Hunter harvest removes animals that would normally be taken by predators or some other mortality factor. Many forces work against the rabbit, but populations are resilient. Although rabbit populations are often drastically reduced, rabbits have the ability to reproduce prolifically. This ability allows populations to build rapidly when food and cover of the right kind are provided. Nesting During the February-September reproductive season, rabbits produce an average of four young per nest, though the number in a nest may range from one to more than seven.
Female rabbits dig cup-shaped holes in which to bear young.
Nests have been found in diverse locations from open ground under tall pines to corners of lawns with the only concealment being soft grass and fur from the mother's breast. Generally, however, rabbits prefer to nest along the edges of fields, ditch banks, and other areas of low cover where the nest is concealed while the mother feeds and rests nearby. She returns to the nest only to nurse her young, which usually takes place in early morning and late afternoon. Young rabbits begin to make short excursions from the nest when they are about 10 days old. When they are about 2 weeks old, they leave the nest permanently.