Have there been any cases of cottontail or jack rabbits contracting plague? I am trying to get my wife interested in rabbit hunting and one of her concerns is plague affecting the rabbit population and us if we eat wild rabbit.
Answer:
In Idaho, plague is largely a disease of rodents and is usually a summer time occurrence. Rabbits are unlikely to contract plaque and since colonial rodents like ground squirrels are underground at this time of the year, the plaque bacteria is unlikely to circulate in species that do not have contact with hibernating or estivating ground squirrels.
Answered on:
Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 11:21 AM MST