Reforestation is greatly hampered by rabbits in cut-over areas where
intermittent fires have killed all seedlings over a period of years. In
many areas the snowshoe hare will eat off as many as 40 percent of the
seedlings and damage up to 70 percent of them.
[Illustration: Rabbit-infested reforestation area--Olympic National
Forest, Washington.]
[Illustration: Damage to jackpine caused by snowshoe hares--Dukes,
Michigan.]
[Illustration: Healthy Norway pine. Snowshoe hare damage to pine and
spruce seedlings at this stage of growth consists of nipping the
terminal bud.]
[Illustration: Spruce tree with lateral branches removed by snowshoe
hares--Price County, Wisconsin.]
[Illustration: Typical damage to cornfield by jack rabbits--Texas.]