new to hunting going to start with rabbits.

20ozjolt · Aug 20, 2011

So long story short grew up in an anti home, bought my first rifle on my 18th birthday, converted my father into a bulls-eye shooter, lately he has expressed an interest in rabbit hunting, I was planning on going on my first trip next fall for deer, but this is to great an opportunity to pass up.
we will be going with a friend who has hunted his whole life in Alaska but he doesn't know Oregon....
we will be using .22 rifles and pistols (I may bring a shotgun)

So my questions are.

Where to go to find the buggers (we want ones to eat) ?
Also we arnt using dogs just our eyes.
I've heard christmas valley a lot what types of rabbits are there?

Is it true that eastern jack rabbit tastes bad and isn't worth it?
What's the best time of year? After first frost?

Im sure more will come to me.

Thank you.

sprocket3 · Aug 22, 2011

Heard it's best to eat them after it gets cold. Thought populations will be down a lot. Most people feed them to the birds i would guess. I was out east this summer and it looked like the numbers are real low. An area that we saw over 100 jacks in it summer of 2010 only produced about a dozen or so. Other areas might be up though. The numbers go up and down a lot over the years.

Drive around out east and look at the dirt real close. If you don't see scat every couple inches you are not in the right spot. Keep driving, stay off the ridges and mountains. Nice big valleys produce well. A few miles can change from hot to nothing, or nothing to hot.

The furs are pretty nice in November. I keep thinking I should skin a couple when I'm out there.

TIP: They are about 80% guts and non vital organs. If you can take head shots with the .22 as they can take a few in the body and still run off.

nwwoodsman · Aug 22, 2011

I see countless rabbits just hiking the logging roads, usually on the edge of the gravel in areas with a little more grass and blackberries. You can also start hunting grouse as of September 1st and you can legally use your .22 for them also. Little more meat on a grouse breast then on most rabbits around here. You can find the grouse in along the edges of the logging roads also. Seems to me that they like the areas with 15-25 year old trees.