my lady could write a cookbook on 1001 ways to cook rabbit. Today, I'm grossly allergic to all rodents, and that includes hares and rabbits. The last rabbits I shot left me quite blinded and forced Gil to drive since my eyes were swollen shut and burning. I even had to change family doctors at one point because he had pet rabbits. The remaining dander on his clothing would cause a severe allergic reaction each time I tried to visit with him. Nothing like being blinded and driving hoe by braille.

Wow!

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Cool thread Guy!

Mostly, and I mean 90 percent of my rabbit hunting has been with my Rossi Model 62 .22 LR! Its less destructive than any shotgun, leaving more rabbit to eat.

However, my Mossberg 500 12 gauge and Remington 870 20 gauge have both taken the remaining 10 percent, usually incidentally while hunting upland birds or doves.

We usually fry them in butter and serve them with white rice or rice-a-roni or last year we put them and a few quail I had shot into a stew. It was good!

 

[NYDAN]

I grew up hunting rabbits with a beagle/basset cross and a shotgun. Rabbit hunting was the first hunting we were taught by Dad. Also, grew up hunting woodchucks with 22 LR and 22 WMR.

 

[Blkram]

Love rabbit, but the little tykes got their revenge on me. I killed hundreds during my days of research on heart mitochondria. And we ate many of them since all I needed was a heart. I would skin them and place them in the freezer, taking them home with me each evening. I do believe my lady could write a cookbook on 1001 ways to cook rabbit. Today, I'm grossly allergic to all rodents, and that includes hares and rabbits. The last rabbits I shot left me quite blinded and forced Gil to drive since my eyes were swollen shut and burning. I even had to change family doctors at one point because he had pet rabbits. The remaining dander on his clothing would cause a severe allergic reaction each time I tried to visit with him. Nothing like being blinded and driving hoe by braille.

For many years the good Dr used to state that he needed to get back into rabbit hunting, and finally one day he had me stop so that he could harvest a hare along one of the backroads with his T-Bolt. It wasn't very far down the road after he retrieved his prize that his memory came back to him...er should I say his anaphylaxis?
I can attest to DrMike's bunny dilemma...the tears streaming down his red face was something to witness.
Wasn't too much fun for him at the moment...but at least he can laugh about it now,

And driving home wasn't an act of mercy...it was a matter of survival, as his driving by braille leaves a lot to be desired!

 

[DrMike]

For many years the good Dr used to state that he needed to get back into rabbit hunting, and finally one day he had me stop so that he could harvest a hare along one of the backroads with his T-Bolt. It wasn't very far down the road after he retrieved his prize that his memory came back to him...er should I say his anaphylaxis?
I can attest to DrMike's bunny dilemma...the tears streaming down his red face was something to witness.
Wasn't too much for him at the moment...but at least he can laugh about it now,

And driving home wasn't an act of mercy...it was a matter of survival, as his driving by braille leaves a lot to be desired!

Yup! I can laugh now. But it sure was painful at the time.

 

[375hh1973]

Am fortunate to have access to several apple orchards for rabbit hunting privileges.

My go to gun is my Beretta White Onyx 686 in 28ga. I have Briley extended choke tubes and usually use IC in the bottom and LM in the top. My preferred load is the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5 load

Theres not much more fun than rabbits on a nice sunny day with snow on the ground

 

[Gun nut]

Shot scores of rabbits with my Crossman 22 pellet gun in the late fifties before graduating to my grandfathers .22 caliber Model 62 Winchester, in the early sixties. Did all of my rabbit hunting on our and the neighbors Iowa farms. Didn’t have any trouble getting permission from the neighbors. I always shared my success by cleaning a rabbit or two and giving it to them. Mom prepared the rabbit by browning and baking…similar to our Sunday chicken dinners.
Thanks for the thread, Guy…”resurrected“ some special memories.
Duane

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Growing up and thru my 20's early 30's had rabbit beagles or crossed hounds. We mostly used shotguns as our hunts were in thick cover. 12ga with light loads. 20ga and 16ga standard loads. Only rabbit I ever killed with a pistol was with a Ruger MK2 target while carrying it along with my shotgun. Saw a rabbit sitting, humped up then set back down. He stayed in placed long enough for me to draw and fire at about 15 yards. Head shot. Shot one with a 50 cal round ball same fashion while deer hunting. That's about it. Dan.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Well I have shot a lot of rabbits when I was younger. Started off with shotguns then it was to easy like shooting fish in a barrel. Then .22LR Rifles then that became to easy and off to Handguns. With Rifles and handguns I just aimed for the head. I like to eat rabbit but with the Big Game Pheasant’s and Waterfowl, I just barely consume it all in a season. So that’s why I don’t hunt Rabbit’s and Squirrel’s like when I was younger. The shooting Rabbit’s with High Powered Rifles was just to shoot the rifles more like I did Pheasant’s.
Marlin bolt action 20ga.
Remington 1100 12ga
Ruger 10/22
Marlin 39A
Remington 700 6mm Rem
Marlin 30-30 Win
Ruger Single Six .22LR
Ruger Mark II. .22LR
Colt .45 Government

 

[RL338]

Rabbits are scarce around us. Between fox , coyotes , and bald eagles seeing a rabbit is rare.

 

[flyingagg]

I love cooking and eating rabbits. I created my own recipe, lots of onions, tomatoes, wine and vinegar.

 

[DrMike]

I love cooking and eating rabbits. I created my own recipe, lots of onions, tomatoes, wine and vinegar.

Tasty critters, for sure. They taste a lot like . . . rabbit!