The pursuit of rabbits for garden pest management, food sourcing, or wildlife control requires careful planning and an understanding of the animal’s behavior. Rabbits are widely distributed, and their rapid reproduction rate means they can quickly populate an area, often making their capture a common necessity in various environments. A responsible approach involves legal adherence, strategic preparation, and knowledge of specific capture techniques. This guide details the necessary steps for safely and successfully catching rabbits.
Legal Considerations and Preparations
Before attempting any capture, consult local and state wildlife regulations, as the legality of hunting and trapping rabbits varies considerably by jurisdiction and season. Many regions require a valid small game hunting permit or trapping license, particularly when taking rabbits outside of private property or for purposes beyond nuisance control. Hunting seasons are often strictly defined, with specific dates and set daily bag or possession limits.
If property damage is involved, a nuisance wildlife control permit may be required to trap rabbits outside of the established hunting season. Traps used on public lands or certain private properties often need to be labeled with the operator’s name and address. Preparation should begin with scouting the area for clear signs of rabbit activity, such as small, round droppings or obvious gnaw marks on woody plants.
Placing traps or planning pursuits along established rabbit runs, which are trails between feeding areas and cover, significantly increases the chance of success. Effective baits to use in these areas include fresh clover, alfalfa, carrots, or apple slices.
Passive Capture Methods
Passive methods rely on setting a device and waiting for the rabbit to enter, with live-catch cage traps being the most common choice for humane capture and relocation. For best results, place the cage trap on a flat, stable surface directly along a known rabbit run or near dense cover, such as a brush pile or hedge line. Rabbits are naturally wary, so camouflaging the trap with natural materials like leaves or twigs can help reduce the metal’s glare and scent.
The bait should be positioned at the far end of the trap, past the trigger plate, ensuring the rabbit fully enters the enclosure and trips the mechanism. Creating a short trail of bait leading into the trap can also help entice the animal to commit to entry. To prevent unnecessary suffering, all passive capture devices must be checked frequently, ideally twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening.
Snaring is another passive method, but it is highly regulated and often illegal. If permitted, specialized knowledge is required to ensure the loop is properly sized and set at the correct height to function correctly.
Active Pursuit Methods
Active pursuit involves the hunter engaging directly with the animal, requiring stealth, timing, and technique. Stalking is most effective during the crepuscular hours of dawn and dusk when rabbits are most active, or during the day near thick cover where they rest. To avoid detection, a hunter must move slowly and quietly, often against the wind to minimize scent, while scanning for the rabbit’s tell-tale dark, round eyes.
A technique known as “still-hunting” involves walking ten paces and then pausing for up to a minute, which can sometimes cause nervous rabbits to bolt from their hiding spots. For those using primitive techniques, the throwing stick, a non-returning, curved piece of wood thrown horizontally to stun or disable the animal.
Another method is ferreting, where small, trained ferrets are sent into rabbit burrows to flush the rabbits out into strategically placed purse nets, which are specialized nets set over the burrow entrances.
Post-Capture Safety and Handling
Handling a captured rabbit requires immediate attention to safety, primarily due to the risk of zoonotic diseases. Tularemia, commonly known as rabbit fever, is a serious bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis, which can be transmitted to humans through handling an infected animal. Symptoms typically appear three to five days after exposure and can include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and skin ulcers.
It is imperative to wear rubber or disposable gloves when handling any rabbit, especially if it appears lethargic, moves slowly, or has visible lesions. Rabbits intended for release from a live trap should be transported a significant distance away to prevent their immediate return. The trap should also be covered with a towel during transport to reduce stress.
If the rabbit is to be consumed, the meat must be cooked thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate bacterial risk. All tools and surfaces used for processing should be thoroughly disinfected afterward.