how do you guys rabbit hunt without a dog or a partner?
Very slowly, and preferably by moonlight.
Dave,
That's Snipe hunting. You'll a burlap sack too.
If there is snowcover, you can see what bushes or pine trees the rabbits like to use for cover.
I grab a quiver full of arrows and stump shoot..and occasionaly you'll run into a rabbit or squirel.
that's just my lax way of doing it
Move slowly, and as quietly as possible. Edge along thickets or similar areas where you know the rabbits will hold. Practice shots through tiny openings.
Use Binocs.See them before they see you.
move very slow and watch for sitting in the brush.... i jumped 8 today and never did get a shot...if you have fresh snow you can track them and sometimes get a another chance...good luck!@
I combine what was said by Wannabe, Traxx and ladder. Move slow and look for pieces of the bunny instead of the whole thing, like that dark shiny eye. Shawn
Thats about all you can do! Quiet and slow is the key.
Best if there is a little snow on the ground and you can catch them sittin'. Move slow. dino
i be vewii vewii quite and try to find the thickest bushes i can, then kick it a couple times and wait for a lil bugger to run out then thaaawack!!
I saw traxx shoot one off his foot last weekend-that bunnny was way too close for bino's
That said binos and real s-l-o-w stalking is the way. I also have been hitting my best placesa at dawn-watch them moving as the sun appears. I don't like long shots, but if you do-I do, too-shoot long, aim at the head. If you miss they somethimes come back at you...
Dean Torges once wrote... "Aim for the bunnies eye. If you miss, you'll hit him in the head."
Good Luck Bunny Huntin'!
... mike ...
I will also say the best days we hunt are overcast and usally damp feeling. Bunnies do not like bright sun unless it is bitterly cold out as it hurts those big eyes. I also find that if they are out on a sunny day they are close to their holes. Last year we killed 16 at the JLMBH and it was overcast and bitter cold. I should note we put on drives with 40-50 guys at this hunt. Shawn
When the snow starts to melt they come out and sun to keep from getting wet. Those are my favorite days.
I hide behind a tree and make a noise like a carrot..I'm not getting many shots though... :rolleyes: :campfire:
I do quite a bit of rabbit hunting, usually getting out four or five times a week after work for an hour or so- it's my winter exercise. When I take the dog and gun or bow, the shooting is fast with the rabbit usually way out in front of me. What I've personally noticed is that the shots tend to lend themselves more to hunting with my bow when I'm out hunting by myself. So don't let not having a dog discourage you from getting out.
As other have emphasized, walking slowly is important, for sure, but it is especially important in or near the thickest cover you can find. Be sure to stop OFTEN and stand still for a minute or two. Here's the thing: Rabbits often tend to bolt JUST as you start to move again. So, as you start walking again, take just a step or two and EXPECT a shot to occur at this moment. Try to stop next to fallen trees, bent over patches of thick vegetation or switchgrass, or a group of several thick bushes all clumped together. Often you will notice bunny trails radiating from thick cover and try to position yourself facing down these trails. It goes without saying to stop where you have at least a prayer of squeezing your arrow through vegitation. If you're serious about getting a shot off, have your fingers on the string, have the bow partially drawn (often you simply won't have time to draw your bow back) and BE READY to let 'er rip.
I could be mistaken, but I thought that bunnies eye quote was from Howard Hill.