Any rabbit hunters here?

I have always been an upland bird hunter and I still have a bird dog but I inherited 2 nice beagles a couple months ago so I guess I'm a rabbit hunter now. Do you guys wait for a frost before you eat them? I'm off all week and rabbit season is open so I guess ill take advantage of the situation and shoot a few.

You could just enjoy running the dogs and not shoot any if you're conserved about eating them. I used to run the dogs a lot and seldom shot any. I just liked running the dogs.

Use to have beagles. Enjoyed rabbit hunting over dogs. We never hunted till after 2 hard frosts due to Tularemia ( rabbit fever ).

I’ve got a pack. Love to beagle hunt rabbits. I never go until around Christmas, but that’s just because I’m pursuing other outdoor sports until then. The best hunting is the last month of season IMO.
That said, nothing wrong with going now. Be tough to get one shot with the heavy vegetation, but it’s all about the dog work anyway.

I’d rather eat squirrel 10 to 1 over rabbit anyway lol

I used to run bunnies most of the winter. I myself only had one beagle when I was real young, but friends and one old neighbor guy had great beagles. We shot Cottontails by the zillions, as well as Snowshoe Hares when we were in their baliwhack. 99% of our bunny hunts were after the rifle deer season ended and we had snow on the ground. A very few folks would run early in the season, but the vast majority ran after deer firearms season ended.

I always hunted rabbits after many freezes. Usually Jan

Rabbit tastes best in December through February here in PA. I’d eat rabbit 100 to 1 over squirrel. Beagles are a ton of fun whether you are shooting rabbits or just encouraging the happy dogs. Probably the best disposition of all hunting dogs, too. Great companions. You’re a lucky guy, and I hope you have a lot of fun.

I have been running them every time it's cool enough. I just got back they ran two but they both got away it was a little warm for them I think. I might take them back out this afternoon. I'd just like to shoot a few for them before iowa pheasant season opens because I'll be up there alot between that and trapping ill be pretty busy till the end of January

As a kid we ate rabbits year round. Just gotta check the livers for tularemia. The liver will look like it was sprinkled with white pepper if infected with it. That said, if cooked thru, nothing to worry about.

I always figured people who waited till several frost just didn't have good dogs to show them the rabbits lol.

I make a lot of rabbit sausage during the season.

Early season I run mainly to tune the dogs up.

Rabbit and bird dog hunters have the most varied trap collections.

I used to love hunting rabbits with my beagles... I was a family tradition, before I had the dogs, when the family got together on Thanksgiving day, the men and boys would go to the field in the morning and hunt rabbits. The women would stay home and cook the turkey. The day after Thanksgiving we had fried rabbits and gravy. I think I liked the fried rabbits better than the turkey. There wasn't any "Black Friday" nonsense back then.

Those were the good old days.

Garry-

Not me. I did trip a 330 that was set on dry (which is illegal here) land where we were hunting. I also cut some snares at our farm that some trespasser set once other than that I leave traps alone. As I am a big trapper myself I have had my own problems with hunters.We have ran into alot of traps over the years but have never had a problem. I can usually tell if someone is in the area by tracks and the dogs start acting much different when they smell a set vs A bird.

I used to hunt them with air rifles no dogs. Or run a lurcher using a ferret and nets. We eat them year round.

Do you see fleas on a lot of the rabbits?

Used to hunt rabbits every winter with 3-4 people. Never used dogs.
Used to drive them just like deer. Standers post at the brush piles or old woodchuck holes and the drivers would slowly walk thru swampy thick areas along creeks, fence lines or whatever heavy cover there was.
Drivers used .22 pistols in the thick stuff. Occasionally you'd spot one sitting tight within a couple of feet of you and it was pop pop you'd have one in the bag.
Posters would either have a .22 rifle or shot gun.

Used shot guns less and less every winter as they are too easy. >22's are more fun.

Usually we waited till there was snow on the ground, late Dec and hunted till the season ended.

Lots of fun a bunch of young guys and great way to spend a winters day.

x2 Never ran dogs, but we shoot a lot of rabbits. Snow is nice.

Not really but you get the odd blow fly here and there.

I love running beagles, or any dog for that matter. Been doing it since I could walk with my dad

I eat them year round. Wash your hands after dressing and check the liver as was said. Cooking makes them safe to eat.

In the spring get up early and pop a couple off the county road. Put their livers in a paper cup and the rabbits in a cooler with ice. Bait a hook with the fresh liver(freezing makes em too soft) If you cast where channel cats are you will catch them. Can have one for lunch and the other for supper

I have not hunted rabbits in a serious fashion for many years... but in the warmer shoulder months (Oct/Nov and Feb) they always had fleas.

Don't eat the fleas ... just sayin