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  #1  
Old 07-27-2016, 9:01 AM
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Default Why no Cottontails??

Went out this last weekend and I could not find cottontails. Usually the area has a good amount of cottontails.

We hunted dawn and dusk with no luck. Tons of jackrabbit, the place was infested. We took down 5, which were dressed and stored for our dogs waiting at home.

Just wondering if we did something wrong, what should I look for (in terms of vegetation cottontails like to eat) to locate an area for cottontails?

I did see a lot of cottontail scat in the area we were in.
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:08 AM
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What area were you in ?

Might be hard to find in your ""Location"" : Near LAX ..........
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:12 AM
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Inyo County, 5 hours north of LAX
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:13 AM
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Four or five years of low rainfall could have thinned the cover enough that the cottontails cannot persist there, but the jacks can make a living. Were there always so many jacks there?

Last edited by Tanner68; 07-27-2016 at 9:16 AM..
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tanner68 View Post
Four or five years of low rainfall could have thinned the cover enough that the cottontails cannot persist there, but the jacks can make a living. Were there always so many jacks there?
This is my bet. Combined with the recent heat.
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Tanner68 View Post
Four or five years of low rainfall could have thinned the cover enough that the cottontails cannot persist there, but the jacks can make a living. Were there always so many jacks there?
Yeah Jacks were plentiful the many times I have gone, but this time they were everywhere, every 30 steps one would jump out of a bush.

I know cottontails are there, because I woke up (about 4:45am) at the campground I took a walk to the nearby stream and seen 6 grouped together then scattered when they seen me. Too bad you cant shoot near a campground haha.

Last edited by gl0ckc0ma; 07-27-2016 at 9:25 AM..
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:31 AM
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Cottontails eat grasses. Jacks eat creosote/sage shrubs.

No grass, no cottontails.

The drought hit 'em hard, but they're bouncing back fast.
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Old 07-27-2016, 9:32 AM
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Cottontails have been almost non existent at my "go to" spot for the last two to three years in the drought. I think this year's decent precipitation helped out, because I've had a good season so far. I've gone out 3 times. Got 1 the first time, passed on a bunch. Literally didn't see any movement whatsoever the second time.
And got 2 the third time, but easily could have limited. I only take what I am going to eat that week when it comes to rabbits tho, because I'm not a huge fan of freezing rabbit.

And I do the exact same thing you do with jacks. I love hunting them, but don't love eating them. So I'll blast a bunch of those guys and feed them to the dogs. I just throw the entire thing on the bbq then cut the meat off and put it in their food. They LOVE jackrabbit.
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Old 07-27-2016, 3:11 PM
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Some days the animals just don't cooperate.....if you see them at night it's just too hot for them.
They really are out at first & last light for your best chances
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Old 07-27-2016, 3:16 PM
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I've been lucky this year ..

Have a Honey Spot in some rolling hills across from a Lush Golf course (( Yum..Yum said the bunny ))

Slight Problem ...Dog wants to get back into Vehicle with dripping Rabbit
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Old 07-27-2016, 3:24 PM
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2017 ACME Catalog came out!

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Old 07-27-2016, 3:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Eat Dirt View Post
I've been lucky this year ..

Have a Honey Spot in rolling hills across from a Lush Golf course (( Yum..Yum said the bunny ))

Slight Problem ...Dog wants to get back into Vehicle with dripping Rabbit
Rolling Hills?? Near Rancho Palos Verdes WTF!!! There's no way you could shoot anywhere in that area.
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Old 07-27-2016, 3:40 PM
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Originally Posted by MJB View Post
Some days the animals just don't cooperate.....if you see them at night it's just too hot for them.
They really are out at first & last light for your best chances
Yeah it sure was hot too, the high was 107 where we were camped out, 70 at night.
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Old 07-27-2016, 4:10 PM
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Sounds like you're in the area I go. See any dove along the creek?
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Old 07-27-2016, 4:35 PM
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Jacks are known cottontail eaters, more jacks less cottontails. If you sit quietly in the wee hours of the morning, you can hear the sound of chewing jaws. it is jacks finishing their night ration of cottontails.
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Old 07-27-2016, 5:02 PM
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first sunset is the best but I'm seeing less cottontail and more jack rabbits good luck fellow cal guns , `unfortunately I'm seeing more cotton tail in my sons play ground in porter ranch
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Old 07-27-2016, 5:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandro View Post
Jacks are known cottontail eaters, more jacks less cottontails. If you sit quietly in the wee hours of the morning, you can hear the sound of chewing jaws. it is jacks finishing their night ration of cottontails.
This sounds like a terrible camp night ghost story you would tell to children on the night before easter. Only to wake the children up by breaking sticks in a nearby bush at sun up.


Where did you hear of such predatory habits of jack rabbits?
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Old 07-27-2016, 6:16 PM
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Drought
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Old 07-27-2016, 7:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gl0ckc0ma View Post
Rolling Hills?? Near Rancho Palos Verdes WTF!!! There's no way you could shoot anywhere in that area.

""In Some ,,Rolling hills ""

See Right hand ,, upper corner of my post ::

Location: Riverside County / Hemet
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Old 07-27-2016, 7:24 PM
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Quote:
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Sounds like you're in the area I go. See any dove along the creek?
Yes I did!!!

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Old 07-27-2016, 7:26 PM
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Jacks are known cottontail eaters, more jacks less cottontails. If you sit quietly in the wee hours of the morning, you can hear the sound of chewing jaws. it is jacks finishing their night ration of cottontails.
I'm sorry but I'm calling BS on this one, hahahaa

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Old 07-27-2016, 7:27 PM
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See Right hand ,, upper corner of my post ::

Location: Riverside County / Hemet
Yes I see that, the only Rolling Hills I know of is in the South Bay.

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Old 07-27-2016, 7:29 PM
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Drought
You might be right but man all the creeks I seen in the area were roaring and moving fast. Vegetation was pretty lush as well (for a desert landscape anyway).

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Old 07-27-2016, 8:12 PM
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Yes I did!!!

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Excellent! Nice spot.
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Old 08-16-2016, 3:04 PM
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So I will be heading out again to my spot this weekend. Hoping to find some cottontails. I am going to try near a larger river where there is a lot of grass.

Time for some BBQ, camping and some hunting... Woot cant wait!!
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Old 08-16-2016, 5:21 PM
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Duck club is crawling with them.
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Old 08-16-2016, 8:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tanner68 View Post
Four or five years of low rainfall could have thinned the cover enough that the cottontails cannot persist there, but the jacks can make a living. Were there always so many jacks there?
Yup. Bingo.

Also, many people don't know this but jacks are migratory!!! You might find a gang load in an area one year and nothing the next year. The previous rain fall has EVERYTHING to do with jack rabbit populations. Th same goes for quail and chukar. Now, for cotton tails, they are not migratory. But if there's little to no rain, the following spring, you won't find hardly any. I try to hunt in areas with farmers soy or alfalfa fields. I literally knock on the door and ask for permission to hunt their lands for "predators" and game that eats their crops. I'm about 75% "yes" with farmers. I tell them I won't leave a trace of trash and won't destroy their crops. Then I pull out my home made form that says I can hunt in their land and they sign it. I thank them tremendously. 25% of the time, farmers say no and I move on.
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Old 08-16-2016, 8:52 PM
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I hunted in the crack of dawn this morning and scored a limit in 45 min. One of the easiest hunts I've had. They were just sitting under brush, begging for a 22lr.
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Old 08-16-2016, 9:49 PM
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Quote:
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I'm sorry but I'm calling BS on this one, hahahaa

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Old 08-17-2016, 8:42 PM
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We just drove back through this area. Lots of dead cottontail on the highway. I would try the dirt/grass areas near the water on the East side of where we hunting years ago. Walk those areas at first light.

Also, check some of the thick sage areas near the alfalfa and the evergreen trees on the West side.

Eric
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Old 08-17-2016, 11:04 PM
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I think most of the cottontails are in my front yard. I have anywhere from 10-30 off them on my property every time I come home from football practice or when I head off to work.
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Old 08-18-2016, 12:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eat Dirt View Post
""In Some ,,Rolling hills ""

See Right hand ,, upper corner of my post ::

Location: Riverside County / Hemet
It's so close to me.....

But BLM announced no shooting in west riverside from July 1st....
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Old 08-18-2016, 8:20 AM
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Lots of cottontails in Lancaster/ Palmdale desert.
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Old 08-18-2016, 9:16 AM
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I bag two to three a night. Little bastards are decimating my garden. They eat the tomatoes just before they get ripe.
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Old 08-18-2016, 4:54 PM
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gl0ckc0ma You have a PM


Richard
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Old 08-18-2016, 4:58 PM
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Drought or no drought I've seen more cottontails up this way than I've had in years.

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Old 08-18-2016, 7:41 PM
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Starting from the beginning of the season i never got less than a limit in every outing, This year they are thicker than fly on a road kill. today also got my 5 by 7:30 AM
Even jacks cannot eat all of them LOL....
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Old 08-18-2016, 8:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandro View Post
Starting from the beginning of the season i never got less than a limit in every outing, This year they are thicker than fly on a road kill. today also got my 5 by 7:30 AM
Even jacks cannot eat all of them LOL....

So nice!

I'm living in Beaumont, Riverside, is there any place for cottontail?

Thx.
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Old 08-26-2016, 11:16 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Mayer View Post
We just drove back through this area. Lots of dead cottontail on the highway. I would try the dirt/grass areas near the water on the East side of where we hunting years ago. Walk those areas at first light.

Also, check some of the thick sage areas near the alfalfa and the evergreen trees on the West side.

Eric
Hey Eric,

We stuck to the East side pretty much the whole trip and very slim pickings. The only time we seen cottontails is when we were in the truck heading back to camp near the highway. I think your right about first light because all we hunted was during dusk. Would love to try the west side but we weren't too sure if it was okay to hunt that side.

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gl0ckc0ma You have a PM

Richard
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandro View Post
Starting from the beginning of the season i never got less than a limit in every outing, This year they are thicker than fly on a road kill. today also got my 5 by 7:30 AM
Even jacks cannot eat all of them LOL....
LUCKY!!

We were not so lucky with the elusive cottontail even more so this second time out this season.
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Old 08-31-2016, 7:18 AM
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You're okay on the West side. Just don't go onto the actual farm, and be aware of the area a couple of miles south.

I drove through it again this past Sunday on my way to Idaho, and there were a handful hanging around.

Eric
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