Watching a patch of clover that I had planted and let grow taller gave me the opportunity to watch some interesting animal behaviors. Along the outside edges I mowed the grasses with a swath from the mower and let fresh green grasses appear more often. I had noticed that the eastern cottontails really thrived in this environment. A ditch, then tall grasses, then plantings and finally the mowed edge. Every time that I made my one pass through on the edge, I observed various sizes of cottontail bunnies, which told me that the species was thriving here.

Cottontails are a prey species, which means that they are definitely on the food chain of many predators. In being part of the food chain, they mate and have litters of young pretty frequently each season. It only takes a young rabbit three months to reach sexual maturity and then the reproduction plan begins again. Watching some rabbits in my yard, I saw that they were playing leap frog over each other. Apparently if anyone observed rabbits it could have been called leap bunny! Over the top of each other they leapt, turned to face each other than leapt again. A little research confirmed that this behavior was part of their courtship ritual and pretty much an expected action.

Mature male and female rabbits can be pretty aggressive and territorial as well. Kicks, bites and scratches can occur between competitors of the same sex as well being rejected by each other. When they are courting, they can be pretty oblivious to danger from predators and injuring themselves. All predators like to catch a bunny. These include hawks, owls, eagles, foxes, coyotes, cats both feral and domestic, as well as dogs. To offset the losses due to predation and other natural calamities, the mature doe cottontails will go into estrus rather frequently to replenish the species. From early spring to late summer the nesting of rabbits will continue.

The cottontail nests are not a complicated affair, usually hollowed-out depressions dug out on edges of brush lines or banks or even in the middle of a field. The doe cottontail lines the depression with her fluffy hair and grasses to make a soft and warm nest. A litter of young bunnies will be born and nursed by their mother until they can fend for themselves by eating clover and grasses. This is a vulnerable time for the youngsters as they do not have the survival skills necessary to evade danger. As they get older, they will establish a warren or burrow for cover and protection. Oftentimes, you will hear that a beagle and rabbit hunter chased the rabbit into its burrow.

Rabbits have been around for centuries and many domestic dogs have specifically been raised as rabbit dogs. Everyone knows someone who had a beagle or basset hound for rabbit hunting. It was more common back in the day, but still has a following in the current times. Outdoor Life magazine claims that Jack Russell’s and dachshunds are also fine breeds for rabbit hunting. Apparently in European countries, the daschunds and bassets would go into burrows and flush out the rabbits for the hunters.

Both wild and domestic rabbits are considered delicious protein options in culinary circles. Perhaps the most well-known German dish is Hasenpfeffer stew, made with sour cream and rabbit dipped in flour and browned, or Conejos con arroz, which is a Spanish dish with rice and rabbit, or the French version Lapin a la Cocotte, a stew. The recipes for rabbits are endless and every culture has their version of a popular dish using rabbit as a main ingredient. In a search for recipes, I found some from China, England, India and dozens of versions with regional flairs in the U.S.

So, the next time you have a backyard bunny hopping about your garden or flower bed, think of the important role they have played in our wildlife and human food chain. Even if you are not a hunter, you can find domestic rabbit available from meat producers and specialty frozen food shops in our area. The 4-H youth program has an auction each year at the Farm Shows and 4-H Fairs for meat rabbits that are raised for culinary specialties and their fur.

Until we meet again, try something different that is an excellent source of protein and low in fat and cholesterol as well as delicious!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle