snowshoe hare

woodcock

woodcock

New member
Has anyone got tactics they use to get hare without a dog? I've been hunt'n m like deer. It's tough. I see more deer than hare. There feather white like the snow. How good are there sences? I saw one the other day, well, it saw me first and went in a hole. I waited 20 minutes and it came out in a full run and stopped. Before I could put the red dot on him he bolted like a shooting star. Rabbit season ends in Maine march 31 st. I'd like to figure this out and get one. Help!
 
well it soumds like your doing it right. One thing though, dont look straight ahead. look off to your right and left. Look for Hare parts rather than the whole hare. Often if you look just for the black eyeball you will see them. They move when you pass them mostly and also keep your focus about 30-50 feet away, thats their comfort zone usually. Are you making lots of noise? Make lots of it, when you come to a brushpile walk right over the top of it. Thas a good tactic for miday. In the morning or evening walk along a dirt road or trail and look of to the sides. Good luck, they are hard t get when they are not plentifull. A few years ago I could go out and get 10 a day. Now they are on a downturn in the cycle and I often go home empty handed. Got one yesterday though.10 Yards with my pistol Matt
site1023.jpg
 
I'm not familliar with the terrain and vegetation that you hunt back east but the advice that RimfireMatt gave is good. If you are hunting willow type brush, look for the eyeball right next to the base of the brush. 10 per day? Three years ago down here on the Peninsula I could have got near that with a pocket full of rocks. This year I have snared two and I have only seen two others.
 
I agree with rimfirematt's reply 100%. Indeed, my hare/ptarmigan pistol looks just like his. Mine is a Ruger 22/45 stainless 5" bull barrel with a 2X Burris. Is that a Ruger or a High Standard?
 
Rimfirematt, I'm not familiar with that handgun at all. The S&W 22 semi-auto handguns I've seen looked nothing like that. Is that 22S model fairly new? Is that stainless with a plastic type grip assembly? Does it have the classic, perfect S&W trigger that is found on S&W revolvers?
 
Im not sure if the pistol is a new model or not. I know it was made at least 2 years ago. The metal is stainless but has some kind of weird grey coating on it. The coating is very durable though. The grips are rubber. It comes with a scope rail and High viz front sight. You can get it in a 4, 5.5 or 7inch barrel. Or you can switch barrel lengths later on if you want. The trigger is very nice but not like the revolvers of yesteryear. I paid 370.00 for the pistol. This gun functions great and is very accurate (3/4 inch groups at 25 yards)10 shots, and is almost as simple as a glock to take apart.
 
Follow the White Rabbit!....
Down the hole I go. Oh God! Crow season opened yesterday, kinda celebrating in my head as I had to worked. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif When you see a hare, and he does'nt see you first, what's he doing. Is it beside a log, under cover or in plain view hopping about? The terra here is like western Washington or southern Alaska. THICK! with some 1 acre openings of hardwood or Maple. I live on an island. 12 miles from north to south and 7 miles wide. Lots of swampy areas and that's where the game is at this time of year. I hunt Red Squirrel there also. Rimfirematt, Im always looking 360, but what about the wind, hows there smell. I'm as quiet as I can be stalking on simi-crunchy snow. Are you saying you just walk in without regard for noise. I have my 357 sighted at 25 yds also. I'm running reloads with 110 gr. seirra's
 
woodcock, Well my experience with these things has Taught me some lessons/theories. These Rabbits know that your around. Being quiet or not. If your trying to be slow they will hear you from a distance and maybe assume you are stalking them, and they will wander off outa sight. Now the way I hunt is Just cruise through the brush at a brisk pace and keep an eye out for them. If they hear ya moving fast they will usually freeze and let ya go on by. And when I say they freeze, I mean it. A couple of times Ive had my scope cranked way up trying and trying to tell if that patch of snow is a rabbit or not, cause they dont twitch. Only a couple of times have I seen them move and had time to get a shot. Normally if they are moving its because they are running away from you. Sometimes they do stop in a short distance and then you just have to pick them out and shoot. So no, They are not usually hopping about, usually they are crouching motionless trying to use that Camoflauge that works so well. Hope that helps, Matt
 
If they run I just whistle and most of the time they will stop. The farther you walk back the more rabbits you will see. Most people will not walk far enough.
 
My son and I are going rabbit hunting this morning. I'm up early to get ready and he's probly sleeping. I read all the reply's two or three times and I'm gonna try the new tactic out. I'll let you know how it comes along. Thanks again, Joe
 
The best way to hunt hares that I've found is with 2 people. Stillhunt through the woods as far apart as you can and still maintain contact with each other. Only one hunter moves at a time. One person moves 10-15 yds while the other stays still. The person who is still will see the hares sneaking away from the moving hunter.
 
I have hunted snowshoe hares, though it was just for about 20 minutes or so.

I just set up 180yards away and started shooting, picked up 8 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

But I think that was some kind of secret spot, there were MILLIONS of them in one patch of bush in the middle of a godforsaken, bare icy plain.
 
I've came to the conclusion that I need a new pair of glasses. I did'nt see any! I know there thier because the rabbit skat everywhere. I tried Mon. and Tue. with no sucess. Today I'm goning to make a appointment with an eye doc. and get some glasses.
 
I dug this one up again guy's because rabbit opened oct 1 st. and I had to read over the advise you guy's gave me last march. I've gone out a few times with no luck. I got my handgun sited in for 30 paces and it's shooting like a laser. Rimmfirematt, I forgot the part were you look to the sides for movement after you pass. And as I read your post again, I see that I'm still stocking them like deer. You said "they know your in the woods weither your being quiet or not and if I just walk along they'll freeze untill I pass and that's were I see any movement. To the sides. That was quite a charge of information you gave. Pearls of rabbit hunting wisdom I'd say! Hay, are you guy's trying it. Any body got any rabbit death stories, or neardeath stories. Even if you almost hit one with your car.
 
I haven't been out looking for hares, but I have been out after grouse. I've gotten a bunch, too. While doing so I haven't seen a single hare, and that's in areas that were overrun with them a few years ago.

I saw one hare in my yard the night I returned from my moose hunt. Haven't seen him since.

While walking through the woods, try stopping every 50 ft. for a moment. Often that will spook the nervous rabbit/hare into bolting.
 
hey woodcock i dont have any snowshoers around me but plenty of cottontails. what i do this time of year when there isnt any snow is i use my ears more than my eyes. this tactic should work for you too. i move slowly and stop every few steps. what i do is when i stop i listen real close to hear any leaves rustling or brush moving then i try to see them. this works real good when it is dry out and the dead leaves on the ground are real loud. i get a few squirrels like this too. when i am walking i try to be quiet but i always end up being louder than i want to and i dont think it really matters. since you are moving slow enough the rabbits just jump away and you can hear them.

good luck, dave
 
Once you get those glasses fixed, they should look a lot like this. We're infested with them up at the deer hunting camp.
fceddac4.jpg
 
Shhhhh! Be vewy vewy quiet, I see a wabbit!
Thanks for reply'n guys. Huntsternorth, good grouse hunting, I havent seen many this year. I have a thought on grouse. I think they covey in the summer and then spread out in the winter.I scared up 6 at once this summer, but in the winter I see one or two a day.
Predatordave, It's starting to dry out around here and I'm hoping to get that advantage but right now I can't hear myself walk.
Karl, Thats about as far away as I saw my first hare. Looks like it's loosing it's white. I've been trying it every day with no luck. My latest tactic is to walk some then stop and rustle around. I'll stop next to a furn and break twigs like a deer rubbing. I watch 360 for movement. I think today I'm gonna try off the island. There may be places fairly close that are infeasted like Karls area. Thanks alot guy's i'll use all your advise on my next hunt.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top