Early last week I had a few hours so decided to head out to one of my large private permissions to do some Cottontail hunting. This is a permission that I normally hunt Ground Squirrels on but the rancher was kind enough to allow Terry and I to take several Cottontail. This ranch has a large number of rabbits that in a sense are helpful as they keep some of the weeds down during the Summer months. We have had some pretty warm temperatures so we decided to hunt the late evening when it's a bit cooler and the rabbits are more active. Unfortunately for this trip I had to leave Marley at home as she has been getting over having an eye infection...we would have to work without her on this one.
For this trip I brought my American Air Arms EVOL in .22 caliber that puts out about 30fpe using the 18gr JSB's. This gun has worked really well for me as it's easy to carry and extremely accurate and well built.
After airing up the guns we headed away from the truck through a gate that leads to a large overlook on the upper portion of the property.
This is a beautiful property that's loaded with wildlife including an abundance of Quail that we will eventually hunt here in the future.
I was working the higher portion of the property that offered a beautiful overlook where I was able to watch Terry take down two of the Cottontails across the canyon.
Terry was using the Edgun R5M in .22 caliber that carries well and is perfect for this type of close quarter type hunting. These Cottontails are not used to hunting pressure other than the occasional Coyote or birds of prey that use this property as a hunting ground. I worked my way up this canyon where I was able to spot a good size Cottontail at just 50 yards.
These rabbits blend into the brush so well and unless they move can be sometimes extremely difficult to spot.
I collected my kill and filmed for a few segments of the enclosed video before loading them all into the pack. The goal was to get 4 of these rabbits, just enough for a good meal for some friends and family the following day.
On the way out back to the truck Terry spotted one more at close range that he was able to take down quick just before the sun went down.
After making our way back home we were eagerly met by Marley who was excited to see what we had brought back. To see the look on her face when I un-bagged 4 Cottontails was priceless. haha
That evening I processed all the rabbits and made a marinade that I applied and left overnight in the refrigerator. This would be my first time attempting to BBQ Cottontail, normally I cook them in the field over fire or in the kitchen stove in a pan.
Cottontail Marinade:
(NOTE) Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours prior to cooking
The following day I prepared a ton of food as I had invited some of my friends and family over for dinner. I made homemade mashed potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, corn on the cobb, to go along with the rabbit. I really think the key was to marinade the rabbit overnight as it takes away a bit of the game taste as well as to make the meat a bit juicier, a bit more like how you would prepare chicken.
Overall I was really satisfied with how the rabbits turned out and everyone who tried it was very impressed with the taste. I was grateful to have the opportunity to do this hunt and enjoy the meat with everyone that came to our dinner. I encourage those who haven't ever cooked Cottontail rabbits to give it a try and to share it with friends and family. Here is the video that documents this hunt along with some of the work I put in to prepare and cook the meat.
https://youtu.be/ziJwCraENbA
For this trip I brought my American Air Arms EVOL in .22 caliber that puts out about 30fpe using the 18gr JSB's. This gun has worked really well for me as it's easy to carry and extremely accurate and well built.
After airing up the guns we headed away from the truck through a gate that leads to a large overlook on the upper portion of the property.
This is a beautiful property that's loaded with wildlife including an abundance of Quail that we will eventually hunt here in the future.
I was working the higher portion of the property that offered a beautiful overlook where I was able to watch Terry take down two of the Cottontails across the canyon.
Terry was using the Edgun R5M in .22 caliber that carries well and is perfect for this type of close quarter type hunting. These Cottontails are not used to hunting pressure other than the occasional Coyote or birds of prey that use this property as a hunting ground. I worked my way up this canyon where I was able to spot a good size Cottontail at just 50 yards.
These rabbits blend into the brush so well and unless they move can be sometimes extremely difficult to spot.
I collected my kill and filmed for a few segments of the enclosed video before loading them all into the pack. The goal was to get 4 of these rabbits, just enough for a good meal for some friends and family the following day.
On the way out back to the truck Terry spotted one more at close range that he was able to take down quick just before the sun went down.
After making our way back home we were eagerly met by Marley who was excited to see what we had brought back. To see the look on her face when I un-bagged 4 Cottontails was priceless. haha
That evening I processed all the rabbits and made a marinade that I applied and left overnight in the refrigerator. This would be my first time attempting to BBQ Cottontail, normally I cook them in the field over fire or in the kitchen stove in a pan.
Cottontail Marinade:
- Olive Oil
- Onion Powder
- Paprika -Garlic Salt
- Minced Garlic
- Salt/Pepper
- Lime Juice
(NOTE) Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours prior to cooking
The following day I prepared a ton of food as I had invited some of my friends and family over for dinner. I made homemade mashed potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, corn on the cobb, to go along with the rabbit. I really think the key was to marinade the rabbit overnight as it takes away a bit of the game taste as well as to make the meat a bit juicier, a bit more like how you would prepare chicken.
Overall I was really satisfied with how the rabbits turned out and everyone who tried it was very impressed with the taste. I was grateful to have the opportunity to do this hunt and enjoy the meat with everyone that came to our dinner. I encourage those who haven't ever cooked Cottontail rabbits to give it a try and to share it with friends and family. Here is the video that documents this hunt along with some of the work I put in to prepare and cook the meat.
https://youtu.be/ziJwCraENbA
