Hare and cottontail hunt

Morning everyone, my wife and I are new to hunting and love going out and being outside in nature. Wondering if anyone knows any good spots to go out for hare and cottontails. We live in casselman area and have tried LaRose forest with no luck we saw a little trail one day after some snow came down but no luck following it. My mother in-laws bf has 250 acres with lots of small game on the property so we are told but no help to help us look for them or pointing in the right direction. Was wondering if anyone is going out around the Ottawa area at any point and wouldn't mind an extra 1 or 2 hunters with you as well as if you don't mind showing 2 new ppl on what to look for for habitat and vegetation they like to be around would he greatly appreciated. We don't mind traveling since we go out to merrickville to the hunt camp for small and big game but would love to find somewhere that I don't have to depend on someone else's plans to be able to go out, I enjoy hunting small game with my lever action 22 my wife enjoys more with the shotgun than the 22 but thinking once we get it better sighted in and using more hoping she changes since its a lot cheaper on ammo than the 12 gauge lol.

There are some good spots in the main Larose Forest and other smaller isolated parcels of the Larose forest. One of my favorite spots was an isolated parcel just outside of Cassleman, but I haven't been there in probably 10 years. If you go to Merrickville often, then you should check out the Marlborough forest, which is in the general area.

That being said, it's important to note that the rabbit/hare population in the Ottawa area is in a low point of its cycle right now. I was out hunting small game on Monday afternoon on some private land not far from the Marlborough forest and I saw very few hare tracks. That spot is often overrun with hares, but I haven't seen any in the last couple of years while hunting it extensively for deer, small game and turkey.

Rabbits are generally on a 10 year cycle for high and low population. I'm not sure where we are at this season as I have not been out much but I know the E7 entrance to Marlborough on Paden Road had an abundance of sign last year and the year before. If you follow the main trail you'll come to an open pit on your East side about 1/2 km from the parking lot. I hunted the cedars behind that pit a few times and got 3-4 rabbits out of there. It's worth a trip as its a nice area to hunt with lots of game trails off the main trail into the forest.

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Originally Posted by Pair88

Morning everyone, my wife and I are new to hunting and love going out and being outside in nature. Wondering if anyone knows any good spots to go out for hare and cottontails. We live in casselman area and have tried LaRose forest with no luck we saw a little trail one day after some snow came down but no luck following it. My mother in-laws bf has 250 acres with lots of small game on the property so we are told but no help to help us look for them or pointing in the right direction. Was wondering if anyone is going out around the Ottawa area at any point and wouldn't mind an extra 1 or 2 hunters with you as well as if you don't mind showing 2 new ppl on what to look for for habitat and vegetation they like to be around would he greatly appreciated. We don't mind traveling since we go out to merrickville to the hunt camp for small and big game but would love to find somewhere that I don't have to depend on someone else's plans to be able to go out, I enjoy hunting small game with my lever action 22 my wife enjoys more with the shotgun than the 22 but thinking once we get it better sighted in and using more hoping she changes since its a lot cheaper on ammo than the 12 gauge lol.

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WElcome to the forum. Sounds like that mother- in- law's place should produce rabbits.
A beagle is a great tool , especially for tracking a rabbit and bringing it around to where you are. Dad and I used to sit on a hill , drinking out tea, and waiting for Ferpie to bring around that rabbit. Great memories, but you can shake up some rabbits yourself - just have to be a fast shot - not much warning. :)
Beat hard on any significant brush piles you see! The rabbit will hold if you don't beat on it hard. They are there - although not a good cycle year. Also look backwards often ; they will sneak out behind you after you have moved on a bit. Great fun. :)

I can't shoot anymore but still enjoy getting my husband to beat on those brush piles - gives the Jack Russel a great thrill to see a rabbit. :)

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Originally Posted by anfield21

Rabbits are generally on a 10 year cycle for high and low population. I'm not sure where we are at this season as I have not been out much but I know the E7 entrance to Marlborough on Paden Road had an abundance of sign last year and the year before. If you follow the main trail you'll come to an open pit on your East side about 1/2 km from the parking lot. I hunted the cedars behind that pit a few times and got 3-4 rabbits out of there. It's worth a trip as its a nice area to hunt with lots of game trails off the main trail into the forest.

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Good to know I've heard a lot about Marlborough forest will have to sneak away from Tue wife and go or get someone to watch the daughter and go their, just out of curiosity and other ppls experience is there a time of at that is best for going hunting or is it get our as early as possible and stay out as lat as possible?

Hi yeah Marlborough forest is a decent place for grouse, bunnies and yotes. I have access to a bunch of private near Russell for geese and ducks.

A bunch of us get together every few months for a breakfast in Kemptville at the five star.

It's a great place to eat and a great place to ask where to go. Top people from this forum, like Line052, MikePal, Fox, rf2 and others are almost always there (OK I missed one in 5 + years, sorry MikePal :)).

Line052 likes to go hunting afterwards and myself and son, if someone wants to go.

Will probably be setting up a breakfast soon for Feb. Not sure if I will be out hunting before Feb again currently working side jobs still short 50 bucks to pay for the new stove I b ought the old wife. :).

I might go out the second week of Jan. Since we don't have beagles, we usually walk lines. Seems to be more bunnies this year didn't see much last year, but this year lot's of tracks and beside every track there is a Yote track .

I have been to LaRose Forest a few times years ago and never seen a track or anything, never even heard of anyone seeing anything. I don't know looks good but doesn't produce.

Anyways won't be long before we probably have a breakfast in Kemptville.

Can you call geese?

Haven't tried waterfowl yet but very very very interested in doing it, gonna go buy some clays and a thrower in the next few weeks to get some practice on moving targets with the shotgun my wife an I are interested in it want to find some good calls to practice before the season my wife seams to be a lot better at calls than I am