Rabbit season

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  • rmw250

    Marksman
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    Oct 28, 2014
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    Kokomo
    Just curious how successful everyone has been this season for rabbit hunting. This has by far been my least successful year as far as numbers go in over 20 years. 4 different locations, hundreds of acres and and I can’t even guess the mileage I’ve put on my boots and only 4 rabbits taken and maybe another 4 or 5 that got away due to not having a shot. I know the growing coyote population has completely decimated rabbits and other small game. I used to remember going out with my friends and we were able to hit all of our limits almost every-time at each location while still leaving enough of the rabbit population for the following season. Just curious how everyone else’s experience has been this year.
     

    ChazL

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    Jan 6, 2021
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    Tell City
    Just curious...I am new to Indiana and hunting in general. Is there open season on coyotes like there is with feral pigs in the southern states?
     

    pappyon

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    Dec 17, 2020
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    Just curious how successful everyone has been this season for rabbit hunting. This has by far been my least successful year as far as numbers go in over 20 years. 4 different locations, hundreds of acres and and I can’t even guess the mileage I’ve put on my boots and only 4 rabbits taken and maybe another 4 or 5 that got away due to not having a shot. I know the growing coyote population has completely decimated rabbits and other small game. I used to remember going out with my friends and we were able to hit all of our limits almost every-time at each location while still leaving enough of the rabbit population for the following season. Just curious how everyone else’s experience has been this year.
    plenty of rabbits. But most are holed up because of the yotes/cats/ hawks etc. Need a good beagle.
     

    Noble Sniper

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    Feb 22, 2010
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    Anderson, Indiana
    I’ve only seen one rabbit this year..... but am trying to do my part locally and thin the coyote population....... I sure would welcome a brace of beagles!!!! Maybe one of these days ;)
     

    JimH

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    Rabbits need cover,and cover close to their food source so they don't have to wander out in the open all the time. The last couple weeks I have been building "rabbitat",taking pallets and screwing plastic cut from IBC totes on the tops and covering with brush.Hopefully provide dry cover and nesting areas. I only have 36 acres,but have lots of briars and cover and scattered 10 of these around.I also put out salt in the form of water softener pellets.
     

    pappyon

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    Dec 17, 2020
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    The best thing for a good rabbit population is to lay 4 pieces of 4 inch tile..each about 10 foot long. Lay them out so the ends come within 2 feet of each other at one end. The other ends space out 5 to 7 feet between them. Then stack brush on top. Put some straw in the middle near the ends of the pipes too. But a good heavy brush pile is important. The rabbits have 4 avenues of escape this way. They come in and out of any one of the pieces of tile. If a cat comes after them they have 4 ways to get out. It works great. Old xmas trees really help too.
     

    thunderchicken

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    Feb 26, 2010
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    Indianapolis
    We have a pair of beagles but have only been able to make the schedules work out once so far to get out. Hunting public land so yeah the numbers have been down for several years or they are more nocturnal than they used to be
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    May 12, 2013
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    Camby area
    iu


    /oblig
     

    rmw250

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    Oct 28, 2014
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    Kokomo
    I agree with thunderchicken on the nocturnal part, pick up rabbits more in the evenings on the trail cams. As far as the habitat goes there is more than enough brush piles throughout our property. Every spring when we cut down trees or clear paths we always take the limbs and stack them up on the edge of the tree lines. I actually went coyote hunting yesterday afternoon, I didn’t call anything in but the amount of coyote tracks, crap and rabbit/squirrel fur on the ground is unlike anything I have ever seen in the past. I’m hoping to be able to get out more this year and hopefully eliminate the majority of them.
     

    AtTheMurph

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    Jan 18, 2013
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    Killing coyotes is a futile effort in stopping predation on rabbits or other animals that they might try to eat.

    Coyotes have the ability to increase litter size when game is more abundant and territories are less populated with other coyotes.

    So killing some only means that they come back as strong as ever. They are adapted to create as many little coyotes as the area will support.

    But they are fun to hunt!
     

    hps

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    Jun 26, 2009
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    I have heard if your want more rabbits on your property to put out piles of rock salt, something to do with diseases that kill rabbits EARLY around first frost.
     
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