Cottontail rabbits are valuable for food and afford excellent sport for
gunners. In many States, especially east of the Mississippi River, they
are protected as game. In fruit-growing and truck-farming districts
farmers regard them with disfavor, and there is considerable rivalry
between sportsmen and farmers to have their opposing views reflected in
game laws. The interests of the two classes do not seriously differ,
however, for when rabbits are closely hunted losses from their
depredations are usually reduced to a minimum. Still there is danger
that in years favorable for their increase the animals may inflict
serious injury to trees during severe winters.
Rabbits are protected (1915) by close seasons in States and Provinces as
shown in Table I. Twenty-eight States, Alaska, and the Canadian
Provinces not mentioned in the table do not protect rabbits of any kind.
In the District of Columbia all shooting is prohibited except on certain
river marshes. In Kentucky rabbits may be taken with dog, trap, or snare
at any time, and the close season for shooting is evidently solely for
the purpose of keeping gunners out of fields and woods during the two
months immediately preceding the open season for quails. In Wisconsin 46
counties, mostly in the southern half of the State, have no close season
for rabbits. In California only cottontails, or bush rabbits, are
protected.
[Illustration Fig. 2.--Apple tree killed by rabbits.]