Tips for Hunting Rabbits w/out Dogs?

[Roguedog]

After seeing the delicious rabbit that Spence harvested, and seeing that deer season is over, I have the itch to get out and try to jump up a few rabbits. Do any of you have any tips or techniques for how I can go out by myself, without dogs, and maybe get a rabbit or two? Thanks in advancer for your responses.

Jeff

 

[Rev_William]

I don't use a dog. I just look at the lay of the land and start beating the bush.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Sunny weather after a wet spell will have then sitting out some for a warm and just before a snow fall will have them sitting out too.

Keep the wind on your face and check every little black spot you see under the briars! I find I often notice that black eye first!

My spaniel does help but she don't find every one we take :hatsoff:

Great fun.

Brits.

 

[S.Kenton]

I always went out right at dawn or late evening 1 hour before sunset. I had the most success with a nice bright shiny day and snow on the ground. WhenI was young I was the " DOG" meaning I beat the bush with a good stick, waded through all the thorn bushes and kicked all brush piles.Might try getting a youngin' to help ya beat the bush. I started when I was 7 or 8 beating the bush, shot my first bunny when I was 10 or 11. I rabbit hunted all the way till they started thinning out back in the late 90's.. Now there's hardly any rabbits in my neck of the woods. I really miss it!

 

[Roguedog]

We got quite a few rabbits around the farm. I allow them to take a few vegetables from the garden in the summer. All I ask in return is a couple of rabbits for the skillet. I may try to get out and beat a few brush piles and see what happens.

Jeff

 

[stinkyfeet]

If ya have fresh snow its easy to track them, or wait for a sunny day they will be in the open sunning themselves. Get ya a good hunting buddy to jump on brush piles, or push through fence rows and stand 50 yards in front of him,(you stand facing the fence row in the open field sides not shooting back at him) this will get the squirters he cant see, he has to be unarmed of only shoot to the sides only to avoid accidents. I have only hunted them in the snow so if ya dont have any I'm clueless.

 

[longshot47]

A very experienced older gentleman once told me that if you're hunting cultivated fields with low level vegetation, and you take yourself out there on a cold morning, at sunrise, you can see the vapor from the rabbits breath, and thereby find the rabbit. All things being right, just maybe.....

 

[armymedic.2]

Stand in front of the brush......close.

Give it over a full minute. Then step forward and stick ur foot as deep in as ya can.

Lots of times just standing there will freak em out.

Of course you can get all sweaty kicking everything..........but this seems as productive and a whole lot less briars in my legs.. it is a slower way to hunt a patch of cover but my rock lock and i are not generally in a hurry

 

[BrownBear]

I split my days, and my gun choice to go with the split. Early and late it's stalking and head shots with a rifle. Middle of the day is jumping and running shots with a shotgun. Both are effective.

Local weather patterns and time of year will affect their timing for poking out of cover early and late. Usually a flashlight is dandy for getting on scene soon enough, and getting back to your rig on an evening hunt. Sights are hard to see when that hunting is best, so some thought required.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Go to a place with lots of rabbit sign and walk slowly trying to see the rabbit first. Works pretty good when we have snow. Last week end my buddy and I got 3 rabbits with our 36's.

 

[MattC]

A buddy and I went rabbit hunting last week, new years day. We didn't have a dog, so we ended up busting brush through stands of trees and bushes on state park land. It was tough on the back, and the shots were close and quick, but i ended up with three in a pot. Made a nice stew.

 

[Geraldo]

I was twenty-one years old before I found out there were people who hunted rabbits without dogs. Coming from that background it seems you'd have to be a little...touched...to hunt without a dog. HOWEVER, there were times when we saw a rabbit before the dog or dogs smelled it. That usually only happened in snow because they're easier to see.

Good luck!

 

[broknaero]

As a kid I had success hunting rabbits without beagles. By the time I was 18 I had them. Have'nt hunted without them sense. To find one without a dog snow is a key, but if no snow you have to atleast find an area that holds rabbits. Thickest nastiest area possible. If you sneek through it you may see one sitting. look everywhere and pick apart everything. You will usually pick out that little black eye looking at you.

Plan B: pound the brush and be your own dog. Kick every log, briar bush, and jump on every brushpile. Be ready for a fast shot. Did I mention snow helps? Snow will make a moving rabbit look like an easy to see target. Snow will also narrow down areas to check.

Plan C: Find someone near you with dogs. I know it sounds weird but it could work.I know if I ran into another BP hunter in my area and they wanted to come along I would gladly allow them. Hunting over dogs is different though. With dogs you will get more rabbits usually, but its more about working the dogs than just killing bunnies. Not that I would have a problem with you jump shooting a bunny while we were working my dog, but many guys would.

 

[Richard J.]

If you have snow on the ground look for the little black marble. ( old timers called it a lump of shiney coal). This is there eye. Once you see your first one it gets real easy. Move slow and do a lot of looking. It might seem crazy but it works great when you dont have a dog

 

[George T.]

Although I had 5 Beagles at one time and my best friend had three I grew up hunting them here in Texas without dogs. One thing to remember is that rabbits are high strung critters. Walk slowley abd stop every so often. Stand still for a minute or two and they will break and run. If you jump one watch them and they will stop and hunker down. We don't have enough snow to matter so this how we did it. We also stalked slowley along the edges of thick woods and catus patches. Snakes hate this method as they often get shot! Geo. T.

 

[BillinOregon]

Spence's fine post give me the itch, too.

 

[cynthialee]

I never used a dog to hunt rabbits.

I used to get as far into the thicket and brush as I could. Walking on haunches and crawling mainly to get into their turf. Then when you get into the center of the area the fun starts. I used a .22 pistol as a rifle is too much a PITA when you are that deep into the scrub.
Rabbits make it easy on you. They tend to run away in a circle and they will eventually end up back where they started. The trick is to get in the center of the rabbits circle and carefully spook it enough to get it to run to its next hide spot but not enough to terrorise it so it completely bolts willy nilly to the winds. If that happens...go find anouther rabbit. When they are going to the next way point in thier circle journey is when ya shoot them. Shooting a rabbit on your haunches with a pistol in mass brush and thicket is hard work. But it tends to get your mind off the rest of the world, which at the time is what I did it for. There are many dead rabbits that served as a surogete for a certain man who I no longer have any contact with...

I doubt I could hunt that way anymore.

 

[Roguedog]

Nice story and technique Cynthia.

Jeff

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Somewhat like Cynthialee said, Flush stop wait & look. Many times I think rabbits jump almost before they know why. If you hold still (camo or at least blending clothes) you will see Mr. wabbit sneaking back. How often? One in five or so.

Other wise. . Watch how deep the drifts are
http://s1062.beta.photobucket.com/user/4koden/media/VIDEO0069_zpsf478ee50.mp4.html

 

[outbackzack]

Form a friendship with someone that has a kid just hitting their teens. Teach that youngster about respecting the wild, and the weapon. In the course of teaching, use the kid as a dog. :rotf:


In a nice way, of course.