By John Olsen
A few years back, a good friend, neighbor, and fishing buddy gave me a call. He and a few friends were going rabbit hunting that Saturday and asked if I wanted to join. I told them I'd love to but had other plans—my loss, they told me.
That Saturday evening, I got a text "You've got to see our hall of rabbits!"
I walked over to his house as he and a few other buddies had laid out their kills and were getting ready to clean them. "Take a look." my buddy said, and I walked over. There on the table laid out were six jackrabbits and a small cotton tail. I smiled and asked, "what have we here?"
"Got six snowshoes and a Cotton tail all today!" he told me proudly. I just smiled and told them I sure wished I had been able to go. They asked if I wanted to have some for dinner. They were going to grill up some of the bigger ones after cleaning up. I said, "no, but tell me how they taste!"
The next day I ran into my buddy. "How was the rabbit?" I asked.
He frowned. "Tasted like shit. I don't know what I did wrong."
"I chuckled and finally told him, "It's because those were jackrabbits."
"WHAT!" he replied. "AND YOU LET ME EAT IT!"
I was now in hysterics. After I calmed down, he asked me, "Why didn't you say anything?"
Holding im my sides, I said, "This was much more fun than just telling you."
He was still my friend but edgy about telling me things. He also studied more about the game he wanted to chase.
I've been rabbit hunting in Utah since I was a boy, some for snowshoe and cottontail, and some have been jackrabbits for just sport. I don't eat jackrabbits black-tail or white-tail. Jackrabbits and coyotes are the only animals I break the rule of "Eat what you kill." Jackrabbits are vermin in Utah. There are no seasons, limits, or regulations on them. The cottontail rabbit season runs from September 1 to February 28, 2023. The Snowshoe hare season runs from September 1 to March 15, 2023. The other rabbit in Utah is the pigmy rabbit which is protected and can not be hunted. Jackrabbit's reputation comes from the stigma of being a poor people's food source. In the early 1900s and the Great Depression, people ate, Jackrabbit because, in most cases, that was all they could hunt. After the Great Depression, most people wouldn't touch them because they symbolized the poor. Beyond that, they have a gamey taste best described as similar to shoe leather with gravy cooked in an old work boot. I personally have never eaten one, but I know people who have, and the description is nasty. Snowshoe and Cotton tail taste very close to rased rabbit with a little more game. But cooked right, they can be delicious. Rabbit has the same mild taste as chicken.
One thing to remember when hunting Snowshoe hares is that rabbit hemorrhagic disease, or RHDV2, has been found in southern Utah. RHDV2 is a virus that spreads through rabbits and is very contagious. It is harmless to humans, but it is still a terrifying thing. As we know, all viruses can mutate and spread.
Tactics for Jackrabbits are slightly different than for Cottan tails or snowshoes. My tactics for Jackrabbit are simple but can be time-consuming. After the first snow that sticks around the end of November for the West desert of northern Utah, Jackrabbits tend to bunch up in the sagebrush flats near ravines and washouts. You need to drive around and look for signs. A few rabbits squished on the road is a good sign. Also, look for birds circling like crows or birds of prey hunting an area. At that point, you need to walk the washout and ravine, keeping an eye out for tracks and rabbit signs. If you don't find any rabbits circle back to the vehicle and scout more spots. Repeat until you find them.
Rabbits go in a 7-year cycle, but the population will fluctuate depending on predators.
Some years are much better than others; however, some hunters will have 1 or 2 spots that are their favorite, and if there are no rabbits, they simply call it a bad year and quit. Rabbits' movement is primarily based on habitat, pressure, and predators. Your best bet every year is to try new locations along with your favorite spots.
For Jackrabbit, I like my semi-auto 22. If I miss it is, ok, Jackrabbits are for fun, not meat. I will use my 12 gauge with low brass 6 shot for Cottontail and Snowshoe hare. I'm more likely to hit and less likely to ruin the meat.
The tactics I like for Snowshoes and Cotton tails are different. I prefer brushy cover near farmland to mountain rabbits. I walk ditch banks between wetlands or forest areas and cultivated lands where the rabbits would stay. The forest and brush give them a place to hide the farmland provides them food. Not only does this hold rabbits they tend to be better-eating rabbits as well because of their diet. Again you want to watch for signs why scouting. Birds of prey hunting in the area and signs of road kill rabbits are all good signs. When hunting farmers' land, you need written permission in Utah. When asking for permission, talk to the farmer; he will know where the rabbits are, and he's probably looking to thin them out from his area.
All rabbits run in cycles, so talk to locals if you're not from the area. Get intelligence, then start scouting.
When deer or elk hunting, I may come across a large area where I see many rabbits. I'll mark that on my OnX app, and if the weather permits, I'll try the lowlands near this area. The rabbits will be in a different location than during the deer hunt, but I can track them on a map to one or two lowlands areas where they may be. I use the same tactics for blue grouse and other upland game.
If you're a coyote hunter knowing the area for rabbits and their patterns can help you when choosing a coyote hunting spot as well.
Rabbit is a mild game animal very similar to chicken. I am adding my favorite recipes for you to try. If you are unfamiliar with cleaning and butchering a rabbit, here is a great video that explains it. https://youtu.be/Fo1rD3WPzps
Barbecue Buttermilk rabbit recipe
3 cups low-fat buttermilk
3 to 4 tablespoons of Jack Danielle's #7 barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Boneless Rabbit 2lbs (more or less depending on what you have)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, plus 6 sprigs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Cooking spray
Directions: 1: combine Buttermilk, Jack Danielle #7, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder into a bowl and mix.
2: place rabbit in the mixture in a covered bowl or ziplock bag and set in the fridge for 4-8 hours. (overnight is best)
3. Mix the rest of the dried ingredients in a bowl and mix.
4. Take the rabbit out of the buttermilk mixture and coat it with the dry ingredients. Then Spray with cooking spray and place in the air-fryer.
5. cook in an air-fryer for 12-15 min at 375 deg. Flip halfway through cooking spray with cooking oil and finish cooking.
6. Make sure the internal temp of the rabbit is at least 160 degrees.
Serve with fries and coleslaw!
If you have a favorite Rabbit recipe, please share it!
Have fun, stay safe and happy hunting!
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