Not from woodbridge but we still got it! (jacks)

[finsfurfeathers]

My buddy and shoot them on the run and it is the hardest but most gratifying method. People mock it because it is too difficult for them so they stick to shotguns. I used to hunt them with shotguns years ago also but once you learn how to shoot a rifle it is a totally different game.

Can't speak for others but for me I choose to use a shotgun not because its easier or rifle is too difficult but the fact that hitting a moving target at close range shotgun is more efficient/effective. If it wasn't the trap range would be full of guys using a rifle. If I had to use a rifle approach would be different. A jack most often when flushed will run those 60-80 yards stop and look back to see if its still being pursed. That'll be the time I'd take the shot.

[jackhunter]

Omg! It’s obvious that you haven’t had much experience with hunting the European hare my dear sir. I can count maybe on one hand the amount of times a jack rabbit would stop after 60 yards and stop to look back. 50 percent of the time they will flush at 50 yards and more. The problem is that you most likely hunted this animal in the times when they were far more numbers than now. See it’s these times now that dictate who can and cannot be successful at this animal. That being said you are pretty much saying that with the rim fire rifles that it’s easier because the jack rabbit will stop at 80 yards and look back. I would love for you to go out one day and take a 22 wmr and flush one and shoot him while he stops. Please do that. Try it!! I’ll say one more thing and this is actually the truth. I post pictures every year of the days we go out. If we get 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 there are more that we see most of the time. On those days if we used shotguns we would easily have doubled those numbers. EASILY. that being said it’s not about being effective to make sure you kill them. We respect the animal and we make sure we leave plenty of them behind.

[Gilroy]

Great thread and photos and some excellent replies,its great to see you are careful about how many hares you take and shows you as a good hunter.

[fishhawk]

Jackhunter from your posts I can tell you have done a lot of Jack hunting for a long time. So you have seen there number’s crash over the years. In your opinion what do you think is causing there population to drop in Ontario?

[rick_iles]

Around here, it’s the elimination of fence rows, and good cover that was along tree lines etc.. IMHO....
I think the change in farming practices also contributed to their decline. The huge coyote populations now certainly doesn’t help. We used to do jack drives every weekend back 40 yrs ago or so. There was tons of jacks, and very very few coyotes. If we got two yotes over the winter, that was a lot. There was also lots of fox back then. Now, very few fox and tons of coyotes !!! We see a fair bit of jack sign, but we don’t hunt them any more......just coyotes !

[jackhunter]

Hey Fishhawk in my honest opinion it is the coyotes. They are destroying soo much. Like Rick said 40 years ago when the numbers were high the coyotes were scarce. People always say the rabbits and hates have cycles but I notice that with the European hare it’s not the case because the coyote numbers are high and seem to be growing.

[punkrockerpj]

For me the both of you are wrong as it should be walked up and shotgun only
Remember we should all be friends here

too funny!

[tom gobble]

Really does it matter which way someone decides to hunt any animal, all long as its ethical and legal who cares if its a rifle or shotgun. I cant believe this is even a issue.

[greatwhite]

Very nice pics of Jacks. Wish we had them close to Ottawa area

[finsfurfeathers]

Very nice pics of Jacks. Wish we had them close to Ottawa area

Depends what you deem close. The farthest east I've found them was Napanee mostly because that was as far we would like to drive and that was mostly for Hungarian partridge.
Out that way would be looking around Morrisburg-cornwall-chesterville as a start.