I'm curious to hear people's thoughts on cottontails in Texas. From my anecdotal experience, I don't seem to see as many as I used to. Is that what y'all are seeing? To be fair, I only hunt them a few times a year, but would definitely be hunting them more if I was seeing them.

See very few and give them a break.

Their reproductive system varies based on stress from predators to starve out the predators if needed. They will go from 8-9 kits in a litter to 1-2 in the next. If you see lean rabbit times, that’s just nature balancing things out.

We've got plenty in Navarro County, and in Frisco, we've got enough to supply the whole damn State!

Plenty in NE Lasalle County

Cottontail populations run in cycles and that is very true for my young county lease of 20 years. Seems like every 5 years give or take a year there is a peak, then the population falls off fast. Three years ago they were everywhere on my lease. This last season, I am not sure I ever saw one so we are probably at the low end of the population cycle. I expect we will start seeing them again next season. With the aggressive predator trapping and hunting we have been doing, it should help speed up the population cycle timing as well.

I saw a lot of rabbits this year, We grilled 4 in December with a lot more on the food plot edges.

I know rabbits in my home state of Ms, and my current state of Alabama have done nothing but decline in the span of my lifetime. The agricultural state of pine deserts, along with the infiltration of coyotes and unchecked birds of prey population, rabbits don’t have much chance.

I see quite a few around Lake Meredith but I don't hunt them. Lots of coyotes, bobcats and hawks in that area and I figure the rabbits don't need me chasing them as well. I kind of like seeing them.

Crazy to think of a scarcity of cottontails in Texas. When we moved to Missouri, the cottontails were pretty think in Texas. At night, every bend in the road the cottontails lit up in the ditch were like prairie dogs on a dog town. They have been scarce here in Missouri though. Cottontails hurting real bad up here.

I can appreciate the comment on coyotes and especially unchecked birds of prey. The hawks have fully recovered from DDT and whatever else here in Missouri. There are too many.

they are ALL in Frisco Lakes 55+ community where I live. I'm 3 for 3 catching them in my Hava heart trap the last 3 nights. I turn them loose in a neighborhood far away. the little F'ers eat your yard to the dirt.

Population seems stable enough on the ranch. Always see a couple driving/walking to the blind and at the feeder before light.

Get lots of pics with bobcats and coyote with rabbits in their mouths and find have found very few deer kills in 15yrs so assuming they are doing there job.

Seems like pretty mixed results across the board, which is interesting. I just feel like I used to see a lot more. I love rabbit meat so much that my wife and I are going to start raising our own, so we'll see how that goes.