Utah exsist lots of Cottontails. The place they live is easy to hunt. And when you find a pocket of rabbits, you should be in for a good shoot. So today let Robinson tell you some secrets of hunting the Cottontails.
Terrain
Robinson says rabbits typically live in two types of areas in Utah — areas that have brushy, dry washes with lots of tall sagebrush or rabbit brush in them, and areas that have lots of rocks and rocky outcroppings.
“Cottontails hide in burrows,” Robinson says. “Draws that have tall sagebrush or rabbit brush in them also have loose, deep soil that the rabbits can dig in. Rabbits will also burrow under large rocks, or they’ll hide in the crevice of a rock.”
Unlike jackrabbits, which can elude predators by outrunning them, cottontails need the help of broken terrain to stay hidden. That’s why you’ll usually find cottontails in hilly areas rather than on flatlands.
Cottontails feed early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Between those times, you’ll usually find them resting and sunning themselves near or under brush that isn’t far from their burrow. If they’re using a rock to burrow under, they’ll often sun themselves on a flat piece of rock.
Cottontails in Utah
Robinson says areas covered with sagebrush in Box Elder, Tooele, Juab and Millard counties are popular and good areas to hunt. “These areas are fairly close to the Wasatch Front,” he says, “and they can provide good hunting.”
DWR biologists conduct rabbit surveys every summer. During their surveys this past summer, they found good numbers of rabbits in Duchesne and Emery counties.
As you’re deciding which area to hunt, you might want to choose an area you can visit frequently. “Rabbits aren’t everywhere,” Robinson says. “If you choose an area that you can visit often, you’ll learn which parts of the area hold rabbits.”
Best times to hunt
Robinson says early morning and late afternoon are the best times to hunt cottontails. “That’s usually when the rabbits feed,” he says. “In order to feed, rabbits move away from their burrows and into areas where it’s easier for you to see and pursue them.”