12/11/2007
 

Abundant Cottontails Provide Winter Fun
by Lowell Washburn

My brother Sterling and I went pheasant hunting this week. It was late afternoon and the hunt was short. Although we found plenty of birds, the weather was not conducive to holding tight and the roosters were wild. Reaching the end of the cover, we both remained birdless.

As a last resort, we decided to take separate paths back to the truck. Halfway there, my dog Ruby became very birdy. But in this particular instance, her demeanor suggested that the "bird" was probably wearing fur instead of feathers. Sure enough, a big cottontail soon erupted from the grass and disappeared down a well used trail. Twenty steps farther, a second rabbit appeared and then a third.

Although she'd like to, the dog knows not to chase rabbits, and I held my fire. But when I spotted a fourth cottontail sneaking off to the side, I decided that enough is enough. At the sound of the shotgun, the rabbit stopped running.

We were at the edge of a picked corn field and the rabbit's heft left little doubt that the animal was hog fat. It's been awhile since I've bagged a rabbit, and as I paused to admire the specimen I began to recall childhood hunts where bagging a cottontail or two was considered a very worthy endeavor. I also recalled, with great fondness, the fragrance and flavor of fried or roasted rabbit. In a time preceding fast foods, every kid's mom knew how to prepare wild game to perfection. At our home, fresh rabbit was a frequent addition to the evening menu.

Besides tasting great, rabbits were extremely abundant. Finding them was never a problem. Regardless of whether we chose to hunt brushy fence lines, briar patches, cattail sloughs, or farmstead windbreaks, we always found cottontails and plenty of them. Rabbits were everywhere.

Neither myself nor any of my hunting buddy schoolmates had the slightest qualms about shooting rabbits "on the sit." Stalking as close as possible, we always tried for a head shot. Instant death and less ruined meat.

Most of our shots, however, were taken as close range cottontails burst from beneath snow lodged cattails or from the weedy intersection of a Back Forty fence line. We managed to connect with about half of those high speed runners. Although these rabbits were just as dead as the "sitters," their meat required a bit more inspection at the dinner table.

The times, and the Iowa landscapes, have changed dramatically since those childhood rabbit hunts. But in spite of those changes, cottontails still abound in all regions of the state. Generally speaking, the farther south you travel, the more plentiful they become. The sharp contrast is that these days, most hunters don't bother to pursue rabbits. During recent decades, cottontail hunters have declined by more than two thirds.

The world has become a busy place. Recreational time is both precious and limited. When hunters do get out, it's hard for the lowly rabbit to compete against more glamorous species such as deer, turkeys, pheasants, or waterfowl.

That's unfortunate. Iowa cottontails still represent an abundant and extremely renewable natural resource. For those who capitalize on the opportunities, winter rabbit hunting continues to provide a high quality, low cost outdoor experience. And, if your aim is true, there's plenty of good eating to boot.

My rabbit is on deck for tonight. I can already smell its fragrant aroma wafting from the kitchen.