Gestation is one month long. The female prepares a grass and fur-lined nest in a small depression on the open ground. Unlike hares, whose young are born precocial, rabbits remain in the nest until they grow fur, eyes open, and they are weaned at about one month of age. Young will lay very still and attempt to remain hidden while the adult will flush and run to create a diversion. The cottontail is an important game species as approximately 15,000 California hunting licenses are issued each year.
Cottontail rabbits can be an agricultural pest like their relative the jackrabbit.
A group of rabbits can denude a small field of succulent shoots in one night. Normally they will not stray too far from cover, so only the field edges are most affected by them. Cottontail are carriers of tularemia and relapsing fever. Hunters should wear rubber gloves when skinning and dressing cottontails to prevent infection. Thoroughly cooking rabbit meat kills the germ, making it safe for human consumption.