# Rabbits



## Bprice1031 (Mar 13, 2016)

Has anyone else noticed an explosion in the rabbit population lately? Living in NE Ohio, I don't recall seeing so many rabbits in my yard at one time. Almost every night before sunset, there will as few as three and as many as six of the little fuzzy buts in my back yard.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

I've seen a few around the yard and driving down a back road at west branch I saw a half dozen along the grass in the evening, and that's in the public hunting area , that's not bad for s public area.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

We've had good populations in our part of the state for 3 years now. Guessing the early warm weather leads to an early brood.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I was told that in a Summer with heavy precipitation the rabbit population will boom. This is because the underbrush grows really thick making it easier for them to hide from predators, especially hawks and owls. I don't know if that's right or not, just what I was told.


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

Dont seem that way down here in southeastern part I aint seen a rabbit around here for 6-8 yrs use to be a bunch here when I was a kid Nelsonville area if their here I sure dont see them anymore but there is alot of coyotes around


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## dcool (Apr 14, 2004)

I live in northwest Ohio and have noticed the last few years the rabbit population has really taken off. Used to see one or two once in awhile, now i see at least seven or eight in my yard every morning.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Speaking of yotes & rabbits, I pulled a trail cam card on a creek crossing the other day. A coyote crossed the water into a bedding area, then crossed back over 23 minutes later with a rabbit in it's mouth. Pretty efficient hunter IMO & impressive.


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## Tyler8866 (Oct 6, 2016)

Could be more people are hunting yotes


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## wolfenstein (Jan 6, 2014)

I have noticed several during the summer the last few years. Seems that once everything dies off and leaves fall, all I find are tufts of fur in the yard.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

ive seen a ton around my house, drives the dog crazy. cant leave him out an hour before dark or he tries to chew thru the fence to get them. there are so many (im guessing 8-10) im thinking about busting out the pellet gun for a bit of target practice.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I understand you don't like your dog being driven crazy, but if you could wait until after the first frost, the rabbits would be edible. 

I belong to a sportsman's club that is pretty much one giant thicket! My buddy and I hunt pheasant there because he has German Shorthair Pointers, not beagles. The club stocks them, although most of it is the most unlikely pheasant habitat you will ever see. Thank God for the dogs!

Anyway, my first year in the club we were hunting before any snow had fallen, and I remarked that I was surprised at not having seen a so much as a single rabbit! Then we got some snow. The ground was literally carpeted with rabbit tracks! But, unless there is snow down and you have a good rabbit dog, you will rarely see one!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Usually have many bunnies around here every summer...until a pair of Hawks move in. They show up every year here. Had many this year and right on schedule, about three weeks ago, the Hawks showed up. Yard is surrounded by tall trees and they will sit in the tops and pick them off one by one. Have witnessed them dive bombing many times snatching a bunny. 
Looked out the window about a week ago and a hawk was in the yard with all its feathers fanned like it trying to dry out after a rain. That wasn't it at all. Hawk had flown down on a rabbit, had it pinned to the ground and was fanned out most likely protecting its catch awaiting the last few dying quivers.
It soon flew off with a full grown rabbit as big as it was. 

Did shoot a fox in the yard sneaking up on the bunnies as they feasted on fallen peaches some time back.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I noticed a big increase last winter at a public hunting spot in NE Ohio that I've rabbit hunted for 15 years. We only go out when there is snow on the ground since we don't have a dog. Used to be, we would see 3-4 per trip. It went down to seeing only 1 or 2, so we stopped hunting it for a couple of years. Went back last year and saw 8 rabbits the 1st time and 7 the next time! Only shot 1 because of bad shooting and sneaky rabbits not giving you a shot, but we at least saw them! 

Also noticed more rabbits at my house this summer. Probably because 2 years ago, a coyote was hanging out and killed half the stray cats in the woods behind our house.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

We have another round of little rabbits coming out of their nests right now. We have several around the yard area & I jumped several little ones while checking trail cams this week. Now if they can just wise up & stay out of the open areas where the hawks pick them off & the feral cats don't get them, we'll have a real bumper crop come November.


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