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i have been out on several occasions in the morning and afternoon trying to hunt hares. i see their tracks, forms, and runs but have yet to actually see a hare. It is frustrating because i know they are there. Any tips to increase my success would be appreciated.
Get a beagle :)
Look for the black eyes and black tips on the ears as they can just about disappear when they are not moving (sitting still)
Try to get them nervous by taking 3 steps and stop, 3 steps and stop, that type of hunting might get them nervous enough to bolt. A running snowshoe hare is a lot easier to see than a sitting one surrounded by snow.
Wish we had them down here, Best of luck
Yes they can be a challenge. Snowshoe are really a nocturnal animal, so the earlier in morning and later in the evening. They can be more active on a cloudy day before a storm. Flushing them be can quite difficult,some days they just sit tight, almost have to step on them to get them to move, they believe they are invisible. If you can get them up they stick to very thick cover unless you can put pressure on them. For the solo hunter training yourself to spot them sitting would have the best odds, a tip for that is to wear yellow tinted glasses to get more contrast on snow, also helps with the twig in the eye pain. Like Fratri said walk less look more.
Its a hard hunt by yourself. I went out today and tried. Lots of fresh tracks so they were flushing ahead of me for sure but no luck. I haven't seen one yet this year. Its a low cycle in my goto spots right now and I think that has a lot todo with it. Like others said you have to slow it down and hunt with your eyes, but thats easier said then done. For the fact it all depends what kind of terrain your hunting. If your hunting tight cedars your not just going to see hare just siting there waiting for you to shoot. What I do is look for the right habitat first, young cedars is my favourite. Its always better to hunt with another person that could see what your kicking out of the bush. If I'm by myself I walk slow and look more around stopping and going and kicking every tree possible until something flushes then you have a chance. Hunting with someone else gives you more of an option for strategies. If you get into some thick cedars your hunting partner can watch the back side of it for any hares escaping from you kicking them up. Good luck hope this helps
I used to hunt snowshoes a lot, both with and without beagles. When hunting dog-less with a .22, I always thought of them as "the little big game", because of the intensity of the still-hunting it took to spot them. All good advice above.
I've heard beagles make it easier, but I wouldn't know. I see tracks all over, and usually spot a hare every other day around my place. Mostly, I see them crossing the road in front of me, or trying to dive under my car.
Walk and wait seems to pay off for me periodically. I tend to see more of them when I'm just traipsing through the bush, rather than hunting. They love fresh poplar branches, so you could try to entice them to visit :moose:
I will take the .22 out this spring, but mostly I go shotgun with #5 shot.
Hunt them like jacks but in the bush. Hard to get them on your own as they will flush ahead of you. Good to have blockers up ahead watching exit points. Beagles or any rabbit dog will get the job done.
mooboy76 and Tom gobble bring another point to mind. Hunt in an area where the hare population is at the high end of the cycle. Last year there were posts on here relating how they hit the jackpot over in Quebec.
I love hunting with beagles, so I would definitely consider it more fun than hunting dog-less, but I'm not sure its easier. Compared to cottontails which will stay within the same 1-2 acres, a hare pursued by a beagle can run a huge circle. This makes it hard for a solo hunter actually intercept the rabbit and connect, despite a lively and exciting chase. Having several hunters spread out in strategic locations is best for success with a dog.
If going solo, a keen-eyed and patient hunter can do just as well without a dog. Unlike a cottontail, a hare is less likely to bolt from an approaching hunter or if bumped may hop 10-20 yards and stop.
When I was at the top of my hare hunting game I put away the shotgun in favour of a .22 because I catching them all sitting anyway.
This thread has got me excited. In January I just might strap on the snowshoes, grab the 10/22 and see if I still have the old eye! :)
I actually caught one in a snare today, but it was alive and broke free before i could shoot it GRRR lol
If you can't harvest by means of fair chase, I don't think you will find snaring very satisfying.
You are wrong. I did it once years ago and it was very satisfying.... Actually is was very cool. Not something I want/can do down here but that one time/year I had the opportunity to do it, it was awesome.Quote:
Originally Posted by swampsinger
I don't consider snaring hunting.Quote:
Originally Posted by fratri
I personally look forward every year to snaring between Christmas and New Years. In my opinion it's a lot more efficient than hunting as the snare does the work while you can be doing something else.Snaring is what actually got me into trapping.
up north, they're easy to get (areas north of sudbury).. I got quite a few just sitting under young balsam.. down here not so easy.. probably too few around
Really?? Of course it's hunting, just using a different method. I take it you don't think trapping is another form of hunting either.Quote:
Originally Posted by swampsinger
Cheers
My first moose hunt was at a friend's farm on the north side of Vermillion lake. By noon we left the rifles in the car and switched to potting bunnies with our 22's. Each of us got 2-4 that were convinced they were invisible....
Hares lay down a lot of tracks in one night, it is frustrating to see so many tracks and not produce a hare. They also don't make any noise when they flush, you could be moving them when your looking the wrong direction. Just keep at it. Take a buddy.
i put my snares in a new area and got 2 the first night! they're currently in the crock pot