Here at my property in Arizona I have cottontails and jackrabbits. In Alaska it was easy enough to set snares on snow trails to catch hares, but the ground here is so rocky I can't see where they frequent. Is there any sort of bait that will lure them?

Hi wolfwoman, glad to hear your enjoying the land. I've caught them unintentionally. As the landscape is similar to mine. ... Usually around sage or other brush, under juniper cedar, pinon and small rock crevices are all honey holes for rabbits and skunks. Usually they will travel between the trees in straight lines. Start by looking under the trees for their dens. Also look for bite marks on prickly pear cactus, most of the animals will eat both the fruit and the leafs.

salt will whack them right out

Try Salted Apples

I know when I set my foothold with the dry dirt that is sifted they get caught in it that is set for coyote.also like stated about the holes set some 160 if you are able to or 220 or snare if you can but the other traps will be able to re use.

Make sure it is legal.

we used to use apple to lure cottontails into our box traps

Salted apples, can do! Not much prickly pear here at all, unfortunately - or I would be harvesting them! Plenty of juniper trees, but I'm thinking they den under the house and shed.

Awesome. Keep us updated on the progress.
Awe man Prickly Pear is incredible too.

Never ate it, sure got poked a lot with it!

Pick it around Aug- end of September. You can also drink it

Yes it is, friend has a bunch that they let us pick!

Awesome. My aunty's make a candy out of them. It's a pain to make but it is worth it. I don't know how to make it.

You eat the fruit of it, or new leaves?

We have juice from the fruit. Haven't tried the leaves yet.

Both. I'm not a big fan of the leafs but know many who are. There's a lot of Mexican dishes that use them.
Slice open like a fish either grill or remove the meat and chop up. The other way is to remove all needles and stubs grill whole eat like a steak.
Flavor depends on how it is made. Deer elk cows and other animals eat both. I often find a bunch of bite marks when out and about

I love how this went from catching rabbits to using cactus...lol!!

Leaves are not good. Kind of bitter. Some people eat them. Enough you can buy leaves in grocery stores in the southwest at times. Fruit and even the yellow flowers are delicious. When the stickers fall off the fruit they are sweet. MaKe a wonderful jelly or quick snack while you are out and about. Coyotes and fox eat them pretty quick when they get ripe. Red "coon" scat is often coyote or fox sign if they are ripe. Deer cattle rabbits and rats eat them when they get purple and the stickers fall off too.

Salt really is a good rabbit attractor

Lol wolfwoman.
Danny the bitterness is part of why I don't like them. Yup red scat the more ripe the brighter.

Try bacon grease!