Where to find wild Rabbits
For those of you who fancy a hunting trip or just want to do some photography, rabbits are one of the wild animals that you can always count on being close by, even if you never normally see any. Found across most of the world in one form or another, these furry creatures are much more common than people may think and can be found in the most unusual places. But whatever your reason is for wanting to find them, here are a few things to look out for to see how many rabbits are in the area:
1) Burrows
This is of course the most obvious one, as seeing active burrows will tell you that rabbits are nearby, as they normally don’t like to go too far from where they live. The only thing to look out for is if the burrow is still in use, which you can easily see by how clear the entrance is. If there are sticks or plant matter fallen across the hole that looks like it’s been there for more than a couple of days, it’s probably empty. If you aren’t sure about a burrow then place a small stick over the entrance and come back the next day to see if it has been moved, rabbits will stay in their own burrows every night, so if a stick is still there 24 hours later, then the burrow is probably abandoned.
(An example of an unused rabbit burrow, an active burrow would never have leaves filling the entrance like this)
2) Rabbit Digs
One of the things rabbits like to eat are the roots of certain plants, which they do by scooping out small bowls in the ground to get to them, If you see any of these digs you know rabbits are close. They occur most often where the plants change type, such as where a field meets a hedge or woodland, and aren’t common in the middle of open ground.
(Rabbits dig these small holes to access the roots of plants, and are a good sign of how active they are in an area)
3) Droppings
Most animals normally poop a good distance away from their food source, but rabbits are the exception. Not only do they poop pretty much anywhere except in their burrows, but they sometimes eat it as they don’t have very effective digestive systems and this helps them get the most out of their food. Rabbits rarely go further than 30 meters away from their burrows, so large amounts of droppings in the same place are a good sign they are close by.
4) Paths
Rabbits like to use the same routes when venturing outside, and when they pass through a fence or hedge they often push the grass into an arch shape. If you are in a survival situation and know how to make a snare, this is the place where it will be most effective. A good time to see Rabbit Paths is at first light because rabbits are most active after dark and often meet up in fields close to their burrows. The amount of squashed-down grass in the morning will give you an idea of how active they are in certain fields.
(An example of a rabbit path through long grass)
Apart from the obvious signs of where rabbits have been, there are a few other things to keep in mind. One major point is that rabbits are crepuscular which means they are most active during dawn and dusk, so you’ll have to get up while it’s still dark to catch them at their most active times.
A few extra points on where to find wild rabbits:
Rabbits hate water so don’t bother trying to look for any while it’s raining. They also like to avoid very damp ground so expect them to be quiet after a downpour.
They love sunshine and can normally be found sunbathing close to their burrows in warm weather.
They have a very sensitive sense of smell, which means that if you are trying to get close to one make sure you’re downwind so it can’t smell you.
Same with hearing, try staying as quiet as possible and watch what you’re stepping on. Their sense of hearing is quite incredible, and no matter how sneaky you are, there’s a good chance you still won’t get close to one.
They are super paranoid to the point where they might hide in their burrows for hours if spooked. If you take a shot at a rabbit from a hide, don’t bother waiting there for it to come out again as they sometimes stay inside all day and wait for the cover of night before going outside again.
They don’t like to live in the middle of large wooded areas unless there’s a clearing. They normally eat grass and like to nibble at the roots of plants that grow in hedgerows, and since these kinds of plants don’t usually grow right in the middle of woods due to the lack of light, rabbits don’t live there. The exception is woodland with a grass floor or anything small enough so they can access the middle of it from the edges where they live.
Hedgerows, scrubland, and the first 20 meters of the edge of woods are the best places to look, with fields where one side is against a woodland being the best place and normally the only place you’ll clearly see them.
