SnowShoe Rabbits (AKA “Hares”)

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Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
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Sep 12, 2009
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Macungie, PA
SnowShoe Rabbits (AKA “Hares”)


OK Guys, I’ve been going through some of my old stuff to give to Bear Jr, and I got to some Memory Pictures, and I picked this one out (Below) to show you.

I don’t know how many of you guys in Northern States have ever seen one or more of these Big White Beauties. We used to eat a few of them every year, and they tasted just like the regular cottontail, smaller version of the Rabbit. Most of ours ended up in my Mom’s Rabbit Pie, but I used to love to Flour & Pan-fry a leg or two now & then.

Now I’ll tell you about the picture below:
It had been in the Newspaper, of 3 Gentlemen holding 6 White Rabbits. (Limit 2 per day)
This was when I was just a little guy, and those 3 guys were normally “4” hunting buddies.
The one on the Right was My Dad, the guy in the center was the Son-in-law of My Dad’s Buddy Glen, and the guy on the Left was the Buddy of the guy in the center. Old Glen wasn’t there on that trip.
Well anyway, now that My Dad has been gone since 1994, I can tell you that he actually shot 4 of those 6 Snowshoes in the picture.

A few years later, I started going up there with him to Wayne County (Shohola Falls Area), and had my turn bagging some of those big white Beauties.

There is something in their DNA that causes them to turn White as the days grow shorter, and on December 20, the shortest day of the year, they say they are their whitest.
However I was reading that this is beginning to change, because they are starting to “Adapt” genetically.
Due to the areas having less snow than in the past on climate change, they’re changing ever so slowly to save the species. All white rabbits are not too safe from Predators in a green & brown background.
Scientists say that skipping all or some of the color change is an adaptation. Over many generations, some hares have become browner to help them survive in areas with patchy snow.

So that’s all I can think of—Hope you found this interesting, and let me know if these big guys are in your area, and if you ever hunted them.



Bear

Bear's Dad on the Right. R.I.P. Big Jim.
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How coincidental you posted this.

I just literally got done watching an old episode of Marty Stouffer's Wild America.It was about wildlife in Alaska and he was talking about how certain animals go white as Winter approaches and one of those animals was the snowshoe rabbit.
 
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We had lots of snowshoes out in the pastures. In the Winter they would make rabbit freeways through the snow.. Both Snowshoes and Jacks would use them. When you looked at them you could see where the coyotes would ambush them by hiding next to the rabbit runs. Ptarmigan also change color..
 
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How coincidental you posted this.

I just literally got done watching an old episode of Marty Stouffer's Wild America.It was about wildlife in Alaska and he was talking about how certain animals go white as Winter approaches and one of those animals was the snowshoe rabbit.

Thank You Norm!!
Yup, a lot of animals do it, but these were the only ones we came in contact with.

Bear

Cool thread John . Those are some monsters .

Thank You Rich!!
When We were little our Dad used to give us their tails, and the Snowshoe's tails were about 3 times as big as the regular Rabbit tails. (powder puffs)
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
 
MMM...snowshoes! The northern cousin to our 'swamp rabbit' that really is not a rabbit at all....it is a southern hair. Big too...6+ pounds and delicious! Little stronger flavor than a cotton tail, but I like it! Great for long braising in stews and such. WE nomrally make a trip every February to go get some.
 
We have snowshoes here. I've never hunted them, but I see them every now and then.

I get a kick out of them when we get late snowfalls. They turn white but there's nothing but leaves on the ground. I walked right up to one crouched at the base of a tree. He thought I couldn't see him. Didn't even flinch until I tapped him with my boot.
 
Great post! Never shot a white rabbit. My first duty station in Maryland served half rabbits in the galley every now and then.
 
Those are some good memories, and to be able to pass them down makes them extra special.

Although VT has the snowshoe. I haven't knowingly seen any. They mostly reside in the North East Kingdom, and unless your family tree is similar to yankee2bbq yankee2bbq you may want to avoid the area.

Chris

White Rabbit:

 
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ya we have the snowshoe rabbit up here in the Keweenaw
if the snow doesn't get too deep in the early part of the winter its a blast to run them with beagles
they will go in a big circle almost out of ear shot then return with the dog in hot pursuit

Mike
 

Thank You Rider!!
Appreciate that !

Bear

We had lots of snowshoes out in the pastures. In the Winter they would make rabbit freeways through the snow.. Both Snowshoes and Jacks would use them. Wen you looked at them you could see where the coyotes would ambush them by hiding next to the rabbit runs. Ptarmigan also change color..
Appreciate that reply!
And where was this?---In PA??

Bear
 
We have them here in the North Cascade mountains. When he was a teen, my next-door neighbor actually caught one that had changed before the snowfall. I remember seeing it when I was a kid; he had it in a rabbit hutch for a while, but it didn't live long. Probably couldn't adapt to captivity.
 
Cool thread John! I've never seen a snowshoe, just cottontails and jacks, jacks ain't worth eating. RAY
Hmm, these are great eating. Maybe the Jacks are too lean??
Snowshoes average about 3 1/2 pounds, and the funny part is their "Feet" are 5" long.
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
MMM...snowshoes! The northern cousin to our 'swamp rabbit' that really is not a rabbit at all....it is a southern hair. Big too...6+ pounds and delicious! Little stronger flavor than a cotton tail, but I like it! Great for long braising in stews and such. WE nomrally make a trip every February to go get some.

Sounds good to me!!
Our late rabbit season was always the best time for these. Runs from late December to mid January.

Bear
 
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