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RABBIT SEASON OPENER -- Jim Matthews outdoor column -- 19jun02
Rabbit season opener July 1
Most guys skip the open day of cottontail rabbit season on July 1 because it's always hot, and many people still buy in to the myth about rabbits being wormy this time of year. I think I look forward to this season as much as any other through the fall. Maybe more.
Maybe it's because the plums on the tree in my backyard are fully ripe by the cottontail opener, and I'm think about fall harvests (and a wonderful plum-garlic baste we make for game). Maybe it's because I hunt rabbits with my favorite rimfire rifles. Maybe it's because rabbits are so darn good on the barbecue. Maybe it's just because its the first hunting season of the year.
Hunters can get excited about the coming fall in May and June because of tag application deadlines, new hunting licenses, maybe the purchase a new gun and getting it ready for our big game hunting. But October and November still seem like a long way off. The rabbits provide an outlet, an excuse, to get up before first light and go sit at the edge of an opening or old burn in chaparral and glassing the edges of the brush for moving rabbits at first light. Or last light after a day at work.
The beauty of rabbits for me is that they are not expeditionary. Big game -- even upland birds and doves to some extent -- require more planning and time. Big game mandates that you prepare for success and have a myriad of gear and ice chests. It involves longer hikes into country further from roads. Bird hunting requires, at least for me, the packing of dogs and all their gear. Even short hunts often stretch into half a day or more. Rabbit hunting requires a .22 and about a hour of spare time first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. In 30 minutes, I can be hunting cottontails from just about anywhere in Southern California. I have some pretty good spots only 10 minutes from my house. The .22 stays in the truck this time of year. A guy never knows when he might get a chance to go.
The other thing is that I usually hunt rabbits alone. While hunting is traditionally a fraternal sport, which is one of the reasons we all like, I generally find myself by myself when hunting rabbits. I have hunting buddies who dearly love to hunt rabbits and get sidetracked when hunting quail if they find a pocket of bunnies, but I prefer to hunt rabbits like big game. Usually I sit with binoculars watching a small clearing with the .22, but the distances are usually short and if I don't have binoculars in the truck when I decide to go, it's not a big deal.
Sitting quietly with your own thoughts is not a bad way to begin or end a day. All the unimportant clutter filters out of your mind while you watch the scrub jays, hear the first coyote howl of the evening, and maybe even see a cottontail come out of the brush and feed its way along the edge of some chemise.
Sometimes I'll still hunt along a wash, rather than sitting, but I force myself to not cover more than 200 yards or so in that magic first or last hour. You take a step and watch for a black eye looking toward you, catch every movement and flicker. Another half step. It's not a whole lot different than sitting in one spot.
I don't bring a lot of game home hunting this way, but I suspect that's not entirely the point. It's the first hunt of the new season.
Rabbit hunting primer
Like with most other small and upland game, rabbits are creatures of their habitat, and good rain years generally translate into good rabbit years. Bad water years, like this one, seems to concentrate the rabbits in areas where the moisture and feed are best. Find the spots where the water and feed is good, and you'll find rabbits even in these dry years.
Scouting: That requires a little scouting. Since I often don't bother or have time to scout prior to the season, my scouting is usually done with a .22 in hand -- just in case. I mostly hunt Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land. Two to five-year old foothill burns in canyons that have seasonal or permanent water are usually hot spots because they allow for lots of fresh vegetation and -- more importantly for us -- enough openings for visibility. In more arid areas of our deserts, hunting rabbits like big game makes sense: focus on the northeast-facing slopes where there is more vegetation and cover. I focus most of my scouting in chaparral and pinon-juniper habitats, and driving dirt roads after dark is a good way to find areas with concentrations of bunnies.
Binoculars: I learned a long time ago that you see more game by looking than walking. This is just as true with rabbits as big game, and I hunt with a binocular around my neck. Since most game is spotted at first or last light, I like binoculars that have an exit pupil of at least 4 mm (divide the power into the diameter of the object lens to determine exit pupil), which lets out most compacts for me. The greater exit pupil allows you to see better in low light, allowing you to peer into deep brushy shadows and see game at last shooting light.
Rifles and Ammo: One word here -- accurate. For more of my rabbit hunting, I use one of two rifles, an Anschutz Model 1516 in .22 magnum or a Ruger M77/22 in the regular .22 rimfire round. Both bolt rifles are accurate. I know that I can hit a rabbit in the head at 50 yards with either gun. In fact, I'm pretty confident with the .22 mag on out to 125-yard shots. I find most shots are from 20 to 40 yards, almost always on sitting game. There's not a lot of meat on the front quarters of a yearling rabbit, and if you are more comfortable with this bigger target, instead of the head, use the front quarters as your aiming point. Both shots will anchor a rabbit quickly and humanely. With the .22 mag, I generally use Winchester Supreme 34-grain load, Federal's Premium 30-grain load, or the new CCI 30-grain TNT load, while with the .22, I use Winchester Power Points or Remington Yellowjackets.
Game Care: Try to clean and skin your rabbits within two hours after you shoot them. If you happen to shoot them in the guts, clean them quicker. Don't leave them in a game bag or truck bed half a day. I like to get them cleaned and in marinade within an hour and have them the next day, or that evening if it was a morning hunt. If you want to save up three or four rabbits for a bigger gathering, rabbits retain their wonderful flavor even after freezing. I would recommend a vacuum freezing system to eliminate freezer burn, or you can freeze rabbits in those hefty freezer bags filled with water so the rabbit is completely encased in ice. That helps eliminate the contact with air that causes freezer burn.
I like rabbits just about any way they are prepared -- in stews (with big shitake mushrooms, ummmmm), grilled, fried, or even baked. I probably barbecue them (after soaking in one of several simple marinades) more than any other method. They are better than chicken.
Rabbit season opener July 1
Most guys skip the open day of cottontail rabbit season on July 1 because it's always hot, and many people still buy in to the myth about rabbits being wormy this time of year. I think I look forward to this season as much as any other through the fall. Maybe more.
Maybe it's because the plums on the tree in my backyard are fully ripe by the cottontail opener, and I'm think about fall harvests (and a wonderful plum-garlic baste we make for game). Maybe it's because I hunt rabbits with my favorite rimfire rifles. Maybe it's because rabbits are so darn good on the barbecue. Maybe it's just because its the first hunting season of the year.
Hunters can get excited about the coming fall in May and June because of tag application deadlines, new hunting licenses, maybe the purchase a new gun and getting it ready for our big game hunting. But October and November still seem like a long way off. The rabbits provide an outlet, an excuse, to get up before first light and go sit at the edge of an opening or old burn in chaparral and glassing the edges of the brush for moving rabbits at first light. Or last light after a day at work.
The beauty of rabbits for me is that they are not expeditionary. Big game -- even upland birds and doves to some extent -- require more planning and time. Big game mandates that you prepare for success and have a myriad of gear and ice chests. It involves longer hikes into country further from roads. Bird hunting requires, at least for me, the packing of dogs and all their gear. Even short hunts often stretch into half a day or more. Rabbit hunting requires a .22 and about a hour of spare time first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. In 30 minutes, I can be hunting cottontails from just about anywhere in Southern California. I have some pretty good spots only 10 minutes from my house. The .22 stays in the truck this time of year. A guy never knows when he might get a chance to go.
The other thing is that I usually hunt rabbits alone. While hunting is traditionally a fraternal sport, which is one of the reasons we all like, I generally find myself by myself when hunting rabbits. I have hunting buddies who dearly love to hunt rabbits and get sidetracked when hunting quail if they find a pocket of bunnies, but I prefer to hunt rabbits like big game. Usually I sit with binoculars watching a small clearing with the .22, but the distances are usually short and if I don't have binoculars in the truck when I decide to go, it's not a big deal.
Sitting quietly with your own thoughts is not a bad way to begin or end a day. All the unimportant clutter filters out of your mind while you watch the scrub jays, hear the first coyote howl of the evening, and maybe even see a cottontail come out of the brush and feed its way along the edge of some chemise.
Sometimes I'll still hunt along a wash, rather than sitting, but I force myself to not cover more than 200 yards or so in that magic first or last hour. You take a step and watch for a black eye looking toward you, catch every movement and flicker. Another half step. It's not a whole lot different than sitting in one spot.
I don't bring a lot of game home hunting this way, but I suspect that's not entirely the point. It's the first hunt of the new season.
Rabbit hunting primer
Like with most other small and upland game, rabbits are creatures of their habitat, and good rain years generally translate into good rabbit years. Bad water years, like this one, seems to concentrate the rabbits in areas where the moisture and feed are best. Find the spots where the water and feed is good, and you'll find rabbits even in these dry years.
Scouting: That requires a little scouting. Since I often don't bother or have time to scout prior to the season, my scouting is usually done with a .22 in hand -- just in case. I mostly hunt Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land. Two to five-year old foothill burns in canyons that have seasonal or permanent water are usually hot spots because they allow for lots of fresh vegetation and -- more importantly for us -- enough openings for visibility. In more arid areas of our deserts, hunting rabbits like big game makes sense: focus on the northeast-facing slopes where there is more vegetation and cover. I focus most of my scouting in chaparral and pinon-juniper habitats, and driving dirt roads after dark is a good way to find areas with concentrations of bunnies.
Binoculars: I learned a long time ago that you see more game by looking than walking. This is just as true with rabbits as big game, and I hunt with a binocular around my neck. Since most game is spotted at first or last light, I like binoculars that have an exit pupil of at least 4 mm (divide the power into the diameter of the object lens to determine exit pupil), which lets out most compacts for me. The greater exit pupil allows you to see better in low light, allowing you to peer into deep brushy shadows and see game at last shooting light.
Rifles and Ammo: One word here -- accurate. For more of my rabbit hunting, I use one of two rifles, an Anschutz Model 1516 in .22 magnum or a Ruger M77/22 in the regular .22 rimfire round. Both bolt rifles are accurate. I know that I can hit a rabbit in the head at 50 yards with either gun. In fact, I'm pretty confident with the .22 mag on out to 125-yard shots. I find most shots are from 20 to 40 yards, almost always on sitting game. There's not a lot of meat on the front quarters of a yearling rabbit, and if you are more comfortable with this bigger target, instead of the head, use the front quarters as your aiming point. Both shots will anchor a rabbit quickly and humanely. With the .22 mag, I generally use Winchester Supreme 34-grain load, Federal's Premium 30-grain load, or the new CCI 30-grain TNT load, while with the .22, I use Winchester Power Points or Remington Yellowjackets.
Game Care: Try to clean and skin your rabbits within two hours after you shoot them. If you happen to shoot them in the guts, clean them quicker. Don't leave them in a game bag or truck bed half a day. I like to get them cleaned and in marinade within an hour and have them the next day, or that evening if it was a morning hunt. If you want to save up three or four rabbits for a bigger gathering, rabbits retain their wonderful flavor even after freezing. I would recommend a vacuum freezing system to eliminate freezer burn, or you can freeze rabbits in those hefty freezer bags filled with water so the rabbit is completely encased in ice. That helps eliminate the contact with air that causes freezer burn.
I like rabbits just about any way they are prepared -- in stews (with big shitake mushrooms, ummmmm), grilled, fried, or even baked. I probably barbecue them (after soaking in one of several simple marinades) more than any other method. They are better than chicken.
