Got jackrabbits?

DesertRam

Director
Staff member
This has been a banner year for jackrabbits in the desert, so the older two kids and I went out this afternoon to 1) sight in the eldest's new Henry Golden Boy and 2) see if we could put a dent in the population. We had some luck, but based on how many jacks we saw, we didn't even scrape the surface.

TroyKids28Dec2016JRabs2-_zpsrjnonlln.jpg
 
Please send some to South Dakota! When I was a teenager, we would go out Friday and Saturday nights, and shoot a bunch of them. I only see a couple a year now. I give them a free pass. I hope to see the population come back in my lifetime.

I like to see the young guns getting in on the action too. You are making memories that last a lifetime!
 
Originally Posted By: barkPlease send some to South Dakota! When I was a teenager, we would go out Friday and Saturday nights, and shoot a bunch of them. I only see a couple a year now. I give them a free pass. I hope to see the population come back in my lifetime.

I like to see the young guns getting in on the action too. You are making memories that last a lifetime!

It's been that way here too. In late 1990s and early 2000s they were thick as fleas. But then drought kicked in along with their apparent natural down cycle and they've been much less common for over a decade. Last year I started to see an upswing, and this year rabbits are thick again. Talked to a rancher today who complained about how many there are and how much they're eating! I feel compelled to help these fellows out, so maybe we'll go for a repeat performance later this week.
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As you say, it's a good chance for the kids to unlimber their rifles and get some good trigger time.
 
Around 35 years ago when I lived in west Texas I used to drive around in plowed up cotton fields in either my Rambler American (remember those?) or sometimes my 1970 Buick Electra and shoot those ugly bug eyed jacks out the window. Shot a running one once with a Sterling .22 pocket pistol while steering with one hand and shooting out the window with the other. What fun! Likely I had a cold beer clamped between my legs as well. Ah youth.
 
Back in the 50's we used to got $1.25 a jack at the local Farmers Union. Pacific used to come get them once a month and took them back east, think there were made into mink food. anyway we used to spotlight and did quit well sometimes getting as many as 50 jacks a night. Then the price started going down and at last price if I remember was .25. Don't see any of those lucky rabbits feet key chains around anymore either. Think 22 shells were about .20-.25 a box
 
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Ahhhh... That does my heart good to see!

I grew up on .22's and jackrabbits. My Dad enjoyed it a lot too. Spent many a Saturday with him walking up jacks and popping them with our rifles. Eventually moved on to doing the same with scoped centerfires. My first was a .270 that I started hand loading for right out of the gate. Case full of surplus 4831 my Dad bought from Bruce Hogdon at a gun show and a 110 gr. bullet to crunch it down with (no scale or measure, just stand up all my cases in a cake pan and pour powder from a coffee can until they were all full).

I don't think the numbers will ever be like they were in the 70's again. They were thick in Biblical plague proportions. Over a huge area. But there are some pockets to be found out there still, that hold some impressive numbers.

Best practical rifle practice there is, in my opinion. I know, I know, we were all great back in the day, and I'm no different. But, honestly, when I was in my 20's and even in my 30's, after a lifetime of steady trigger time on jackrabbits, I thought running coyotes were just big and slow and easy. It ain't like that anymore...

- DAA
 
Troy, that's proof your yote purge is paying off !!
Nice to see the kids shoot'n and tell the eldest I'm jealous of that fine Henry !!
 
Originally Posted By: barkPlease send some to South Dakota! When I was a teenager, we would go out Friday and Saturday nights, and shoot a bunch of them. I only see a couple a year now. I give them a free pass. I hope to see the population come back in my lifetime.

I like to see the young guns getting in on the action too. You are making memories that last a lifetime!

When I was a kid in the 70's my Dad would take us out camping in the Desert in So Cal. We used to kill jackrabbits by the score every day with our 22's. You would see them as roadkill everywhere. Sadly now I would be lucky to see a couple of them in a weekend. I miss those days.

Robert

 
Quote:...think there were made into mink food. There was a mink farm in Laramie, WY where I grew up. We shot jacks at night by the dozens and sold them to the farm. They fed the mink, and also sold the best rabbit hides to fur buyers. Paid for the gas, ammo, and money to spare.
 
Originally Posted By: DAA
Best practical rifle practice there is, in my opinion. I know, I know, we were all great back in the day, and I'm no different. But, honestly, when I was in my 20's and even in my 30's, after a lifetime of steady trigger time on jackrabbits, I thought running coyotes were just big and slow and easy. It ain't like that anymore...

- DAA


Pretty much the same deal here, grew up jump shooting jacks in the dez with my dad and bro. All we used were scoped centerfires...probably one reason my hearing isn't so hot now into my 50's.

I'd say it's probably my favorite way of spending a day shooting in the dez.
 
like others have said, jackrabbits were thick back in the 70s and 80s. not now. what do you guys think the reasons are?

i know the population runs in some weird cycles. but it has been many, many years since numbers were like the use to be. the way it looks they will never be that way again.
 
I eat them, jackrabbits make the best jerky.....IT'S AMAZING! Congratulations on a successful hunt.



JACKRABBIT JERKY
(Because millions of coyotes can't be wrong!)


MARINADE NEEDED FOR 5 POUNDS OF BONELESS JACKRABBIT MEAT:

2 cups Worcestershire sauce
2 cups soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder

Mix all ingredients together and put in a tight sealing container. Place meat slices in marinade and soak for 48 hours in refrigerator. Shake occasionally to evenly cover meat. Drain and place meat slices on dehydrator trays. Dry meat slices until desired texture is obtained.


NOTES:
1 gallon Ziploc bag holds 5 pounds of boneless meat.

Freeze meat into 1-2 pound size bricks for at least 3 weeks before making jerky. Partially thaw and slice meat bricks into 1/8” thick pieces.

Do not use low sodium soy sauce.
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotlike others have said, jackrabbits were thick back in the 70s and 80s. not now. what do you guys think the reasons are?

i know the population runs in some weird cycles. but it has been many, many years since numbers were like the use to be. the way it looks they will never be that way again.

Cyclical.

Really no set number of years when they return.

One of the areas we used to hunt in the mid 80's had a healthy population of them for a few years. As we got closer to the 90's there were fewer. By the mid 90's to 2000 they were pretty much non existent out there. In the early 2000's started noticing a few in the area. By 2004/05 they were as thick out there as I ever remember. The last few years, again they are non existent. I'm sure they'll be back soon.
 
Originally Posted By: Infidel 762Very nicely done. Do you eat them?

If they are healthy my favorite part is the liver. Just salt and pepper and sautee it in some olive oil. It is delecious for breakfast with some eggs.
You have to check the liver out before you eat it though. If they are shriveled up or have spots on it then do not eat that jack.

Robert
 
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