Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
#8133598
05/04/24 08:15 PM
05/04/24 08:15 PM
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yotetrapper30
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I was reading a book called Gone for the Day that was written in the early 70s by a PA wildlife biologist and in it he briefly described the efforts being taken to reintroduce snowshoe rabbits into areas of PA where they'd once lived but no longer did and he stated that the efforts looked promising.
I'd never heard of snowshoe rabbits being in PA, but then I never really gave it much thought, either. Are there snowshoes there? If so, for you old timers that may remember the reintroductions of the 70's... did they work?
~~Proud Ultra MAGA~~
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133605
05/04/24 08:18 PM
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Bruce T
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Have some rabbit hunting friends of mine from Pennsylvania that hunt snowshoe hare in Pennsylvania.
Nevada bound
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133692
05/04/24 09:51 PM
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Wright Brothers
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They flashed pretty good in the ANF after the big blow down, then coyotes cycled high. That is my ONLY experience.
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133728
05/04/24 11:05 PM
05/04/24 11:05 PM
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bucksnbears
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A State WildLife Biologist that calls a Snowshoe a " rabbit" needs fireing El prompto..
swampgas chili and schmidt beer makes for a deadly combo
You have to remember that 1 out of 3 Democratic Voters is just as dumb as the other two.
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133735
05/04/24 11:26 PM
05/04/24 11:26 PM
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Boco
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The correct name is varying hare. Because of their predictable population cycle.
Last edited by Boco; 05/04/24 11:30 PM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133740
05/04/24 11:46 PM
05/04/24 11:46 PM
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elkaholic
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I've seen a few running beagles in the winter. Only ever shot one. All these were in the northern part of the state in the ANF.
We used to drive around looking for them when we'd get warm spells. One year you might see 20 or 30. The next year you'd be lucky to see 1.
Like Boo said, their population fluctuations were fairly predictable. Talked to some of the old timers and they said there might be 2 or 3 years where they wouldn't even hunt them, because they had pretty well figured out their patterns.
Millions of trees die every year to print environmentalist publications
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: bucksnbears]
#8133753
05/05/24 01:21 AM
05/05/24 01:21 AM
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yotetrapper30
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A State WildLife Biologist that calls a Snowshoe a " rabbit" needs fireing El prompto.. I think he did call them snowshoe rabbits, followed immediately by varying hares. Do you have any pertinent information regarding the "varying hares" population in Pennsylvania from 1970-present?
Last edited by yotetrapper30; 05/05/24 09:10 PM.
~~Proud Ultra MAGA~~
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133859
05/05/24 08:52 AM
05/05/24 08:52 AM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,628 N.W. Pennsylvania, Venango cou...
PA.Trapper
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I grew up just south of Tionesta in President and my step dad would always take me up around marienville to hunt them back in the early 80's. I Haven't hunted them since then. But at that time there was a pretty population of them.
Life's too short, enjoy everyday like it was your last.
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: Boco]
#8133867
05/05/24 08:57 AM
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Lugnut
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I was reading a book called Gone for the Day that was written in the early 70s by a PA wildlife biologist and in it he briefly described the efforts being taken to reintroduce snowshoe rabbits into areas of PA where they'd once lived but no longer did and he stated that the efforts looked promising.
I'd never heard of snowshoe rabbits being in PA, but then I never really gave it much thought, either. Are there snowshoes there? If so, for you old timers that may remember the reintroductions of the 70's... did they work? The book is based on Ned Smith’s long-running, monthly column of the same name in the magazine, Pennsylvania Game News. Ned Smith was not a trained wildlife biologist. The Ned Smith Center describes him as a self trained artist and naturalist. He was a very popular wildlife artist. I have several of his framed prints hanging in my cabin. Between 1918 to 1999 the Pennsylvania Game Commission released 33,000 snowshoe hares into the wild in Pennsylvania. I remember hunting them out of our camp in Northeast Pennsylvania in the 70s. We currently have a short, weeklong season on them. The correct name is varying hare. Because of their predictable population cycle. That may be true in the great white north, but I’m pretty sure the name refers to the fact that they change colors between summer and winter every year down here.
Eh...wot?
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8133935
05/05/24 10:33 AM
05/05/24 10:33 AM
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mike mason
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We had a few in NE PA growing up. The season was only 5 days if I remember correctly and a limit of 2.I remember they were tough to eat.
Last edited by mike mason; 05/05/24 12:25 PM. Reason: spelling
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: Boco]
#8133938
05/05/24 10:39 AM
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Posco
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The correct name is varying hare. Because of their predictable population cycle. You rarely hear people say they went varying hare hunting. It's an aggravating name. Bunny hunting covers all the bases.
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: bucksnbears]
#8134018
05/05/24 01:20 PM
05/05/24 01:20 PM
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Bruce T
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A State WildLife Biologist that calls a Snowshoe a " rabbit" needs fireing El prompto.. The whole state of Maine call snowshoe hare rabbits.
Nevada bound
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Re: Snowshoe rabbits in Pennsylvania?
[Re: yotetrapper30]
#8134091
05/05/24 04:52 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,648 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
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Varying hare is an important food in the northern bush. People who winterd on their traplines depended on varying hare as an important part of their diet. When the men were out running the traplines the women and children were the home guard so to speak,snaring rabbits and trapping closeby the camp. Because of the low fat content on hares in winter the entire hare was eaten including the brain. Skins provided warm light clothing(hats insoles and mitt liners for kids) and sleeping robes.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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