Jack Rabbits

These were all about 30 yards apart, sitting in the shade.

Used to hunt those back in the 50's - 60's - 70's to no end!
They get a pass now.
Gettin' Old I Guess.

We used to have rabbit drives in Runnels county.

Cool pics

Dad grew up West Tx during the Depression Era. He always called them Hoover Hogs.
Not near as many around as there used to be. I think the coyote keep them thinned out. They can destroy a cotton crop or in a drought year eat up the beans and eat the mesquite bark on trees and cedar post.
Good clear pictures

When dad had the red tail we always dreamed of catching one. Never could accomplish it though. Great shots

used to pot shot them, driving country roads, they sit in the shade of sunflowers in the bar ditches, like earlier post, they were so bad in the early 50's they would devastate wheat crops, about 1950-51, did a rabbit drive, it was Chinese fire drill

Great photos Mr. Mike!
Adios,
Gary

Here around Midland jack rabbits have basically disappeared out at the airport area . I haven't seen a JR in several years but those little cottontails are still all over the place . Back 15 yrs ago you would see as many as 5 JRs' a day out close to the airport . Of course the oilfield business has grown so much that wildlife is having a hard time finding a place to live so most WL has moved on . I still see a small covey of Scale Quail few times a year mainly in the spring and an occasional coyote maybe once or twice a yr around the airport . I think the WL is actually on the decrease in W.Texas cause there are so many groups that go out shooting for fun and they take out Bobcats , coyotes , foxes and just about anything that moves . Personally I think it's a shame cause they are not a game animal and they aren't out of control on population wise . Heck I haven't even seen a skunk out here in several yrs but I have seen an occasional one run over on the highways and some people say they have seen them in town searching for food .

Nice pics. We're seeing a lot more Jacks in Lee county nowadays.

Notice all three of them had their ears turned towards you? They heard you!

Just seen a baby jack rabbit ! First one I've ever seen and first JR I've seen in several yrs out at the airport . It's probably about 1/2-lb and maybe three weeks old ? I just wonder where the daddy is ??





Here's a link to a short video I took of the baby JR .
https://www.facebook.com/ron.hodges.7/videos/1932393203451111/

Drive Hwy 90 between Alpine and Valentine or turn in Marfa and go south on 67 and there are hundreds of them plastered all over the highways. I wonder if there are that many splattered on the highway how many more of them are out there a half mile from the highway. I am expecting an increase in the coyote population out here soon.

Down in the Valley when I worked there you'd always see them put their ear down. Here, only a small percentage do that and they are all ones that look like they may have survived a couple of years in the monte.

Great pics.

^^^^^^^^ I been down there a few times mainly FtDavis SP . Like camping when i can , tent only tho no camper . Haven’t been in a few years . Me and wife getting too old to sleep on the ground .

Nice pics!

After many years, I finally saw a couple of them in Montague County.

My son lives over off Billy Hext and East Ridge road and the country club has a lot behind him and he sits in garage and watches his "pets". Has covey of blues lots of cotton tails, sometimes even see a jack rabbit but most of time his prairie dogs. Last week he took picture of 3 coyotes attempting to catch a meal! Few grey fox troll the area for entertainment.

Hopefully he is taking advantage of wildlife photography ? If not he really should . Good coyote pictures are nice to see .

Making a big comeback in Eastland County the last 2 years. Only thing I can reason is the unusual rainfall amounts we experienced.

Anyone see the PBS special about the dust bowl? People used to form a line and beat them with clubs. Very gruesome.

Yeah....I see you....now go away and stop bothering me.....

Nice pictures.
Thank you for sharing.
It's been quite a few years since we had Jacks or Bobwhites here.

There are some Jacks within a few miles though.

Used to hunt jackrabbits at night out east of El Paso with my uncle frequently. Some nights we'd kill upwards of 80 or so. They were especially thick anywhere near alfalfa.

They got really scarce out there eight or nine years ago, but last spring I saw a lot more of them. We always figured they'd boom about every 8 to 11 years, but can't really say. I'd like to go back out there sometime in the next month or so. Got a .220 that's never been blooded in my possession.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some jackrabbits on my lease outside of Throckmorton. Not sure they're tje Blacktail species, but they sure aren't cottontails. Now that the wheatfield has been planted again, i expect to start seeing more of them. They're almost as much fun as dove!

When I hunted out in Irion County it was always funny to watch them fold their ears back and get as still as possible as I approached on my walk to the hunting stand. I always had it in my mind they were trying to will me into believing they were nothing more than a rock.