D-75

COTTONTAIL RABBITS

Scott R. Craven

Extension Wildlife Specialist

Department of Wildlife Ecology

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Madison, Wisconsin 53706

Fig. 1. Eastern c ottontail rabbit, Sylvil agus fl oridanus

Damage Prevention and

Control Methods*

Exclusion

Low fences are very effective around

gardens or shrubs.

Hardware cloth cylinders will protect

fruit trees and ornamental plants.

Habitat Modification

Removal of brush piles, debris,

dumps, and other cover makes an

area less suitable for rabbits.

Frightening

Several methods are available but none

are reliable.

Repellents

A wide variety of commercial formula-

tions is available; most are taste

repellents based on the fungicide

thiram. Home-remedy types may

provide some relief.

Toxicants

None are registered.

Trapping

Commercial live traps or homemade

box traps are effective, particularly

during winter in northern states.

Shooting

Sp ort hunting and/or routine shooting

of p roblem individuals are very

effective methods.

Other Methods

Many “gimmick” solutions are avail-

able but unreliable. For example,

sections of garden hose to simulate

snakes, water-filled jugs to create

frightening, distorted reflections.

*Most methods apply to all rabbit and hare

species.

Introduction

Rabbits mean different things to differ-

ent people. For hunters, the cottontail

rabbit is an abundant, sporting, and

tasty game animal. However, veg-

etable and flower gardeners, farmers,

and homeowners who are suffering

damage may have very little to say in

favor of cottontails. They can do con-

siderable damage to flowers, veg-

etables, trees, and shrubs any time of

the year and in places ranging from

suburban yards to rural fields and tree

plantations. Control is often necessary

to reduce damage, but complete exter-

mination is not necessary, desirable, or

even possible.

Rabbits usually can be accepted as

interesting additions to the backyard

or rural landscape if control techniques

are applied correctly. Under some

unusual circumstances, control of

damage may be difficult.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WILDLIFE DAMAGE — 1994

Coop erat ive Extension Division

Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Animal Damage Control

Great Plains Agricultural Council

Wildlife Committee

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Damage control methods include

removal by live trapping or hunting,

exclusion, and chemical repellents. In

general, no toxicants or fumigants are

registered for rabbit control; however,

state regulations may vary. Frighten-

ing devices may provide a sense of

security for the property owner, but

they rarely diminish rabbit damage.

Identification

There are 13 species of cottontail rab-

bits (genus Sylvilagus), nine of which

are found in various sections of North

America north of Mexico. All nine are

similar in general appearance and

behavior, but differ in size, range, and

habitat. Such differences result in a

wide variation of damage problems, or

lack of problems. The pygmy rabbit (S.

idahoensis), found in the Pacific North-

west, weighs only 1 pound (0.4 kg),

while the swamp rabbit (S. aquaticus),

found in the southeastern states as far

north as southern Illinois, may weigh

up to 5 pounds (2.3 kg). Most species

prefer open, brushy, or cultivated

areas but some frequent marshes,

swamps, or deserts. The swamp rabbit

and the marsh rabbit (S. palustris) are

strong swimmers. The eastern c otton-

tail (S. floridanus) is the most abundant

and widespread species. For the pur-

poses of the discussion here about

damage control and biology, the east-

ern cottontail (Fig. 1) will be consid-

ered representative of the genus.

Cottontail rabbits must be distin-

guished from jackrabbits and other

hares, which are generally larger in

size and have longer ears. Jackrabbits

are discussed in another chapter of this

book.

The eastern cottontail rabbit is approx-

imately 15 to 19 inches (37 to 48 cm) in

length and weighs 2 to 4 pounds (0.9

to 1.8 kg). Males and females are basi-

cally the same size and color. Cotton-

tails appear gray or brownish gray in

the field. Closer examination reveals a

grizzled blend of white, gray, brown,

and black guard hairs over a soft gray-

ish or brownish underfur, with a char-

acteristic rusty brown spot on the nape

of the neck. Rabbits molt twice each

year, but remain the same general

color. They have large ears, though

smaller than those of jackrabbits, and

the hind feet are much larger than the

forefeet. The tail is short and white on

the undersurface, and its similarity to a

cotton ball resulted in the rabbit’s com-

mon name.

Range

The eastern cottontail’s range includes

the entire United States east of the

Rocky Mountains and introductions

further west. It extends from southern

New England along the Canadian bor-

der west to eastern Montana and south

into Mexico and South America (Fig.

2). The most common species of the

western United States include the

desert cottontail (S. auduboni, Fig. 3),

and mountain cottontail (S. muttalli,

Fig. 4). Refer to a field guide or sug-

gested readings if other species of the

genus Sylvilagus are of interest.

Habitat

Cottontails do not distribute them-

selves evenly across the landscape.

They tend to concentrate in favorable

habitat such as brushy fence rows or

field edges, gullies filled with debris,

brush piles, or landscaped backyards

where food and cover are suitable.

They are rarely found in dense forests

or open grasslands, but fallow crop

fields, such as those in the Conserva-

tion Reserve Program, may provide

suitable habitat.

Cottontails generally spend their entire

lives in an area of 10 acres or less.

Occasionally they may move a mile or

so from summer range to winter cover

or to a new food supply. Lack of food

or cover is usually the motivation for a

rabbit to relocate. In suburban areas,

rabbits are numerous and mobile

enough to fill any “empty” habitat

created when other rabbits are

removed. Population density varies

with habitat quality, but one rabbit per

acre is a reasonable average.

Contrary to popular belief, cottontails

do not dig their own burrows, as the

European rabbit does. Cottontails use

natural cavities or burrows excavated

by woodchucks or other animals.

Fig. 2. Range of the eastern co ttontail in North

America.

Fig. 4. Range of the mo untain co ttontail in North

America.

Fig. 3. Range o f the desert cottontail in North

America.

Underground dens are used primarily

in extremely cold or wet weather and

to escape pursuit. Brush piles and

other areas of cover are often adequate

alternatives to burrows.

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In spring and fall, rabbits use a grass

or weed shelter called a “form.” The

form is a nestlike cavity on the surface

of the ground, usu ally made in dense

cover. It gives the rabbit some protec-

tion from weather, but is largely used

for concealment. In summer, lush

green growth provides both food and

shelter, so there is little need for a

form.

General Biology and

Reproduction

Rabbits live only 12 to 15 months, and

probably only one rabbit in 100 lives to

see its third fall, yet they make the

most of the time available to them.

Cottontails can raise as many as 6 lit-

ters in a year. Typically, there are 2 to 3

litters per year in northern parts of the

cottontail range and up to 5 to 6 in

southern areas. In the north (Wiscon-

sin), first litters are born as early as late

March or April. In the south (Texas),

litters may be born year-round. Litter

size also varies with latitude; rabbits

produce 5 to 6 young per litter in the

north, 2 to 3 in the south. The rabbit’s

gestation period is only 28 or 29 days,

and a female is usually bred again

within a few hours of giving birth.

Rabbits give birth in a shallow nest

depression in the ground. Young cot-

tontails are born nearly furless with

their eyes closed. Their eyes open in 7

to 8 days, and they leave the nest in 2

to 3 weeks.

Under good conditions, each pair of

rabbits could produce approximately

18 young during the breeding season.

Fortunately, this potential is rarely

reached. Weather, disease, predators,

encounters with cars and hunters, and

other mortality factors combine to

keep a lid on the rabbit population.

Because of the cottontail’s reproduc-

tive potential, no lethal control is effec-

tive for more than a limited period.

Control measures are most effective

when used against the breeding popu-

lation during the winter. Habitat

modification and exclusion techniques

provide long-term, nonlethal control.

Food Habits, Damage,

and Damage

Identification

The appetite of a rabbit can cause

problems every season of the year.

Rabbits eat flowers and vegetables in

spring and summer. In fall and winter,

they damage and kill valuable woody

plants.

Rabbits will devour a wide variety of

flowers. The one most commonly

damaged is the tulip; they especially

like the first shoots that appear in early

spring.

The proverbial carrot certainly is not

the only vegetable that cottontails eat.

Anyone who has had a row of p eas,

beans, or beets pruned to ground level

knows how rabbits like these plants.

Only a few crops—corn, squash,

cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, and

some peppers—seem to be immune

from rabbit problems.

Equally annoying, and much more

serious, is the damage rabbits do to

woody plants by gnawing bark or clip-

ping off branches, stems, and buds. In

winter in northern states, when the

ground is covered with snow for long

periods, rabbits often severely damage

expensive home landscap e plants,

orchards, forest plantations, and park

trees and shrubs. Some young plants

are clipped off at snow height, and

large trees and shrubs may be com-

pletely girdled. When the latter hap-

pens, only sprouting from beneath the

damage or a delicate bridge graft

around the damage will save the plant.

A rabbit’s tastes in food can vary con-

siderably by region and season. In gen-

eral, cottontails seem to prefer plants

of the rose family. Apple trees, black

and red raspberries, and blackberries

are the most frequently damaged

food-producing woody plants,

although cherry, plum, and nut trees

are also damaged.

Among shade and ornamental trees,

the hardest hit are mountain ash, bass-

wood, red maple, sugar maple, honey

locust, ironwood, red and white oak,

and willow. Sumac, rose, Japanese bar-

berry, dogwood, and some woody

members of the p ea family are among

the shrubs damaged.

Evergreens seem to be more suscep-

tible to rabbit damage in some areas

than in others. Young trees may be

clipped off, and older trees may be

deformed or killed.

The character of the bark on woody

plants also influences rabbit browsing.

Most young trees have smooth, thin

bark with green food material just

beneath it. Such bark provides an easy-

to-get food source for rabbits. The

thick, rough bark of older trees often

discourages gnawing. Even on the

same plant, rabbits avoid the rough

bark but girdle the young sprouts that

have smooth bark.

Rabbit damage can be identified by the

characteristic appearance of gnawing

on older woody growth and the clean-

cut, angled clipping of young stems.

Distinctive round droppings in the im-

mediate area are a good sign of their

presence too.

Rabbit damage rarely reaches econo-

mic significance in commercial fields

or plantations, but there are excep-

tions. For example, marsh rabbits have

been implicated in sugarcane damage

in Florida. Growers should always be

alert to the potential problems caused

by locally high rabbit populations.

Legal Status

In most states, rabbits are classified as

game animals and are protected as

such at all times except during the

legal hunting season. Some state regu-

lations may grant exceptions to prop-

erty owners, allowing them to trap or

shoot rabbits outside the normal hunt-

ing season on their own property.

Damage Prevention and

Control Methods

Exclusion

One of the best ways to protect a back-

yard garden or berry patch is to put up

a fence. It does not have to be tall or

especially sturdy. A fence of 2-foot (60-

cm) chicken wire with the bottom tight

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rabbits are abundant and food is in

short supply, only hardware cloth will

guarantee p rotection. Small mesh

(1/4-inch [0.6-cm]) hardware cloth also

protects against mouse damage.

A dome or cage of chicken wire

secured over a small flower bed will

allow vulnerable plants such as tulips

to get a good start before they are left

unprotected.

Habitat Modification

One form of natural control is manipu-

lation of the rabbits’ habitat. Although

frequently overlooked, removing

brush piles, weed patches, dumps,

stone p iles, and other debris where

rabbits live and hide can be an excel-

lent way to manage rabbits. It is espe-

cially effective in suburban areas

where fewer suitable habitats are likely

to be available. Vegetation control

along ditch banks or fence rows will

eliminate rabbit habitat in agricultural

settings but is likely to have detrimen-

tal effects on other species such as

pheasants. Always weigh the conse-

quences before carrying out any form

of habitat management.

Repellents

Several chemical repellents discourage

rabbit browsing. Always follow

exactly the directions for application

on the container. Remember that some

repellents are poisonous and require

safe storage and use. For best results,

use repellents and other damage

control methods at the first sign of

damage.

Most repellents can be applied, like

paint, with a brush or sprayer. Many

commercially available repellents con-

tain the fungicide thiram and can be

purchased in a ready-to-use form (see

Supplies and Materials).

Some formerly recommended repel-

lents are no longer available. Most

repellents are not designed to be used

on plants or plant parts destined for

human consumption. Most rabbit

repellents are contact or taste repel-

lents that render the treated plant parts

distasteful. Mothballs are an example

of an area or odor repellent that repels

by creating a noxious odor around the

plants to be protected. Taste repellents

protect only the parts of the plant they

contact; new growth that emerges after

application is not protected. Heavy

rains may necessitate reapplication of

some repellents.

Mothballs or dried blood meal some-

times keeps rabbits from damaging

small flower beds or garden plots.

Place these substances among the

plants. Blood meal does not weather

well, however.

Taste repellents are usually more effec-

tive than odor repellents. The degree

of efficacy, however, is highly variable,

depending on the behavior and num-

ber of rabbits, and alternative foods

available. When rabbits are abundant

and hungry, use other control tech-

niques along with chemical repellents.

Toxicants

There are no toxicants or fumigants

registered for use against rabbits. Poi-

soning rabbits is not recommended.

Since state pesticide registrations vary,

check with your local Cooperative

Extension Service or US DA-APHIS-

ADC office for information on repel-

lents or other new products available

for use in your area.

Trapping

Trapping is the best way to remove

rabbits in cities, parks, and suburban

areas. The first step is to get a well-

built and well-designed live trap.

Several excellent styles of commercial

live traps are available from garden

centers, hardware stores, and seed

catalogs. Most commercial traps are

wire and last indefinitely with proper

care. Average cost is about $20 to $30.

Live traps can often be rented from

animal control offices or pest control

companies.

An effective wooden box trap (Fig. 6)

can be made. This type of trap has

proven itself in the field and has been

used in rabbit research by biologists.

For best results, follow the plan to the

letter because each detail has been

carefully worked out.

Place traps where you know rabbits

feed or rest. Keep traps near cover so

18-20"

2-3"

to the ground or buried a few inches is

sufficient. Be sure the mesh is 1 inch

(2.5 cm) or smaller so that young rab-

bits will not be able to go through it. A

more substantial fence of welded wire,

chain link, or hog wire will keep rab-

bits, pets, and children out of the gar-

den and can be used to trellis vine

crops. The lower 1 1/2 to 2 feet (45 to

60 cm) should be covered with small

mesh wire. A fence may seem costly,

but with proper care it will last many

years and provide relief from the con-

stant aggravation of rabbit damage.

Inexpensive chicken wire can be

replaced every few years.

Cylinders of 1/4-inch (0.6-cm) wire

hardware cloth will protect valuable

young orchard trees or landscape

plants (Fig. 5). The cylinders should

extend higher than a rabbit’s reach

while standing on the expected snow

depth, and stand 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5

cm) out from the tree trunk. Larger

mesh sizes, 1/2- to 3/4-inch (1.2- to

1.8-cm), can be used to reduce cost,

but be sure the cylinder stands far

enough away from the tree trunk that

rabbits cannot eat through the holes.

Commercial tree guards or tree wrap

are another alternative. Several types

of paper wrap are available, but they

are designed for protec tion from sun

or other damage. Check with your

local garden center for advice. When

Fig. 5. A cylinder of hardware cloth or other

wire mesh can protect trees from rabbit damage.

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that rabbits won’t have to cross large

open areas to get to them. In winter,

face traps away from prevailing winds

to keep snow and dry leaves from

plugging the entrance or interfering

with the door. Check traps daily to re-

plenish bait or remove the catch—

daily checks are essential for effective

control and for humane treatment of

the animals. Move traps if they fail to

make a catch within a week.

Finding bait is not a problem, even in

winter, because cob corn (dry ear corn)

or dried apples make very good bait.

Impale the bait on the nail or simply

position it at the rear of the trap (com-

mercial traps may not have a nail).

When using cob corn, use half a cob

and push the nail into the pith of the

cob; this keeps the cob off the floor and

visible from the open door. Dried leafy

alfalfa and clover are also good cold-

weather baits.

Apples, carrots, cabbage, and other

fresh green vegetables are good baits

in warmer weather or climates. These

soft baits become mushy and ineffec-

tive once frozen. A good summer bait

for garden traps is a cabbage leaf

rolled tightly and held together by a

toothpick. For best results, use baits

that are similar to what the target rab-

bits are feeding on.

A commercial wire trap can be made

more effective (especially in winter) by

covering it with canvas or some other

dark material. Be sure the cover does

not interfere with the trap’s mecha-

nism.

Release rabbits in rural areas several

miles from where they have been

trapped if local regulations allow relo-

cation. Do not release them where they

may create a problem for someone

else.

Shooting

Shooting is a quick, easy, and effective

method of control, but make sure that

local firearms laws allow it and that it

is done safely. In some states, the

owner or occupant of a parcel of land

may hunt rabbits all year on that land,

except for a short time before the fire-

arm deer season. Consult your state

wildlife agency for regulations. You

must be p ersistent if shooting is the

only technique you rely on. Removing

rabbits in one year never guarantees

that the rabbit population will be low

the next year (this is also true for

trapping).

Other Methods

Encouraging the rabbit’s natural

enemies—or at least not interfering

with them—may aid in reducing

rabbit damage. Hawks, owls, foxes,

Top

2" Screw

Door

Drill hole so screw turns

and countersink head.

Nail

Bait nail

Bore 5

1/2" holes

in end.

Top view — Top board removed

Wire

8"

Screw eye

Tripping wire

9-gauge

6"

Treadle

Bevel edges

Screw

eyes

Bevel

Bait nail

Tripping wire

9-gauge

Screw

eye

16"

24"

Loose connection

screw eye

1/2"

Pivo t screw eyes

Treadle

Flush to flo or

Door

closed

Door 8 1/2"

11 1/2"

Side View — Side board removed

Handle optional

Screws for removable top

Front view

Door

1/8" Clearance

9"

8-gauge

treadle wire

Pivot screw eyes

Treadle

Fig. 6. Plans for the Tom Butzen wooden box trap for rabbits.

Hinge detail

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mink, weasels, and snakes all help the

farmer, gardener, homeowner, and

forester control rabbits. These animals

should never be needlessly destroyed.

In fact, it is against the law to kill

hawks and owls; foxes, mink, and

weasels are protected during certain

seasons as valuable furbearers. Even

the family cat can be a very effective

predator on young nestling rabbits,

but cats are likely to kill other wildlife

as well.

Many people have a favorite rabbit

remedy. A piece of rubber hose on the

ground may look enough like a snake

to scare rabbits away. Another remedy

calls for p lacing large, clear glass jars

of water in a garden. Supposedly,

rabbits are terrified by their distorted

reflections. Most home remedies,

unfortunately, are not very effective.

Inflatable owls and snakes, eyespot

balloons, and other commercial prod-

ucts are readily available in garden

centers and through mail order cata-

logues. Feeding rabbits during the

winter in much the same way as

feeding wild birds might divert their

attention from trees and shrubs and

thus reduce damage in some areas.

There is always the risk that this tactic

can backfire by drawing in greater

numbers of rabbits or increasing the

survival of those present.

Acknowledgments

I thank R. A. McCabe for reviewing this

manuscript and providing the trap design.

Figure 1 from Schwartz and Schwartz (1981).

Figures 2 and 3 adapted from Burt and

Grossenheider (1976) by Dave Thornhill,

University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Figures 4 and 5 courtesy of the Department of

Agricultural Journalism, University of

Wisconsin-Madison.

For Additional

Information

Burt, W. H., and R. P. Grossenheider. 1976. A

field guide to the mammals, 3d ed.

Houghton Mifflin Co., Bosto n. 289 pp.

Chapman, J. A., J. G. Hockman, and W. R.

Edwards. 1982. Cottontails. Pages 83-123 in

J. A. Chapman and G. A. Feldhamer, eds.

Wild mammals of North America: biology,

management and economics. The Johns

Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore.

Chapman, J. A., J. G. Hockman, and Magaly M.

Ojeda C. 1980. Sylvilagus floridanus. Mammal.

Sp. 136:1-8.

Jackson, H. H. T. 1961. The mammals of

Wisconsin. Univ. Wisconsin Press, Madison.

504 pp.

McDonald, D. 1984. Lagomorphs. Pages 714-721

in D. McDonald, ed. The encyclopedia of

mammals. Facts on File Publications, New

York.

Editors

Scott E. Hygnstrom

Robert M. Timm

Gary E. Larson