Snowshoe Hares...info needed.

[ishiwannabe]

Seriously considering a trip up to the Catskills to chase em. Only thing is, I have never even seen one. I know virtually nothing about them. Anything you guys care to share? As far as mountains, where will the be? Top? Sidehill?
What type of cover? I have an area that has everything from old hardwoods, hemlocks, and even some brushy areas.
Im open to any advice, just trying to cut down the learning curve a bit. As of right now, I would just cover ground looking for tracks and chase em down.
If you have any pictures, that would be awesome.
Thanks!

[GrnMtnTradNut]

Jamie, Snowshoes like the cedars, helocks and spruce, they also like the old clear cuts and christmas tree farms if you can find one to hunt on, they are a big woods ceritter and you do not find them were you would normally find cottontails, but they are probally the easiest to hunt by stalking you have to look for their eye and the tips of the ears they will not run normally just sit and give you a shot, once you spot a few, it will come easier and they have to leave tracks, another way to locate them is to ride the back roads were you have an idea some live until you find tracks, access should not be to much of a problem in the catskills, quite a bit of public land. Good luck and have fun take some pics for all of us. Chris

[adkmountainken]

swamps and hemlocks bro! you will need a good pair of snow shoes to chase snowshoes! never killed one with bow but took many with .22  i LOVE to hunt from snowshoes and have an extra pair if ya want to get together for a hunt.

[Steve B.]

They are actually easy to see once you learn to see them.  They are not exactly the color of snow and will often stand out against the snow itself.  In cover where the snow is broken up you can spot them against the darker background of the brush and ground.  
The thicker the cover the better but you can locate them in and along edges of small pines and other low cover.  You just have to move slow and really scan beneath the overhanging branches.  Get up close to the thick stuff, drop down, and peer back into the cover and scrutize any blob of whiteness that appears to have curves and look for the dark eyes.  Eventually one will materialize and then you will learn to see them.
The key, I have found, is finding not just thick cover that I cannot walk through, but cover with low hanging branches and ground cover.  Basically, look for areas where a coyote would have a hard time maneuvering quickly and then look in and around this stuff.

[akdd]

I have found that they like the thick stuff, and like to have brush piles that they can get under.

[ishiwannabe]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Im narrowing down the area where I will start.
Keep it coming!! AKDD...great pic. What was on the pointy end?

[akdd]

125gr judo point my 125gr SGH was stuck in a tree about half way to the bunny.

[Shaun]

Don't forget to eat them, best of the rabbits on the plate. As big as a medium sized domestic rabbit and every bit as tasty!

[longbowben]

I shot mine in maine and they where nasty.Taste like pine tree.

[Charlie Lamb]

 

[eidsvolling]

They will hold pretty tight, trusting their camouflage.  Once you've spotted some sign -- round pellets, tracks, fine-tipped browse cut neatly at a 45 degree angle --  assume that you're very near one until you've thoroughly examined the immediate vicinity.

[ishiwannabe]

Awesome pics Charlie! You guys are making it sound easy. I hope to have some pics in the next week or two...
Shaun, plan to.
I have a bunch of heads to chose from, magnus blunts with baldes...ace hexheads...judos, and a bunch of old BHs(bod k). I think I am ready, now I just have to find em.
Thanks guys.

[Thebear_78]

[ishiwannabe]

I might have to postpone until I make or buy some snow shoes of my own...LOL.

[Old York]

My good friend Jeff taught me to hunt these buggers in the cedar swamps using snowshoes no I mean we didn't throw our snowshoes at them we used shotguns & I'm keen on trying it with bow & arrow.

Absolute best time is early morning with a fresh dusting of 1" snow, with two hunters you cut tracks; one looks close for fresh tracks, the other looks far for Mr. Snowshoe.

They usually double back & sometimes they freeze in the open when it's extremely cold. I've found their "dirty snow" coloured ear tips & huge black eyes are the visual cues.

Get some good snowshoes & keep your water warm good hunting!

[ishiwannabe]

So, with two or more hunters, do you "push" to eachother? I imagine if you find a good trail, it would work. Anyone?

[Charlie Lamb]

Like most bunnies, Snowshoe hares have a relatively small home territory. When jumped they'll usually circle back where they came from.

One guy can stay where the rabbit was jumped while the other takes up the trail. Many times you'll track him right back to your waiting buddy.

Often when tracking the rabbit will wait for the tracker to catch up, so watch carefully ahead. They like to get up on a log or mound of snow where they can see well.

[pdk25]

Jaime,
I have a good pair of snowshoes that my wife bought me for christmas a few years back.  I only used them once, and where I live now I don't get a chance to use them.  If you want to borrow them for the season, let me know.  I would hate to stand between you and hunting bunnies.

[ishiwannabe]

Charlie, thats what I was thinking. Thanks for the tips.
pdk, I dont need them, but thank you for the kind offer. I plan on following the trail breaker...LOL. In all seriousness, I think I have a pair lined up already.
Besides, Shawn trains us right. My first JLMBH, the snow was head high at times...we dont need no stinking snow shoes.

I thought I read somewhere that BHs were sort of needed for such large hares? So far, thats proving to be overkill.

[Charlie Lamb]

I killed a ton of them with regular steel blunts. Also had very good success with rubber blunts, but my set up was pretty high energy.

Snowshoes aren't that tough.