The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-05
WINTER RABBIT SHOOTING.
As Practiced in the Far North It Sometimes
Puzzles Wing Shots.
New York SUM-

Men who do not mind temperature of
from IL to :,J degrees below zero are hav-
ing fun with the rabbits in the north cOun-
try. Those who do mind excessive cold
are staying at home and keeping up the
fires until the rabbits are brought in, when
they help to eat them baked in pies.
The sport of notwithstanding differs from
all other gun sports, and man must
! learn it separately. or he will never be any
good at it. Ii he is able to 90 out into the
trees of western New York and knock
down four wOodcock out of six he is apt
to fancy that nothing that moves is able
to get away from him. but he will find the
rabbit scnrrying for life over waste OF
snow difficult problem.
1t is s fast runner and a jerky one, and
refuses to run straight. and squats until
its belly is within an inch of the ground,
and consequently is easily Overshot- Fur
thermOre. it matches almost exactly with
the landscape and is an indistinct mark.
The Northern rabbit turns white when
the snow comes and stays white until the
snow goes Its back. however, is of a
blush tinge and that shows strongly the
marvel of protective coloration, for the
under light of snow-coyered ground is al
ways blush.
The rabbit when out of its burrOw
moves slowly looking for food. At the least
alarm it throws its ears back and sits
squatted, not with its face toward the sup
posed danger. but with its back turned to-
ward it. This BLUSH back blends exactly
into the blush tone of the landscape and
an inexperienced man will walk within 10
feet of Il rabbit sitting foot high on the
snow and never see it.
When the rabbit is in flight with this
blush back close to the ground it is hard
to see, particularly when the man is look
ing over pair of brown gun barrels en-
deavoring to follow it with the muzzle.
At Il certain stage of twilight a rabbit can
not be seen at all 80 yards away. though
much smaller objects of different hue are
plain.
In the more thickly settled parts of the
country it is the custom to hunt rabbits
with ferrets. Holes in the snow. which
are the mouths of the rabbit burrow. are
found and one man is stationed near each
of them. The ferret, with a long string
attached. is sent into one of the holes and
two minutes afterward the rabbit, fright
ened to extremity, makes its appearance
with Il bound and tries to get into the
next County.
There is nothing else alive which rabbits
fear as they fear 4 ferret. Indeed, Some-
times in the burrOw they are SO paralyZed
by the approach of their enemy that they
sit still to have their threats cut. in which
case the ferret must be dragged out still
sticking to its prey.
In the north country. however where
the big woods grow. there are no ferrets,
ut least no tame ones. and the men hunt
rabbits wholly by eyesight. either tracking
them or looking for them Squatted about
on the deep snow. If the trail leads into
burrow and there is no sign of recent
exit, fire is built of dried hemlock bark
and green hemlOck leaves at one of the
holes and the smoke blown down it by
waving Il hat.
The rabbit will come out in little
while to see what is the matter 1t will
see one of the men when still yard from
the exit and though it keeps coming it ac-
CELEBRATES its speed, making its appearance
like Il flash of white light and going away
in half circle. The men do their best
to kill, and if they are used to it generally
succeed.
Another way to hunt rabbits is to go
around kicking the tops of dead trees
which are snow covered and form favorite
lurking places. Here also when the rabbit
gets out it is scared and does not pause
for the fiftieth part of Il second.
The thing which the wing-shOt must
guard against is Over-shooting. Used to
birds in the air and the quick upspringing
of the bird. he is almost certain to aim too
high. BY endeavoring carefully to under
shoot by yard he will get more rabbits
than he misses.
The sport is the very finest of exercise,
because snow-shoes must be worn gener-
ally, and the wearing Of snow shoes means
much muscular effort even to an expert.
The air. too, is the acme of purity.
There is never any wind in The extreme
low temperatures and deadly stiffness is
over everything. so that the report of the
gun is preternaturally loud The white
rabbit Ill February is i'll the best of condi-
ton.