Rabbit trapping boxes

[NoDak]

I am new here and thrilled to find a Forum of people who are interested in the same things I am.

I was wondering if anyone had ever tried trapping Cottontail Rabbits in boxes or live traps during the winter. I would then clean, butcher, and eat them. I hope this doesn't make me a bad person. ;D

I see many rabbit tracks. But, never see the rabbits during day light hours. They seam to be nocturnal. I can track them back to their borrows so I know they are there. I also find rabbit pieces where coyotes have caught them during the night and eaten them.

NoDak

[DM]

Rabbits are quite easy to catch in a live trap...especially in the winter. If you have a "lot" of rabbits around, you shouldn't have any problem catching some of them in a live trap.

I like the bigger traps as i can use them for everything...

DM

[NoDak]

Thanks DM. Do you know if wild rabbits can be eaten all year long. In the back of my mind I seem to remember something about not eating them before a hard frost.

NoDak

[DM]

Thanks DM. Do you know if wild rabbits can be eaten all year long. In the back of my mind I seem to remember something about not eating them before a hard frost.
NoDak

I have no idea who would come up with that one??

The only time i "wouldn't" harvest rabbits is, after Mar. first, as they start breeding then...at least around here they do... (upper midwest) and on through the summer while they have young ones...

DM

[flatwater]

It only make you a bad person if you don't contact PETA with a picture of your skinned out rabbit. Just joking ( I think) ??? :o

[NoDak]

DM:

Thanks, that makes since. But, now I am really worried about what it may be that I am not suspose to do until after a hard frost. ???

Flatwater:

I will send People Eating Tasty Animals ( PETA ) a picture of my first skinned rabbit. Good Idea. ;D

NoDak

[AARTY]

We always waited until after the first hard frost to kill off warm weather parasites, and none after march also for breeding and such.

[clarkshomestead]

yeah, thats what I was always told too. We dont have many "hard frosts here in South Alabama but in the summer there are some sort of larval parasites they call wolves that get under the skin of rabbits and squirels. It makes big bumps on them, looks gross.

[wy0mn]

Heres a box we used in Franklin County Alabama where I grew up.
Inside dimensions should be around 4"W x 5"H x 20"L
I sketched this thing in the paint program, hope it works.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/wy0mn/box.jpg
Lex

[wy0mn]

PS:
I recommend having a wire mesh window somewhere on this thing. We occasionally caught skunks too! ;)

[idris]

Remember shooting them with my granpop's Winchester .22, { made in 1890s}and he would skin them. One can also use a net. Quoting from John Seymore. ' Have one person ready to raise the net in front of them, whilst another flushes them out.' I have never tried it, but I can make nets. It is a form of trapping, I guess. Otherwise, use a box instead of a deadfall. I shall think upon it, and see what else I can come up with.
PS, tis a pity that we can not live trap PETA. :D

[wy0mn]

The Brits, Euros, and a few U.S. hunters use ferrets to flush rabbits/hares from their warrens into nets.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/hunting02.htm

[idris]

Remember shooting them with my granpop's Winchester .22, { made in 1906}and he would skin them. One can also use a net. Quoting from John Seymore. ' Have one person ready to raise the net in front of them, whilst another flushes them out.' I have never tried it, but I can make nets. It is a form of trapping, I guess. Otherwise, use a box instead of a deadfall. I shall think upon it, and see what else I can come up with.
PS, tis a pity that we can not live trap PETA. :D
Have come up with an idea:
A net can be set with a trap, one of those stick on stick with springy branch ones, tho the trigger must have an extra bit going out over the net [laid on ground, so that the rabbits trip it in passing]: net should have draw string attached to trigger: it does work, if you set it right. But I haven't actually caught anything as yet. *Would post a photo if I could get the download gadget to work.

[northern_neck]

The post about wolves in squirrels is right. Here in Virginia I run across them sometimes during warm weather hunting. They look gross but they only live under the skin. They don't do any damage to the meat, and you can still eat the squirrel (or rabbit). They fall out once cold weather arrives. We always used apples in our hare gums (home-made box traps) for rabbits.

[MHinFox]

Might want to check with your game and fish folks also. In our state there are some restrictions on how many boxes you can use and a size limit as well just thought you might want to consider that possibilty