Get Ready For Winter

Dave Barham reveals his tips and tricks for hunting rabbits during the colder months

- Dave Barham

As winter fast approaches many hunters hang up their rifles until the spring; not so with me. Believe it or not you can still enjoy some excellent hunting during the colder months, especially when it comes to rabbits.

Rabbits still need to eat plenty of food to survive during the winter, but because their thin fur doesn’t provide much insulation from the wind and cold they will always opt for adequate cover first, and a ready food supply second.

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

The types of cover to investigate late in the season all have one thing in common – they’re heavy! By that, I mean the cover is thick enough to provide protection from the elements and predators, no matter how bad the weather gets.

Thick brush, blackberry brambles and overgrown ditches all provide excellent winter rabbit habitat, and that’s exactly what I have on one of my permissions – a very thick hedgerow made mostly of brambles.

One of the best ways to locate late-season rabbits is by looking for the trails they use when travelling between feeding areas and their warrens. These trails look like little footpaths, around six inches wide, where the ground cover is matted down or trimmed back. Once you know where the rabbits are exiting/entering their warrens, it makes the job of setting up and waiting a whole lot easier.

Even when light snow has fallen, these tracks can help pinpoint rabbits to a particular area of cover. Be aware, though, that heavy snowfall might keep rabbits underground until the snow crusts over and is ‘safe’ for the rabbits to walk on. However, a light dusting of the white stuff allows them to move around in search of food, and these conditions are perfect for tracking them to their hideouts.