The eastern cottontail rabbit, Kentucky’s most abundant and widely-distributed rabbit, is found in all 120 Kentucky counties.

Updated October 24, 2010

By Art Lander Jr.

OutdoorsKentucky.Com

           Small Game Populations in Long Term Decline

    Rabbit and quail populations in Kentucky have experienced significant declines from historic population levels, but in recent decades, rabbit populations have been somewhat stable in most of the state.

    Ben Robinson, small game biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said the trend data on quail and rabbit populations comes from the mail carrier survey, conducted during the last week in July each summer since 1960. "This is a visual survey. It’s the number of rabbits and quail that rural mail carriers see along roads or crossing roads," said Robinson.

    There are three species of rabbits in Kentucky -- the swamp rabbit, eastern cottontail, and Appalachian cottontail.

    The swamp rabbit, the largest of the three species, is found in western Kentucky, associated with river bottom wetlands, and islands in the lower Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

    “Swamp rabbit numbers continue decline, because of the loss of habitat,” said Robinson. “There are isolated pockets, but by no means is this rabbit abundant.”

    River bottom hardwoods, that periodically flood, and canebrakes, are preferred habitat. “Swamp rabbits have been found as far east as the lower Green River, but they are more common in the Purchase Region,” said Robinson.

    The eastern cottontail, found in all 120 counties, historically has its highest populations in the Knobs/Outer Bluegrass region and the Eastern Coalfields. This is because rabbit numbers are tied to early stages of plant succession, which includes areas where timber is harvested, or where soil has been disturbed.

    The Appalachian cottontail, which lives in the same habitat as ruffed grouse, is strictly a woodland species, never seen around abandoned farms, or open land, grown up in weeds and brush.

    Very similar in coloration to the eastern cottontail, the Appalachian cottontail can only be differentiated by details on their skulls. The Appalachian cottontail is present in all counties of the Cumberland Plateau, as far west as Lincoln and Boyle counties. Its numbers have declined in part because eastern Kentucky’s forests are growing into maturity, with less in shrubs, brush and saplings.

    While rabbit populations have been fairly stable in recent years, bobwhite quail populations continue to experience a severe long-term decline - almost 80 percent since the late 1960s.

    The sharp decline is tied to loss of habitat, with the culprits being fescue-dominated pastures and hay fields, and modern agricultural practices that include: the widespread use of herbicides and pesticides, larger field sizes, and the annual cultivation of fields, instead of leaving them fallow on alternating years.

    Other factors that have caused the loss of quail habitat are mowing for appearance, mature woodland replacing shrubs and brush, and the urbanization of rural areas.

    Research has shown that quick fixes - stocking pen-raised quail, and planting food plots - don't work.

    Management practices today are focused on the enhancement of sizeable tracts of land, 10,000 acres or larger, through prescribed burning, and the maintenance of vegetation in various stages, because biologists know that the creation of quality habitat will show that quail populations can make a comeback.

Posted October 24, 2010

By Art Lander Jr

OutdooorsKentucky.Com

                       Small Game Outlook for 2010-11 Season

    Small game hunters should find good conditions afield and plenty of rabbits when hunting starts on Nov. 1st in central and eastern Kentucky.

    “The highest number of rabbits observed was in central Kentucky, followed by eastern Kentucky,” said Ben Robinson, small game biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “The drought has dried up cover, as if it had been killed back by frost, so hunting conditions should be easier.”

    Rabbit and quail season this year for the central and eastern part of Kentucky runs from Nov.1 through Nov. 12 and closes for the opening weekend of modern gun deer season. The season opens again in this part of the state on Nov. 15 and runs through Jan. 31, 2011.

    Rabbit and quail season opens Nov. 15 and closes Feb. 10, 2011 in the following western Kentucky counties: Allen, Ballard, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Daviess, Fulton, Graves, Hancock, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, McLean, McCracken, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren and Webster.

    The statewide daily bag limit is four rabbits and eight quail.

    The drought may have impacted quail more than rabbits, especially in west Kentucky. “We had pretty good nesting conditions early on, with spring rains and lots of cover, but western Kentucky was drier and hotter (than the rest of the state), as the summer progressed,” said Robinson. “When chicks hatch they need insects, and in drier weather there are fewer insects.”

    The months of June and July signal the peak of quail nesting in Kentucky, a bit later than some adjacent states. Rain throughout the summer is important to quail because moisture provides better cover and more food sources.

    “Quail need seeds, especially as the season progresses,” said Robinson.

    Rabbits have a much longer breeding season than quail. A female in good habitat with favorable weather conditions may produce several litters of young from late winter, through early fall.

    The rural mail carrier survey, conducted annually since 1960, provides biologists with small game population trends based on the number of rabbits and quail observed along roadways per 100 miles driven. The rural mail carrier survey found rabbit and quail numbers decreased slightly from last year.

    Robinson said he expects quail hunting to be close to what hunters experienced last year, but not all indicators point to fewer quail this fall.

    “Quail hunters who participated in our Quail Hunting Cooperator Survey reported an increase in the number of quail covey flushes per hour last season,” said Robinson. “Hunter input helps us track population and hunt trends.”

    Kentucky’s Quail and Rabbit Hunting Cooperator Surveys were developed as a volunteer initiative in 1995. Biologists use the collected data to monitor trends that help them make informed decisions on rabbit and quail management.

    Hunters use a log to keep track of their hunts, providing the following information: date of the hunt, county, hours hunted, number of hunters, number of dogs, number of coveys flushed or rabbits jumped, number of quail singles re-flushed, number of rabbits or quail shot at, number of quail or rabbits killed, and the number of crippled quail not retrieved.

    Some highlights from the 2009-2010 Rabbit Hunting Cooperator Survey Report revealed:

    ·        The average rabbit hunt was two hunters spending about 3.5 hours afield with four dogs.

    ·        December was the most popular month with rabbit hunters.

    ·        Hunters jumped between nearly two rabbits per hour, and harvested around 3 rabbits per hunt.

    ·        Eastern cottontail rabbits comprised 98 percent of the harvest. Kentucky’s other two rabbits are the Appalachian cottontail and the swamp rabbit.

    At the end of the season, hunters simply mail their completed surveys to: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, No. 1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, Ky. 40601. Hunter logs may be obtained by calling (800) 858-1549, or can be printed off the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website at: fw.ky.gov/smallgamelogs.asp.

    Each year, participating hunter cooperators receive a new hunting log, the results of the survey and a small gift for participating, such as lapel pin or ball cap.