RABBIT HUNTING ?

**Pilot321** · February 7th, 2019, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Gripsafety

Odd, as we are seeing more rabbits here. We still have fox and hawks. The hunters with horses and hounds come and chase the foxes around, but they don't kill them. It seems that the rabbit population has exploded in the last 2 years.

Good to know. It's a big County. I may be nowhere near you. Recently, saw a Fox going after the neighbors indoor/outdoor black Cat. The cat was doing a pretty good job keeping the Fox at bay, but I didn't want to see it go south so ran outside an shoo'ed the Fox away. It took me getting pretty close before it realized I was serious.

**mmi** · February 7th, 2019, 05:59 PM

pheasants are from china .

**Gunplummer** · February 12th, 2019, 11:29 PM

Could be a cycle thing. Have to agree with the guy that mentioned hitting the bottoms. I never see cottontails high up. Once and a while some shoe bunnies. Could be an area thing. I live in a porcupine alley and just a few miles away I have deer hunted my whole life and never seen one over there. I used to hunt with my buddies in Bucks County and when it snowed we put on drives. Amazing how they would stay ahead of you and you would never see them.

**whiterabbit1** · February 27th, 2019, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Sandcut

There's actually more whistle pigs around our area than you think. They just behave differently than they do in the more agricultural areas that I was used to. Much harder to spot in the woods. You'll see them along the sides of forest roads, powerline cuts, that kind of setting.

And welcome to the area!

Thank you for the warm welcome. My property is adjacent to Pinchot which merges into SGL 135 several weeks ago i walked out to the power lines (apx. 4/500 yds.) made a hard left hunted along the power lines 4/500 yds. hit Sassafras Rd. another hard left there are food plots (apx. 200 yards in on the left and a clover field on the right next to a band of tall pines if you follow the road. Tippy toed the well covered brushy edges of all the plots, with 50% slushy snow ground cover there was not ever a squerrill track to be found. Very disappointed and surprised that there were more deer tracks in the woods than around the food plots. My beagle ranged out further and further scrubbing the area but to no avail he almost seemed apologetic when he checked in. I've seen one rabbit in the development since I've been here should have taken a picture.

**Walleye Hunter** · February 27th, 2019, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by whiterabbit1

Thank you for the warm welcome. My property is adjacent to Pinchot which merges into SGL 135 several weeks ago i walked out to the power lines (apx. 4/500 yds.) made a hard left hunted along the power lines 4/500 yds. hit Sassafras Rd. another hard left there are food plots (apx. 200 yards in on the left and a clover field on the right next to a band of tall pines if you follow the road. Tippy toed the well covered brushy edges of all the plots, with 50% slushy snow ground cover there was not ever a squerrill track to be found. Very disappointed and surprised that there were more deer tracks in the woods than around the food plots. My beagle ranged out further and further scrubbing the area but to no avail he almost seemed apologetic when he checked in. I've seen one rabbit in the development since I've been here should have taken a picture.

What kind of trees are around? Squirrels like acorns, walnuts and beechnuts. They'll eat other stuff but they really like those three.

**Parrisk** · February 27th, 2019, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by whiterabbit1

Thank you for the warm welcome. My property is adjacent to Pinchot which merges into SGL 135 several weeks ago i walked out to the power lines (apx. 4/500 yds.) made a hard left hunted along the power lines 4/500 yds. hit Sassafras Rd. another hard left there are food plots (apx. 200 yards in on the left and a clover field on the right next to a band of tall pines if you follow the road. Tippy toed the well covered brushy edges of all the plots, with 50% slushy snow ground cover there was not ever a squerrill track to be found. Very disappointed and surprised that there were more deer tracks in the woods than around the food plots. My beagle ranged out further and further scrubbing the area but to no avail he almost seemed apologetic when he checked in. I've seen one rabbit in the development since I've been here should have taken a picture.

Wonder if there are Fisher Cats out around there.. had one near our house and all squirrels and rabbits disappeared for almost 2 years.. still scarce

**whiterabbit1** · March 1st, 2019, 11:10 AM

Another thing in my trek to the food plots did not see 1 acorn, wondering how the deer make it through the winter or what they taste like. Took 2 in NY this year both had that nice layer of fat, tender and delicious.

**Walleye Hunter** · March 1st, 2019, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by whiterabbit1

Another thing in my trek to the food plots did not see 1 acorn, wondering how the deer make it through the winter or what they taste like. Took 2 in NY this year both had that nice layer of fat, tender and delicious.

The deer or the acorns? Venison's not bad, a little tough and needs to be prepared correctly. If you think about it, when was the last time you saw a deer lollygag across a field? They're always running a sprint and it keeps them toned and tough. On the acorns...the one that I tried was more bitter than coffee grinds and I can't see how any critters can eat them.

**mrat** · March 1st, 2019, 12:13 PM

I think it is predation. In Spring there are bunnies everywhere. By Winter snows, very few tracks even. We have a fair amount of foxes and red-tails. Squirrels and deer are abundant. I haven't seen a pheasant in 25yrs, turkeys are around. I see groundhog holes in thick woods, but not in open, mature woodlots.

**Gunplummer** · March 24th, 2019, 06:11 PM

The "Ground hog thing". I have seen them at the tops of mountains in PA and Maryland. I never noticed them until I started bowhunting away from home. They are socked in by the time rifle rolls around.