Good place for rabbit hunting west of Portland?

[MasterDisaster]

I live out in Hillsboro and am interested in doing some rabbit hunting before summer is gone. I was wondering if anyone knew a decent place west of Portland for doing this? Also,I have a 10 22 and a single shot 12 gauge, which would you recommend for rabbit? Thanks

Read More

 

[OEDub]

I would go east, if I were you. Rabbit hunting "season" is really just about to pick up. They are fat from summer & they will stay active far longer into winter than other small mammals. Try to find public land bordering some sort of agricultural operation. They like to hide in sage tufts. The 10/22 with solid-point ammo would be a great choice. PS ~ We do (although not common) have "rabbit fever" (aka Tularemia) in Oregon. If you get sick a few days after handling rabbits, make sure to let the Dr know so you can be tested. I'm pretty sure you get it from handling the carcasses, not so much from eating the meat. I've also heard that your saf(er) after it gets cold outside...but I don't know if that actually holds merit. This shouldn't dissuade you from hunting...I've never had an issue...just something to keep in mind in case symptoms arise. Oh yeah...cottontails are way better to eat than jack rabbits FYI.

 

[MasterDisaster]

Thanks for the great answer and info.

Any tips on specific locations? Ie near any Towns or geographic landmarks?

 

[OEDub]

I've never hunted the northern part of the state. Most of the rabbit hunting I've done has been either just east of Bend or outside Summer Lake. The principles would basically apply, though. I'm sure you could find places around The Dalles. Use resources like Google Earth (with Maps/property boundary overlay) to find plots & ownership. ODFW has an online topo program that shows some of the larger public access places: ODFW Hunting Access Map. Hunting the edge habitat of BLM land is also usually a decent bet.