First berry patch meal of the season!!!

[Chris Shelton]

Whitetails are fun to hunt, but small game is really what I love to hunt.

Squirrels are cool, just small which poses problems in both the hit percentage and amount of food side of things . . . but fun to hunt and great to eat!

I would venture to say my all time favorite game animal to hunt/eat is the eastern cottontail!

Boy do they taste good, and it seems like I can hit them a bit more often.

Well this year the population was looking up, I kicked a little berry patch two weeks ago while squirrel hunting and a bunny jumped out! I was ready to go . . .

We just came back from a beautiful 4 days in western Maryland searching for whitetails, grouse, and the ever persnickety wild turkey. And the last day of our hunt was on Saturday.

That entire day one thought kept crossing my mind, "today's the first day of rabbit season!"

Well it wasn't until this past Tuesday when I was finally able to hunt the little guys.

First evening out I started nudging bushes. I know what most of you are probably thinking, "don't they bust out when you kick the bush."

Well yes and no. They either run out and stop about 20 yards or just move. AT least for the beginning of the season, near the end I have to make them think I am coming in to get them to even flick their ear, they quickly find out whats up.

So I was quickly disappointed with the lack of rabbits. Something in the area is hunting them besides me. Nothing a few well placed traps can't fix.

This little cow pasture only has a few patches of wild rasberries that the rabbits like to hide in. To adapt to me, they have created holes in the berry patches to evade predators, in prior years the patches were only refuges, not homes.

I got down to one of the final patches and gave it a nudge, Boom a rabbit hops 2 feet and stops. I see a gap and hit record on the camera. To be honest I was craving some rabbit meat, so get the best of footage was not a priority.

I averted to avoid the rabbits eyes, and to knock an arrow.

I drew back my 55# recurve and let the shaft fly.

Now it was only a 10 yard shot, but the window was small. All I could see was a head and an eye.

The arrow went right were it needed to and I was going to eat good tonight!

Now I just had to get him . . . which was not fun!  

Here is a not so great pic . . . but for those of you having a not so great big game season, get out and put some food on the table! Its great fun!!

 

[maineac]

That is how I started bowhunting.  Don't live where there are cottontails anymore, or I would still hunt them.  Loved it.  Nice shot.

[DannyBows]

Well Done! Rabbits are great eating for sure.

[Thumper Dunker]

Love hunting those wascaly things.

[Stumpkiller]

The edge of my property borders a powerline right-of-way and there are several brush-lots along it.  The raspberry and wild milli-flori rose make great bunny hides (and people hide tearers - thank God for Filson tin cloth bibs).

I love bunny hunting - zero pressure and you can sleep in later.  

 

[joe ashton]

bunnies are fun to hunt....are you going to have a full body mount or just a shoulder mount?
Joe

[KentuckyTJ]

Great shootin' Chris, enjoy that wabbit.

[Mike Gerardi]

Nice shot!!  

[Chris Shelton]

thanks guys!

Charlie P. that looks awesome!!!

Joe its interesting that you say that cause I was intending to try and mount a rabbit this year, but the head shot although effect kinda messed up my plans. I need to get a good double lunger, then I want to try and mount one, lol

[broketooth]

nice shootin chris, ive watched yor videos practicing to kill rabbits, youve put alot of work into it, very cool! enjoy the rabbit. ruddy

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Well-done!

[Yolla Bolly]

fun


Fun and good eating!  
Hard to beat.