Mono county CA jack rabbit hunt

[EMrider]

Thanks to the drought, the fly fishing has been poor on the upper owens river this year. But instead of sulking that we were not catching any fish, my boys (ages 14 and 11) and I spent three days this week hunting jack rabbits.

This was their first hunt with airguns. They have hunted birds with shotguns. It was also my first experience hunting jack rabbits.

After three long days and at least 20 miles of hoofing it across the sagebrush, here is what we learned.  Apologies if much of this is stating the obvious.

>  Hunting jacks is very challenging and hard work.  Getting within 50 yards to take a reasonable shot is very difficult.

>  You need to see them before they see you. If not, they are off to the races.

>  Good stalking skills are very important.

>  It helps to start early, between 6am and 630am.

>  It is essential that each hunter carry adequate water, food and sun protection.

>  Using two way radios is helpful for tracking jacks on the move.

>  Tracking jacks in heavy cover is difficult.

>  You really feel the weight of your gun after more than an hour of hiking.  My boys hunted with a .177 Discovery and a 12fpe .177 1720t carbine. They had no trouble carrying for hours. I hunted with my 14fpe .177 Beeman R1.  Even with a sling, I felt the weight after a few hours. That said, there is something special about field hunting with a classic springer.

>  Most importantly, hunting jacks is very fun and a great way to spend time with my boys. They were totally knackered at the end of each day, but still excited about being able to get out and hunt the next day.

This was also a great opportunity to develop better hunting skills.  Be patient, quiet and self sufficient. Only shoot if you are confident you can make a head or heart shot.  If not, let it go. 

All in all, we had a lot of fun and some moderate success. We got four jacks.  My boys got three and I got one. Given the amount of work required, this was a very rewarding outcome.

And because I enforce a strict "you shoot it, you eat it policy", we got to test the many internet stories about eating jacks. This was the most pleasant surprise of all.  The meat was very lean, tender if cooked well and flavorful.  Gamey, but not excessively so.  We prepared the recipe below.  Served over polenta, this hare stew was absolutely delicious.

http://honest-food.net/2010/02/11/hare-stew-hard-times/

[devdem]

Good on you for taking the kids and yourselves out for an airgun Jack hunt!  That sounds blissful to me.  Everything you noted is absolutely true!  And one thing I learned about jacks - when the run away, they don't just run, the leave.  I was impressed the first time I saw how far they could effortlessly go leaving me alone with my thoughts.

[crosman999]

Congrats on a great trip! Everything you stated is true and my complements on the way you worded everything.Jackrabbit hunting is very difficult but I would say you guys did great,I know guys that have hunted them for quite awhile with no success.Spending time with your boys was the most important thing,they sound as though they are great young hunters,love to hear stories like this. Thanks for posting 

[EMrider]

   Good on you for taking the kids and yourselves out for an airgun Jack hunt!  That sounds blissful to me.  Everything you noted is absolutely true!  And one thing I learned about jacks - when the run away, they don't just run, the leave.  I was impressed the first time I saw how far they could effortlessly go leaving me alone with my thoughts. 

  Congrats on a great trip! Everything you stated is true and my complements on the way you worded everything.Jackrabbit hunting is very difficult but I would say you guys did great,I know guys that have hunted them for quite awhile with no success.Spending time with your boys was the most important thing,they sound as though they are great young hunters,love to hear stories like this. Thanks for posting     

Thanks.  The entire experience was a big win.  Spending hours hunting with my kids in beautiful scenery for game the tastes great is a hard combination to beat.

The opportunity to learn and reinforce good hunting skills is very important too.  But I gotta say that as a father I found it a lot more comfortable to hunt with airguns than rimfire or .223s. At times we were within a mile of other fishermen and we were separated by as much as a half mile while hunting.  Airguns are quiet and while there is never an excuse to slack on safety, the consequences of a mishap with an airgun are likely to be less severe than the same mishap with firearms. 

Rob

[PBguns]

Great story! Sounds like a great time spent with your boys. Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed reading it.

[Subway]

Congrats on the successful hunt. With my .22 repeater I can walk for a few hours and come out with two or more with the airgun it's an all day event to get one but it feels much better.
Try carrying a small bottle like a film can or old medicine bottle and put a few pebbles in it. If it ,ages noise ur moving to fast.

[dk1677]

Great day with your kids!

[Bwalton]

Great time spent indeed, But please do not enforce that rule while hunting Ground Squirrels 

[EMrider]

Great time spent indeed, But please do not enforce that rule while hunting Ground Squirrels 

GS are certainly exempt from that rule!

And to be realistic, jacks would be too if they were unpleasant to eat.  That they were quite to opposite (delicious) was a surprise, and makes us that much more excited about the next hunt.

R