PROTECTION OF RABBITS.
Cottontail rabbits are valuable for food and afford excellent sport for gunners. In many States, especially east of the Mississippi River, they are protected as game. In fruit-growing and truck-farming districts farmers regard them with disfavor, and there is considerable rivalry between sportsmen and farmers to have their opposing views reflected in game laws. The interests of the two classes do not seriously differ, however, for when rabbits are closely hunted losses from their depredations are usually reduced to a minimum. Still there is danger that in years favorable for their increase the animals may inflict serious injury to trees during severe winters.
Rabbits are protected (1915) by close seasons in States and Provinces as shown in Table I. Twenty-eight States, Alaska, and the Canadian Provinces not mentioned in the table do not protect rabbits of any kind. In the District of Columbia all shooting is prohibited except on certain river marshes. In Kentucky rabbits may be taken with dog, trap, or snare at any time, and the close season for shooting is evidently solely for the purpose of keeping gunners out of fields and woods during the two months immediately preceding the open season for quails. In Wisconsin 46 counties, mostly in the southern half of the State, have no close season for rabbits. In California only cottontails, or bush rabbits, are protected.
Fig. 2.—Apple tree killed by rabbits.
Table I.—Lengths of open season for rabbits or hares.
| State or Province. | Beginning of open season. | Beginning of close season. | Length of open season. |
| Maine | Oct. 1 | Apr. 1 | 6 |
| New Hampshire | do. | Mar. 1 | 5 |
| Vermont | Sept. 15 | do. | 5-1/2 |
| Massachusetts | Oct. 12 | do. | 4-3/5 |
| Rhode Island | Nov. 1 | Jan. 1 | 2 |
| Connecticut | Oct. 8 | do. | 2-3/4 |
| New York | Oct. 1 | Feb. 1 | 4 |
| Long Island | Nov. 1 | Jan. 1 | 2 |
| New Jersey | Nov. 10 | Dec. 16 | 1-1/5 |
| Pennsylvania | Nov. 1 | Dec. 1 | 1 |
| Delaware | Nov. 15 | Jan. 1 | 1-1/2 |
| Maryland | Nov. 10 | Dec. 25 | 1-1/2 |
| District of Columbia | Nov. 1 | Feb. 1 | 3 |
| Virginia | do. | do. | 3 |
| Kentucky | Nov. 15 | Sept. 15 | 10 |
| Ohio | do. | Dec. 5 | 2/3 |
| Indiana | Apr. 1 | Jan. 10 | 9-1/3 |
| Illinois | Aug. 31 | Feb. 1 | 5-1/30 |
| Michigan | Oct. 1 | Mar. 2 | 5-1/30 |
| Wisconsin: | |||
| 6 counties | Sept. 10 | Feb. 1 | 4-2/3 |
| 13 counties | Oct. 10 | do. | 3-2/3 |
| 6 counties | Nov. 1 | Jan. 1 | 2 |
| Colorado | Oct. 1 | Mar. 1 | 5 |
| California | July 31 | Feb. 1 | 6-1/30 |
| British Columbia | Sept. 1 | Jan. 1 | 4 |
| Ontario | Oct. 1 | Dec. 16 | 2-1/2 |
| Quebec: | |||
| Zone 1 | Oct. 15 | Feb. 1 | 3-1/2 |
| Zone 2 | do. | Mar. 1 | 4-1/2 |
| Newfoundland | Sept. 20 | Jan. 1 | 3-1/3 |
| Prince Edward Island | Nov. 1 | Feb. 1 | 3 |
| Nova Scotia | Oct. 1 | Mar. 1 | 5 |
In about half the States that have a close season for rabbits the laws permit farmers and fruit growers to destroy the animals to protect crops or trees. Such provision might well be incorporated in game laws of all States. For lack of it farmers have sometimes suffered severe losses, and not a few have been compelled to pay fines for trying to protect their property from rabbits. In States that protect rabbits it is well for the farmer to be acquainted with the game laws and in case of doubt to have a clear understanding with local and State game, wardens before undertaking to destroy rabbits.