12 pound Arctic Hares

[Sourdough]

I am wondering who has wabbits (Cottontails) and how far into Canada do Hares habitat.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=smallgamehunting.hare

[SARKY]

I don't know how far north rabbits inhabit but hares are found above the arctic circle. Rabbits and hares are different. Hares change color in the winter and are not prone to tularemia.

[Sparky93]

My college campus is covered in rabbits and squirrels, you can literally walk right up to them. You could hunt these things with a sock full of quarters. The funny thing is to watch the foreign kids that have never seen a squirrel freak out when this fuzzy little creature goes running by them.

Here is the range of the eastern cottontail

http://www.wild-life-rehab.com/Education%20Page%20Photos/Eastern_Cottontail_Rabbit_Range.jpg

Here is the range of Black-tailed hare

http://homestudy.ihea.com/wildlifeID/maps/jackrabbit-blacktailed.gif

White-tailed hare

http://homestudy.ihea.com/wildlifeID/maps/jackrabbit-whitetailed.gif

Arctic Hare

http://www.nhptv.org/wild/images/arcticharemap.jpg

Snowshoe Hare

http://www.hww.ca/~Content/103/Images/snowshoe_map.jpg

[tipacanoe]

We do have the cottontails in Maine at least up to the Mount Katadhin area. They are in trouble population wise, and a effort is underway to help them with habitat. The snowshoe hare is all over the state, and the population for them depends on the coyotes for the most part. I know I'm tired of them jumping me when I'm hunting deer.

[Sparky93]

Okay, I didn't notice your link the first time. From what I have read (correct me if I am wrong) arctic hares don't live in Alaska. The scientific name for arctic hares is lepus arcticus and the closely related species that lives in Alaska is lepus othus or the alaska hare and also lepus timidus or the mountain hare.

Here is a link to a website that has some info on hares.
http://www.alexandgregory.com/hares.html

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Here in the swamp we have an abundance of cottontails. We also have what we call "cane cutters". Then there was this one year I camped deep in the swamp (14 miles by boat from anything) it snowed, sleet, and rained. We were Hawg hunting, Well, it was then I saw the biggest rabbit I ever saw "Buck Rabbit" I called him. I have hunted Jack Rabbits quite alot in NM, so I am familiar with larger breeds. I tried desperately to find his white self in the scope with the snow back drop and couldn't (5 X 9) on a 12ga. rifled slug gun. Everytime I looked away from the scope he was there, in the scope he vanished. Back to the OP I think, range is subjective. I have seen a mountain Lion, an Alligator Gar, I know of a black bear killed in the same swamps. But nope they don't live here, it is not on the range map.

[Sparky93]

Here in the swamp we have an abundance of cottontails. We also have what we call "cane cutters". Then there was this one year I camped deep in the swamp (14 miles by boat from anything) it snowed, sleet, and rained. We were Hawg hunting, Well, it was then I saw the biggest rabbit I ever saw "Buck Rabbit" I called him. I have hunted Jack Rabbits quite alot in NM, so I am familiar with larger breeds. I tried desperately to find his white self in the scope with the snow back drop and couldn't (5 X 9) on a 12ga. rifled slug gun. Everytime I looked away from the scope he was there, in the scope he vanished. Back to the OP I think, range is subjective. I have seen a mountain Lion, an Alligator Gar, I know of a black bear killed in the same swamps. But nope they don't live here, it is not on the range map.

I agree, animals don't really care that the range map says they are not supposed to be there. There have been many mountain lion sightings in the midwest states, it is just the scientific community doesn't recongnize them in that state.

[Sparky93]

I saw a rabbit on our property in southern Indiana a while back. This sucker was bigger than any other rabbit I had ever seen. For quite a while he would come out every night right about sunset and get a drink from the lake.

[oldtrap59]

Have hunted cottontails all over the country. Hunted jacks in Iowa and down here in Texas.( the ones we hunted in Iowa turned white in the winter so guess they were some type of hare) Snowshoes in northern Minn. Always got me when different guys talked about the jacks being so big. Seldom shot one over 7 lbs. Alot bigger then the cottontails though.

Oldtrap

[1stimestar]

We have hares here in interior Alaska. We fed one over the winter, food scraps, bread heals ect. He got et by an owl this spring.

[Rick]

Here's the range for the Alaskan Hare.

http://nature.ca/ukaliq/elem/pop/M0189-e.html

[Rick]

Here's the range for the Alaskan Hare.

http://nature.ca/ukaliq/021des/030_rng_e.cfm

[sjj]

edited..........

[Sparky93]

I'm fascinated by the Alaska "Rock Rabbits" called Pika weighing in at about 5 oz. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/education/wns/pikas.pdf
Those are pretty cool little critters, I saw some one time when I was in Colorado.

[mouse111111]

Yeah, I have a mountain lion living in the woods behind my house (but according to the conservation department there are none in MO).

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't hares eat meat while rabbits eat strictly vegetation.

[SARKY]

Cottontails are not native to Maine. They were introduced to the environment by people letting them loose or escaping from feeder breeders.

[Sparky93]

Yeah, I have a mountain lion living in the woods behind my house (but according to the conservation department there are none in MO).

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't hares eat meat while rabbits eat strictly vegetation.
I think they are both vegetarians, but I can't say I know for sure. We don't got hares around here.

[tuxdad]

My question with that 12 pound hare would be, would you still have to worry about "rabbit starvation" from eating one of those buggers over time if you had nothing else ??

[Rick]

No. But you might have to worry about it kickin' the slats out of you if you tried to catch it.

[tuxdad]

Catching would probably be the hard part especially in winter...lol Just would hope that they aren't too tough...lol