Southern snowshoe rabbits...

[Connor4501]

A friend of mine asked me this evening how far south in Michigan is basically the boundary line for snowshoe hares??? I don't hunt so I know nothing on the subject...Please help...Thank you in advance

[Rodbuster]

I am not positive but from my understanding you probably won't find them much farther south than Harrison. I would say where the crop fields end and the cedar swamps start north of Clare would be close to the boundry. I know years ago the D.N.R. released a bunch in the Gration-Saginaw state game area in hopes they would start reproducing on their own, but it didn't work and there are very few if any to be found there anymore. I am sure there a few cedar swamps south of Clare that one or two can be found but probably not many.

This is my understanding of the Snowshoe Hare.

Steve

[Rudi's Dad]

I would agree roughly along US 10, would be a good starting/ending for Snowshoes....

[superposed20ga]

I was also of the belief that you could not find snowshoe hares any further south than Clare, but I saw one the second day of rifle season on my way to my blind in Isabella Co. That evening, my Dad (who used to hunt snowshoes a lot up by Clare) saw the same one going to my blind. It was not far from a large swamp that butts up to the Chippewa State forest. There is a lot of conifers mixed in with young aspen there. Used to hear bobcats at night in there about 10 years ago, but not anymore. Nature always has a surprise waiting out there.

[fulldraw]

I saw a white rabbit in Manchester in October I believe it was snowshoe. I also have seen them in Clare.

fulldraw

[yippy]

Saw 2 about 10yrs ago about 20 miles south of us10. Have not seen one near there since. Watched one hop around during bear season in the yoop this year. Now I am wanting to chase after some myself.

[augustus0603]

The DNR planted them in Minden State Game Area (thumb) a while ago. My buddy's dogs got on one as soon as we got there. They jumped it in a stand of aspen and I got it crossing a trail headed for a swamp. Couldn't beleive it when I saw it. Haven't been back since.

[I'llbeoutside]

We jumped one north of Minden, around Ubly a couple of years ago. Did not expect to see one there.

[Swamp Monster]

We've got them on our property in Mecosta County. It's all Cedar swamp. It's not loaded with em, but then again, it's loaded with Bobcat and Coyote.

[mykass]

There are a FEW I mean a FEW in my neck of the woods. Usually when I get out to jump shoot some bunnies we either get one or we atleast see one. The ones we find seem to be concentrated to particular areas. So we already know where to look for them:evil: But any farther south your guess is as good as mine.

Mykass

If your dog wont retrieve it dont eat it:p

[MIBIGHNTR]

I have seen tracks in a cedar swamp not far from White Cloud.

Once, near North Muskegon my beagle got a track that took him out of ear shot, that never happened with a cottontail in the 10+ years I ran him?? Never saw what he was on, but he never ran anything other than rabbits, that I knew of anyway... :lol:

[smokepole]

I am from a little west of clare and yes its about as far south as you will find them. there are exceptions of course. ai have not hunted them around that area in a few yrs. but there used to be quite a good population of them in dead man`s swamp, by farwell. On a side note I shot a cottontail last year by hubbardston that was as close to white as it gets. It was not an albino. may have been a type of piebald but it was the smallest of 10 rabbits we took that day and it looked like a snowshoe except for the tiny feet. its at the taxidermist waiting for a fox to be mounted with it.