Snowshoe hare tactics

[madeleine]

While literally running through the woods after grouse, my boyfriend and I each spooked and shot a snowshoe hare. Since then we've tried to hunt them again, in creek bottoms with sign of many living there, but have yet to lay eyes on one again.

My thoughts are this - we saw them while grouse hunting because we were running, and spooked them into moving, whereas now since then, when we are creeping through the woods, they hear us long before we're on 'em and can get away or to a good hiding spot and hold still before we're even close.

So the good part is we've found the honey hole, and determined that they are really delicious. I'm making all 8 feet into some sweet good-luck-charm keychains and their pelts (though I think I soaked them too long, leading to significant hairslip) are soft and beautiful.

Any other snowshoe hare hunters out there? Interested in any/all insights, tips, success stories.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

I've never hunted snowshoes, but I imagine they can't be much different than cottontails.

If in snow: cut tracks, and follow them. Eventually there will be one at the end.


If in cover: move slowly through, then stop every few yards. For whatever reason rabbits hate suspense. They think you see them, so they'll give away their position.

If you lose them usually they circle back across their previous track.

Tracking cottontails in the snow with a bow is one of my favorite things.

If there seems to be one side of a drainage with more sign then you can always play the long con.. just wait on the other side and clap them from there as they start moving around.

Then if that doesn't work out. Snare them.

 

[Robster]

I hunt snowshoe and cottontail. But I'm more in it for the hound music than spot and stalk. I've been told to watch for their eyes and ear tips when stalking them.

This is my preferred method.

 

[Jim1187]

Move slow, stop often and hares are more active early morning and evening around here. A skim of fresh powder and following fresh tracks can be very successful, remember to look for the black eyes and ear tips of a hare sitting still, assuming you have snow on the ground. If there is no snow the javex jug looking buggers can be too easy, I'll switch to bow or even slingshot.

 

[Southforkguy]

Just keep moving slow. Bring a dog mine normally hunt grouse but like to chase anything small. Look for that odd shape, they will hold until you step on them because they blend in so well.

 

[Trial153]

Love running hare with my hounds. They run big, stay above ground and give a great race.... NH, maine and the Dak have been my winter time destinations for years.

 

[CAB]

When I have done snowshoes solo without a dog I have found a few things that work for me.

1. Thick cover where you can see rabbit tunnels, I want through this stuff and it has helped pop out a rabbit or two.
2. fresh snow really helps for tracks, if use find fresh track you can follow them often times
3. remember that they circle so if you do get a bunny moving just know it's going to circle but that it's going to stop and try to stay still if it can.

Honestly I haven't been in spots with loads of them so a normal day would be about 3-4miles of walking for about 2 rabbits.

 

[Rich M]

I used to track them - Find a fresh track. Just slowly ease along the track and keep looking up front and off to the sides. Sure enough they'll just sit there looking at you could be 10 feet to 30 yards away.

We also used to do rabbit drives - there were 2 to 6 of us. The shooter would quietly get 100 to 200 yards out front (loop around) and the pusher/tracker would either push thick cover or follow tracks. We'd get a few doing this. If the shooter missed, the pusher would just keep following the tracks and often it would circle right back for another shot.

Then comes the most boring thing possible - sitting and watching. Dad used to sit a deer stand and the rabbits would hop on by during the day. He carried a 22 pistol the days where we needed meat for the stew pot and shoot 1 or 2. If you've got the mother load area that's just tore up with sign, maybe sit on it and see what happens.

My favorite is tracking them in a fresh snow. We used to run snow mobiles and when we hit a fresh track, hop off, track em and then find the next. They seem to be oriented to thick pines much of the time but did go into alder marshes and small clearings to feed. We never found em in the marshes or clearings when tracking or pushing.

 

[JustHiking]

I tend to hunt hares solo with no dogs either on snowshoes or post-holeing in south central Alaska, I have tried a variety of different tactics and the method that I have found that works best for me so far is to find a slough or trail set back in away from the nearby open area be it river, marsh, flats, or field.

I frequently find tracks along the edge of the opening but it seems like during the day they recede from the edge to avoid being spotted by predators, and I almost never see them from those sides.

Walking the trail, or slough fairly slowly with frequent breaks to just peer into the brush, as stated above I have noticed this tends to make them a little nervous and they will twitch or fidget. Every so often if I see some sign I will push into the brush perpendicular to the trail about 5-10 yards and pause there, it seems like this is enough to cause movement in those that were content to just let you pass. Also when looking don't hesitate to change your perspective, its funny but a little crouching can often times make their silhouette pop.

The other unfortunate thing that I have found that has a large effect on success is weather, get excited when the weather is terrible. Is it rainy and windy, congratulations on taking the advantage! In this weather they have a harder time hearing and seeing you coming and appear to be more stubborn about running away. As much as you don't want to be out there, they don't either. On crisp bluebird days sound carries, life is good, and they seem to constantly high-tailing it away just at the far edge of your vision and wont stop if you make any effort to follow.

Hope this helps, let me know how it goes!

 

[stumpknocker]

Hares were thick were I grew up in NH.
By far the most effective way to kill them without a dog is sitting near (or in) a honey hole at dusk. They are mostly nocturnal creatures but in the dead of winter you'll find many slipping out of cover to feed during last hour of shooting light.

If you choose to stalk, you need to distinguish day sign from night sign. You can walk the night sign all day in their feeding patches and never come close to one. Their daytime haunts are substantially thicker and will have larger amounts of droppings. And they are not the type to run away and seek cover IMO. They will hold tight and wait for you to pass by; as others have said, look for the black eye!

OK perhaps the most effective way is when you get an early thaw before the end of season when they are still stark white.... then you can slaughter them walking without dogs.

 

[TSAMP]

Anybody have luck with snowshoes in the midwest/Northwoods area of the lower 48? In the early stages of research myself but have a dog that works cottontails great and thought a grouse/hare hunt could be a fun time.