cottontail rabbit hunting in Ca

[Cebola3000]

Hi fellow air gunners,

I've made a few attempts at cottontails but never see anything. I can take Jack rabbits all day but I'm having trouble finding the right locations to hunt cottontails.I've tried in Bridgeport California and heard there's many there however I have yet to see 1. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated as I would like to take a few and make some really nice cuisine with it. Thank you

 

[Kgphotos]

My experience with cottontails in California is that they practically disappear during the day. Just as the sun starts to go down they begin emerging again. I have seen a lot of them at night all around the Crowley Lake area. I know that is a little way south of you though.

 

[Motorhead]

Further north where I live we have generally have had scads of bush bunnies over the years !! The last 2-3 years they are pretty lean in numbers with this year being no exception.

Rabbits cycle in numbers as food and water droughts do the same. winter of 2020 was really sparse for water, little to no spring time grasses or bugs etc ..... The rabbits simply don't breed well or procreate in any numbers.

 

[qball]

If you see jack rabbits then you aren't in the right area usually, cottontails love blackberry bushes or low lying bushes so look for those features that cottontails like. During the day they are hard to see and rarely venture more than a few feet from the bushes so pretty hard to even spot them. 

 

[crazyhorse]

We are having a bumper crop of cottontails (East San Diego County) in the foothills...Jacks are further out. On my property there are several and always three to four feeding at daylight...also at night...but they are gone during the day.

 

[JohnL57]

 A foggy morning will usually bring them out into the open if they are there. Look for edges like next to a field or meadow with brushy cover close by. They are usually back in the brush after 10 am or so.

 

[Gerry52]

EARLY morning & dusk are the best times. If I'm going after wabbits I try to be set up before sunrise. 

 

[pecci]

FYI ... https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=179037&inline