Watch Out For Wascally Wabbits

When you think of Idaho's wildlife, normally you conjure up images of a majestic elk or imposing grizzly bear, not in the memorable words of Elmer Fudd, "A wascally wabbit." Idaho has different types of wildlife including rabbits and hares. Some are large; some are small. Certain species are hunted, others are protected, but all are managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Before heading out into the field, it is helpful to get a handle on just what species you might encounter and which species can be legally hunted. Members of the order Lagomorpha in Idaho include rabbits and hares, in one family, and picas in another. In the case of the Leporidae family, Idaho has the color-shifting Snowshoe hare and both the black-tailed and white-tailed jackrabbits (Actually they are hares, not rabbits!) and then both the cottontail rabbit and the pygmy rabbit. When it comes to hunting them, it is important to know what you are looking at before you pull the trigger. The tiny pygmy rabbit is a protected species and can never be hunted. The easiest way to tell the difference from its cousin the cottontail is that it lacks the telltale cottontail. For any of the other species that can be taken in Idaho, it is required to have a valid hunting license. There are season and bag limits for cottontail and snowshoe hares. Cottontail season runs to the end of February with a daily bag limit of 8 and a possession limit of 24. Snowshoe hare runs until the end of March and has the same limits as cottontail. This means that they must be taken and consumed, not left to waste. Hunters are urged to wear gloves when processing these animals to prevent possible transmission of tularemia. Jackrabbits in Idaho fall under the different classification of predatory wildlife and may be taken year round and in any numbers, using any weapon legal in the state. Given a recent resurgence in jackrabbit populations, some hunters have expressed interest in using a spotlight at night to hunt. No permit is required when hunting jackrabbits at night using a spotlight on private land, but a special permit is required when hunting on public land. In the Idaho Falls area, only a relatively small portion of the desert west of town is legally open to those who have a permit. Spotlighting permits are available from regional offices and come with maps and specific regulations that must be followed. Contact your regional Idaho Department of Fish and Game office if you have additional questions.