This year we have been harvesting massive european hares. We whispered to these two brutes this morning and we were done by 10. Just before the wind and snow came
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This year we have been harvesting massive european hares. We whispered to these two brutes this morning and we were done by 10. Just before the wind and snow came
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Nice....WTG...they look huge
do u hunt near a nuclear powerplant? I have no experience with jacks but all of yours seem to be huge.
congrats!! looks like a lot of meat...
Wow what success. Those jacks are huge. one of better years for you guys? Population up? Congrats on fine meat.
I can't get over how massive those jacks are. What would the largest one weigh that you've taken so far this year. That bottom one is unbelievably huge. I've never seen anything that big. There was a time we use to run them with hounds, but that was years ago and the ones we got were maybe half that size or smaller. Nice!
Now either these are really big Jacks or you two are really small. Congratulations.
A little camera trickery, especially the second pic...but still, huge for wild rabbits.
They are the same size as my domestics meat rabbits :scream:
Hahaha, I'm used to seeing it done with fish, but never seen it done with rabbits! Come on man, can you reach any further?
Yes, camera lenses will distort pictures and depth of field but nonetheless there is at least a foot of distance between the 2 gloved hands of the hunter and that makes for one big bunny!
You guys are rockin um, good job, what snow shoes are u wearing and how are they holding up
Incredible ,, Well done guys.
Lol that's funny
They are the traditional type snowshoes. The largest size available. I'm 6'2" 270 lbs and those type are the only ones that seem to hold me up!!!
Headline by the end of the season:
"Jack rabbits extinct in Ontario"
Leave some for the rest of us ;)
Next Season:
"Where are the Jacks?"
Awesome Bunny's PM sent
I've never seen wild rabbits that big. Wow. Congrats.
That is because they are hares ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharon
I made the switch to atlas mountain 1235, am bigger than you and they hold awesome, and incredibly light.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhunter
you guys hunting here with these guys,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1poIPlmp4Q
These is more like what I remember hunting jack's, mind you never this many, but I can remember always getting at least one in the game bag every hunt, not anymore though,
My place still hold's a few but I'm holding back on shooting them, I'm hoping I can up the numbers a bit.
Not to sound like an old prune but when is it enough, how many do you shoot before you say "I'm done" yes there good to eat and so much fun to shoot bla bla bla, but when reading how no one is seeing any or maybe 1 or 2 a season and the population has taken a beating do to predators when do you say I'm done. How many do you take, its not like your surviving on Jake's as your sole source of meat.
It reminds me of these old Euro guys I use to hunt with a long time ago, they would find a bush, then15 of them would go in and just decimate it until there was nothing left, then off to the next one. It use to drive me nut's
they were not doing anything illegal , to them it was like a job and they had to fill there grocery carts lol,
and to each there own, I just think morally when do you say enough?
EDIT: I'm not asking you Jackhunter or implying anything just a general question
LOL o kay lesson learned :)Quote:
Originally Posted by rippin_355
Hey big gunner you're talking to the wrong guy about conservation. If there is anyone who cares about the conservation of this animal it's me. I've been hunting this animal since I was 15. That's 23 years! Up until 3 years ago I hunted ALONE. Now I hunt with a friend. We are 2 hunters that share the same views. In those 20 years I killed many Jacks. I've seen the tough times and the good times. In all my years of this game I have driven through every township that there is. I would never hunt the same place twice. If I would shoot a jack at one farm I would move on to another farm. I loved exploring new areas. I have spent tons of money and put a lot of time in. I have acquired permission on countless farms over the years. I am willing to wager that I have forgotten more farms than these "jack hunters" on this forum have in total hunt!! I have been through days where all I did was drive. Filling up fuel 3 times in a day. That's how much passion I have for this animal. That's what I consider a "jack hunter" and I did this alone. Im not like these other guys on this forum that hunt with 5,6,7,8 guys! I don't believe in that. I hope this answers your question
You beat me to the punch partner!
Well said.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhunter
Well said JackHunter, sounds like me. Most people do not understand why I care to hunt rabbit, why so much effort and passion....and fuel. Everyone wants a trophy, they don't get enough glory out of a rabbit.
Myself, I will only kill 3 or 4 per season, I simply have no need for more meat. I prefer to hunt them in January and early February, I like to leave them to breed in late February.
One other thing that I'll mention, it may sound strange.... I like it when I miss.
Big Gunner that video you saw was jacks shot in the states(South Dakota) I checked it out.They had a huge jackrabbit population problem there a bunch of years ago.I believe the biggest threat to our jack #s is the coyote issue.Hunting pressure on jacks has little impact on their overall population.Like Jackhunter said I too have seen the good times and the tough times.It used to be that many areas had great #s of jacks,I have seen gangs hunting them in the past as well.When pesticides like DDT and others became available the population really dropped.Once they cleared up some of those issues numbers definitely rose again,in some areas they really rebounded.Then we had a real explosion of the coyote #s and shortly thereafter the jack #s tumbled again.Once we had the first big outbreak of mange in the coyote population some years ago their #S fell and the jacks grew again(Mother Nature doing what she does)Like Jackhunter said it takes time and committment to search out the better areas but they were there.Up until the last 2 or 3 years the coyote#s were really high and you had to look for the pockets of jacks and cover alot of ground.Recently coyote #s are trending down in some areas(More fox and jack sightings) and the numbers seem to be on the upswing again in some areas.ANYWAYS--that is MY perspective on this-I have benn at it for 40 years or so-Just my thought sorry about being long winded(BY the way-I hunt coyotes as well,I do not hate them!)
I agree with most of what you said but there is nothing wrong with a group of fellows out hunting jakes together ,this is the way it has been done for generations by my granddad and his granddad ,and I hope to do it with my grandkids ,we would look for tracks send blockers around to block the runs and have someone with or with out a hound walk the rabbits up .great way to spend a Saturday we would get coyotes as well as jakes on these hunts .we never over hunted a property and had tons and tons of farms to hunt in those days .I still have a lot of farms to hunt but the number off folks that hunt like this is just no were near what it used to be ,Dutch
Hey Dutch I have no problem with the way anyone hunts jacks-I shot my first one in 1975,I was the wingman on the U of a7 man drive and still had to run to get a shot off!Remember it like it was yesterday. We are outdoorsman pursuing game in ethical ways for our enjoyment-we are hunters!!!
I wouldn't say gang hunting for jacks is bad but you need to respect the animal. We had a gang of 3 shooters and myself as a tracker. I've also been hunting these since I was about 10 years old and before I could carry a gun with me. I was taught by my dad and one of my dads older fiends on how to track and all the tricks they will play on you while tracking. At 10 years old you felt like part of the crew. You had a purpose in the group. I loved it. Every weekend we would all load up well before sunrise to make it to our area at day break. If we had a fresh snow and it was a clear night so that the jacks tracks would be visible that was ideal. We would also go if weather was bad in hopes to bump one which also worked out but made tracking difficult and walking all day in deep snow and bad weather was crap if nothing was seen. Now since my dad and his one friend have passed I hunt alone. I don't care if I get one or even get a shot at one ( I mean I do my best to get one) but its more of the challenge to out smart the animal and seeing it take off is a rush for me. I put a few miles on this year and only harvested 2 yesterday one for the farmer and one for my mom to cook like she use to for use back in the day. I think she was more excited then then I was when I showed her the pictures lol. Hats off to you Jackhunter.....some people don't get why we do it.
Jakehunter
Very well said and good on ya, as I said I was not directing the question to you it was a general question to all and I thank you for your hunting methods it's nice to know there are like minded hunters out there, and trust me there's nothing better then jack rabbit on a plate of polenta( some of you might not know what that means)
I as well generally hunt with one other person or alone, a couple time's a year 4 of us might go out for a rabbit hunt but that's more of a social event then a hunt we do more talking then hunting. but Christ you should have said that earlier, I thought you had a secret honey hole with those freaks jumping out, or there was a farmer raising them and letting them out for you like a game farm lolol.
Keep up the good work.
I knew the video was filmed in the states just thought it fit Jakehunter, I pictured his hunts like that the way he slams them.
I'd like to see that guy in south Dakota shooting those whitetail jackrabbits with a rimfire, see if he would still be slamming them!!!!!!!!!!
Jack Hunter props for you that's how I did it also for years with 22 mag. I love the challenge with the hounds and without. Our fox hounds were incredible on these bunnies. I know about wear and tear on boots and trucks and from one concession to another in Stratford or listowel ,Chatham. The money that goes into is well worth it. Keep up the good work. Maybe one day we hunt with the legend.
Did Jacks (Hares) ever exist in the Ottawa area, Kemptville?
Cottontails
Trenton Belleville picton etc
You would think that the area east of the 416 over to and past Russell would be good habitat, but I never heard of anyone ever seeing them in that area.Quote:
Originally Posted by greatwhite
Years ago one of the Beagle Club members used to hunt them in the Kingston area, said they were common.
I would like to hope so, they were jumping at his feet, plus if there using a semi auto like the 10/22 you guys are using you would have 15 rounds as fast as you could pull the trigger, there's room for misses. But with the rim fire you are right a lot more enjoyable and difficult.Quote:
Originally Posted by kings of winter
Our guns hold 9 rounds
hey that guy in the video is one of the worlds best whitetail hunters ,with bow or gun he gets it done ,he has a lot of videos and hunting products on the market including scents ,just google roger raglan ,he puts out some great videos on whitetail hunting , Dutch
Quote:
Originally Posted by greatwhite
They are in the Kemptville area, I personally haven't 'seen' one, but a few times during the rifle season the dogs would get on one and it was a hell of a run. The guys at the hut camp have seen them many times in the past and say they know the difference because a Jack will run a straight line with a dog on it, where snowshoes/cottontail will circle. Maybe just one of those 'camp knowledge' things, but I have had the dogs do just that a few times and they weren't on deer.Quote:
Originally Posted by swampsinger
sounds like a grufalo run to me :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
European Hares (Jacks) will run in circles too, they are just much larger circles, sort of like a yearling deer.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
I hunted them a couple times and missed running shots with the rifle while the other guys pushed the alders.
Dad used to hunt them and snowshoes like crazy growing up, that was there thing every Saturday morning in the winter.
I don't know what large rabbits might be around Kemptville but there is a local guy I was chatting with who asked me if there are rabbits across the road from me, apparently people used to dump there pets out there and my neighbour confirmed it. There may be some big domestic rabbits that bred in there, but with the coyotes around I doubt there are too many left.
Got a nice pic of a snowshoe at the bow spot though :).
I true hunter, that loves his sport. I'm the same way. And people wounder how I seem to fill my tags every year. When I think back at all the money I have spent over the years in gas finding hunting spots and scouting them, but its worth it for the passion of hunting.Quote:
Hey big gunner you're talking to the wrong guy about conservation. If there is anyone who cares about the conservation of this animal it's me. I've been hunting this animal since I was 15. That's 23 years! Up until 3 years ago I hunted ALONE. Now I hunt with a friend. We are 2 hunters that share the same views. In those 20 years I killed many Jacks. I've seen the tough times and the good times. In all my years of this game I have driven through every township that there is. I would never hunt the same place twice. If I would shoot a jack at one farm I would move on to another farm. I loved exploring new areas. I have spent tons of money and put a lot of time in. I have acquired permission on countless farms over the years. I am willing to wager that I have forgotten more farms than these "jack hunters" on this forum have in total hunt!! I have been through days where all I did was drive. Filling up fuel 3 times in a day. That's how much passion I have for this animal. That's what I consider a "jack hunter" and I did this alone. Im not like these other guys on this forum that hunt with 5,6,7,8 guys! I don't believe in that. I hope this answers your question
Well I guess I will have to get my in gear maybe this Sunday after farm chores and go out bunny hunting again and see what I can scare up. Maybe take my 22 with me havent used that in awhile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
well im heading up on the quebec side where my trailer is and the wife and i are going to hunt some bunnies maybe get a few i post pics
These are baby cangaroos,not jack rabbits...
A person after my own heart. Guessing Italian form the north? Got out once for Jacks. It was a day slugging through snow covered cedar swamps for snowshoes. Got a grouse but found no bunnys. On the way home pasted a farm that we hunted jacks in the past. Figured was worth a try. Positioned my buddy as a blocker gave him instructions not to move swung around to the other end and started the push. As I closed the distance heard 1 shot, than another, than a third. Unfortunately knew what that meant. No dinner for me. One of those buck fever moments.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner