Small Game diseases and risk

[Koda]

Ive never been a small game hunter but my friend who owns a ranch wants me to come out an eradicate a rabbit problem. These are all wild rabbits, western Oregon. He killed one recently and mentioned it was clean of ticks and fleas and in great condition. The only thing Ive ever heard to do was inspect the liver for spots and discard if found.

Not certain there is a definitive list but never hurts to ask... What are all the diseases and risks to look for?

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[deadeye]

Straight from ODFW site....https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/docs/Howtohuntrabbit.pdf

Cooler weather is better especially after a good hard freeze, the tick/ flee population isn't as bad.


Rabbit fever

Rabbit fever, or tularemia, is not commonly seen in Oregon but it does occur in rabbits and rodents. It can be spread from infected animals to people through tick bites, handling an infected animal, eating or drinking infected material, and even through inhalation. Tularemia is identified through inspection of an infected animal's internal organs, so when field dressing your animal look for any light spotting on the liver. If you even suspect you see white, yellow or any other liver spotting, place the animal in a plastic bag, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer, and contact an ODFW office. State veterinarians will run tests on the liver to determine if the animal was infected. Do not consume meat.

 

[Baseacegoku]

My understanding is that hunting rabbits should be done after a good freeze. Because all the bugs are killed by the cold.

 

[Koda]

My understanding is that hunting rabbits should be done after a good freeze. Because all the bugs are killed by the cold.

Never heard of that, but my guess is that would only affect if fleas and ticks were the source of any disease. One a critter is infected, hunting it in cold temps wont matter.

 

[Baseacegoku]

Never heard of that, but my guess is that would only affect if fleas and ticks were the source of any disease. One a critter is infected, hunting it in cold temps wont matter.

The insects are the vectors for disease. So it would seem that with them dead the likelyhood for a diseased critter, while not disappearing, would be lowered.

 

[Koda]

The insects are the vectors for disease. So it would seem that with them dead the likelyhood for a diseased critter, while not disappearing, would be lowered.

Makes sense. So safer hunting small game in winter... Good to know.

 

[Baseacegoku]

Makes sense. So safer hunting small game in winter... Good to know.

That is my understanding. I could always be wrong. As I am just learning how to hunt myself. On a side note. If you need someone to help you take rabbits out. Let me know. I have been wanting to do some wabbit hunting for a little while now.

 

[Koda]

That is my understanding. I could always be wrong. As I am just learning how to hunt myself. On a side note. If you need someone to help you take rabbits out. Let me know. I have been wanting to do some wabbit hunting for a little while now.

Ive never hunted them and almost never see them in the wild so id be a terrible hunting partner for small game but it would be fun to learn. I may have reduced my opportunity at my friends ranch a little.... He asked me for advice and I told him to go buy any 1022 with a scope.... So he did just that last Friday, sighted in his barn and has already taken 1 rabbit and a skunk thats been getting into his chickens. Hes loving the new rifle...

 

[Member 34319]

I think lots of the information online is just dogpiled on by non hunters.

Having hunted lots of cotton tails and squirrels. It's an issue yes, however I've never come across a diseased animal. That being said I do a refresher coarse online each year to review what I should be looking for in the case I do find an infected animal.

Best practices are keeping yourself safe via gloves when processing.

Keep your local ODFW hotline number on hand. If you come across one. Note your GPS and such. They will want to know about it.

 

[bbbass]

Another thing beyond liver inspection and hand washing is to either make sure you don't cut yourself while processing the animal, or wear knife resistant gloves... not that we have it here, but a hunter in S Cal died after he was cut by a broken bone on the rabbit he harvested. The fleas were infected with Bubonic Plague... yup Black Death. Don't take chances while processing wabbits!

 

[Baseacegoku]

Ive never hunted them and almost never see them in the wild so id be a terrible hunting partner for small game but it would be fun to learn. I may have reduced my opportunity at my friends ranch a little.... He asked me for advice and I told him to go buy any 1022 with a scope.... So he did just that last Friday, sighted in his barn and has already taken 1 rabbit and a skunk thats been getting into his chickens. Hes loving the new rifle...

Learning together is fine by me lol.

 

[gunnails]

It's been 25 years or more since I hunted for rabbits, but I recall a good dog was almost mandatory and we used shotguns. There was a farm with a pond and in exchange for us hunting ducks on the pond the farmer asked that we do our best to kill all the pigeons in the barn and all the rabbits we came across. The barn was about 2 feet deep in pigeon crap and the rabbit population was out of control. Average trip was about 10/20 pigeons and rabbits. We would leave our duck decoys out all season and would usually limit out each trip.
But all good things come to a end and the farm was sold to a corporation.

 

[Stomper]

What about hunters with liver spotted hands.... is it too late for them?

 

[Baseacegoku]

What about hunters with liver spotted hands.... is it too late for them?

They are to far gone to save. Just let em go

 

[bbbass]

They are to far gone to save. Just let em go

Comfort care only...

 

[bbbass]

I hunted wabbits all my young adult life... no dog. I hear they use dogs in the south, and on the East Coast and my Grandpa (in Connecticut) had a Beagle. But I had bird dogs, pointers, and one really really doesn't want a pointer to start noticing wabbits.

We, family and friends, hunted brushy areas in S Cal and desert areas too. The desert mostly produced jackwabbits that were best shot with a scoped .22lr, where they sat with their big ol ears sticking up. In the brushy areas we could flush cottontails to the 12ga, 20ga, or .410. I tried hitting a few running cottontails with my .22 but never could get the hang of it.

When I lived in Harbison Canyon just outside of San Diego, I would walk up the hill opposite my house. And after making sure there weren't any illegals threatened by my shot, I took a cottontail or two just by sitting and waiting for them to show up at dusk (coming down to feast on gardens). I had a nice Marlin tube feeder with a crappy .22 3/4" scope but it worked well enough for 100yds. Now I put 1" glass on all my .22lr rifles, nothing expensive mind you, but nothing crappy either.

It's been awhile but Idaho, Ontario, Vale, etc had an epidemic level overpopulation of wabbits. Used to be you couldn't drive around the back roads w/o slaughtering a few. I wonder what it's like today...

 

[thorborg]

Ive never been a small game hunter but my friend who owns a ranch wants me to come out an eradicate a rabbit problem. These are all wild rabbits, western Oregon. He killed one recently and mentioned it was clean of ticks and fleas and in great condition. The only thing Ive ever heard to do was inspect the liver for spots and discard if found.

Not certain there is a definitive list but never hurts to ask... What are all the diseases and risks to look for?

I raised rabbits for over ten years as our primary source of meat and a little supplemental income. We have eaten all manor of liver and find Rabbit liver to be one of the best and not to be overlooked.

 

[Mooseman]

I've hunted Rabbits since I was 15 yrs. old. The rule was only hunt rabbits in months with R in them so September - April.
We didn't hunt em in the summer months because of the fleas and ticks , and what we called "Wooves" in the skin that resembled a tumor.In southern states we waited until cooler weather to hunt em...

 

[Black Dog]

I've hunted Rabbits since I was 15 yrs. old. The rule was only hunt rabbits in months with R in them so September - April.
We didn't hunt em in the summer months because of the fleas and ticks , and what we called "Wooves" in the skin that resembled a tumor.In southern states we waited until cooler weather to hunt em...

What he said. Best advice!

 

[Blowgunner]

I hunt rabbits all the time, year round, and have been for years. Sure, you'll see some fleas in the summer, but just wear gloves when field dressing them. You can skin a rabbit in seconds. Just check the liver as mentioned before.
Even a rabbit with warbles(bot fly larva) under their skin are safe too eat.
We dont see that in the PNW though.
I use to believe in the "only hunt after a frost" or "Only hunt in R months", until I spoke with some biologists.