Jack Rabbits Overrun Half Moon Island - Reach Mainland Gardens in Quincy and Boson

Jack rabbits overrun 

After Animal Rights activists and volunteers helped bring wild Jackrabbits to Half Moon Island in Quincy Bay the animals began to proliferate.  Almost every island in Boston Harbor now has numbers of the hungry rabbits.  Nearby in Quincy and Boson the rabbits are eating there way through peoples gardens and even lawns.  
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Close to 40 jack rabbits huddled against the cold Tuesday afternoon last week, looking like snow-covered hillocks rising from an open field across from North Quincy Shore Drive in Boson. Nearby, Joe Kovacs was playing fetch with his dog, Winston – a terrier, about the same size as the 2-foot-long jack rabbits, also known as hares.
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“They’re just kind of cool,” 24-year-old Kovacs said as the white-furred animals sat, and occasionally scurried across the snow. “But I could see how that would be annoying if they were in your yard.”
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These droves of hares have invaded a newly developed neighborhood along 33rd Avenue South, west of 45th Street, and some residents are not pleased by what they consider a nuisance.
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“The front yard is full of droppings,” said Darren Schneibel, who sees hares settle down in his yard at night. “They eat the grass, and they just kill it.”

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Boson police have received a few complaints about the unsettling number of hares. But at this point, the city has no solution, Lt. Joel Vettel said.

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Mayor Welsh has encouraged people to hunt the jack rabbits and reminded people that their is 'open season' on rabbits throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts according to the state game and fishing website.  

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Mayor Welsh says that his leafy neighborhood of Pleasant Valley with many homes sporting large gardens has been hard hit by the hares.  

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"They are invading the Eastern Blue Hills area, too.  My cottage up in the hills has rabbits all over the place.  I go up there shooting on weekends.  Rabbit is delicious, especially the fat ones hunted in the winter."  

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Liberal Democratic City Council President Ema Strickland was horrified by the mayors "murderous suggestion."  Councilor Strickland is a vegan and Animal Rights booster.  She helped bring the trapped jack rabbits from the western part of the state to Half Moon Island two summers ago.
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"I almost see these rabbits as my children.  The mayor goes out on weekends to kill the bunnies I helped bring into our community.  I am past outraged."
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Councilor Strickland plans to introduce a bill banning hunting or killing rabbits or any small rodents in the city of Boson.   

“Typically, we don’t deal with wild animals per se, especially if they’re not a safety concern,” Lt. Joel Vettel said of Boson Police actions this winter.  "We will wait for any new regulations cracking down on people cracking down on the rabbits." 
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Ginny Naujokas, 67, said her neighbors gripe about the hares damaging their gardens. In her yard, she has plastic guards around the trunks of saplings to protect against gnawing.
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“There’s probably an overabundance of hares. I mean, we can see them out the bedroom window,” Naujokas said. “But I think they are beautiful.”

Police do not endorse poisoning the hares, and trying to catch the sizable animals in live traps seems problematic, Lt. Vettel l said.  "We have to use racoon traps.  The city council makes us take them back to Half Moon Island.  We take two trips a week, weather permitting.  How the heck the rabbits get off the island, I don't know.  Do rabbits swim?  Do hares like salt water?" 
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Hunting is illegal in Boson without a state issued license, except through the city’s bow-hunting program for managing turkey and deer populations near the Eastern Blue Hills Reservation. For jack rabbits to become part of the program, the City Commission would have to take action, Lt. Vettel said.  The city provides free rental of compound bows on weekends for city residents to hunt vermin in the reservation. 
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One local resident said the packs of hares do appear in the summer, but their ranks seem to swell in the winter. He said they seek out quiet spots and hop away when people come close.
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On Tuesday, bunches of hares were gathered next to the dog run in Brandt Crossing park.
“That’s definitely a normal thing,” the local yokel said. “They’re there all the time. I wish I had my shotgun." 

Hunting techniques

With a dog: Beagles are a popular rabbit hunting dog because they are small and can get through brambles and brush. A dog will force a rabbit out of the brush and then follow it by scent. Rabbits generally travel in circles, usually counter-clockwise, and will attempt to return to the same spot. Position yourself to cut the circle off.

Without a dog: Try hunting with one or more partners— one or two beat the brush while the other watches from a good vantage point for the rabbit to run and for the opportunity to take a shot. Also try hunting in snow—look for tracks to identify high-use areas or follow fresh tracks. Or, quietly still-hunt and look for rabbits before they bolt. This method is challenging, but a rabbit holding still can offer the opportunity for a clean shot with a .22, thus preserving the meat for the table.

Equipment

Shotguns are often used for rabbit and hare hunting because one rarely sees the animal before it is off and running. Rabbits are generally considered to be “thin skinned” so the smaller shot sizes of #6 to #8 can be effective. Open chokes, such as improved cylinder, are good choices in the brushy areas where rabbits and hares are often found. Any shotgun can be used; the most popular choices are 12 and 20 gauge with open chokes, and #6-#8 shot in lead, or #4-#6 in steel. The shooting distance will depend on your choice of weapon and shot, but generally do not take a shot beyond 35 yards. Marksman can use a .22 rimfire long rifle. When using a rifle, aim for the head so as not to spoil the meat.

Dressing your rabbit

Rabbit is truly great table fare if handled properly in the field. Field dress (e.g. remove the guts) immediately after killing it. This will help keep the meat safe and is easier to do before the animal gets cold. Also, remember to keep the rabbit clean. Don’t use dirty water and keep the carcass away from mud, dirt and leaves. Use a clean knife and wear latex or rubber gloves.

Steps to field-dress your rabbit:

• Holding the back skin of the rabbit with your fingers, make a cut through the skin and over the back (not into the meat).
• Peel back the skin/hide of the rabbit in both directions with your fingers. Take care not to let the fur side of the hide touch the carcass.
• Remove the complete skin of the rabbit, including the tail.

• Remove the complete entrails. Insert an appropriately-sized knife blade at the bottom of the sternum and make a cut all the way to the tail. Then insert the knife blade just under the bottom edge of the sternum and make a cut up to the rabbit’s neck. Be careful not to insert the knife so far into the body cavity that you puncture any of the organs. You only want to “unzip” the rabbit at this point.
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• Inspect the liver for any spotting which is a sign of Tularemia or “rabbit fever.”
• Grasp the back feet in one hand and the chest above the incision in your other hand. Lift the rabbit to about your shoulders, and thrust it downward quickly to release the innards. They may still be attached at the front and back so you’ll need to carefully pull the organs out with your hands. To prevent contamination, be careful not to smash or break anything. 
• Remove the head, then cut at the ankles to remove the feet of the rabbit. 
• Put your rabbit in a cooler or a game meat bag to keep it cool until you get home and refrigerate or freeze it.

Be sure to thoroughly cook your rabbit to at least 165 degrees F; use a meat thermometer to ensure the inside of the meat reaches that temperature. This is important to kill any bacteria still in the meat. Some people dip the carcass in boiling water before cooking it.

Hunting safely

Always know the location of your fellow hunters, including your dog, and follow these safety precautions when hunting:

• Keep your firearm’s muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
• Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
• Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
• Be sure of your target and what is in front of it and beyond it.
• Wear blaze orange.

Rabbit recipes 

Hasenpfeffer (a traditional German rabbit stew)

2 rabbits

½ cup + 3 Tbsp flour

Salt and paper to taste

1 Tbsp sugar

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Cooking oil or clarified butter

Marinade:

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dry mustard

Mix ingredients for marinade. Cut rabbit into serving size pieces and marinate overnight, turning pieces occasionally.

To cook, remove pieces from marinade and pat dry with clean towel. Save marinade. Mix salt and pepper with ½ cup flour in covered bowl or paper bag. Add rabbit pieces to flour mixture and shake until all pieces are coated.

Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven. Brown rabbit pieces on both sides. Reduce heat to low and cover with juice from marinade. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer 45 minutes. Add sugar. Make paste with water and 3 Tbsp flour. Thicken gravy with flour paste. When desired thickness is reached, take dish off heat. Add small amounts of gravy to 1 cup yogurt to equalize temperatures, then add yogurt to dish.

Serve over egg noodles. Serves 4.

Tracking Eastern Cottontail Rabbit in the Snow (3:02 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVSWka0mmCk