RABBIT HUNTS IN UTAH. 



61 



Mr. James L, Bniitiiijif, of Kaiiab, writes that betweeu 1858 and 

 1870 rabbits were very abundant on the land betweeu the Jordan 

 Kiver aud Great Salt Lake. In November and December hunters 

 wouhl go out almost daily in parties of from four to six each, and ou 

 some occasions as many as ."iOO rabbits were killed in a single day. 



The hunts usually take place in the winter or early spring- when the 

 snow is on the ground, and are thus described by W. G. isowers in a 

 letter dated February, 1887. He says : 



"Our mode of destroying these pests is to select two cai)tains, who 

 choose their associates from the community, aud form two attacking 

 parties, who ride or go with firearms, dogs, clubs, and so ou, and lay 

 siege to every rabbit caught sight of. In some instances the slaughter 

 has amounted to nearly 1,000 for each side. These raids are waged ou 

 every favorable opportunity — after a snowstorm, or monthly, if no snow 

 falls, as has been the case this winter. " 



Eabbit hunts have occurred in a number of i)laces in southwestern 

 Utah, but are less common in the northern part of the State. One, how- 

 ever, took place near Corinne during the summer of 1804. According 

 to Prof. Marcus E. Jones, as many as a dozen or fifteen hunts have 

 occurred annually during recent years. One of the largest is described 

 by Mr. Vernon Bailey as having taken place near Panguitch, Garfield 

 County, in 1885. Tt lasted three days, and some 80 men and boys took 

 part, killing more than 5,000 rabbits within a few miles of tlie town. 

 As will be seen from the following table, the recent Utah hunts are 

 small in comparison with those in Colorado or the California drives. 



Vurtial List of Jiabbit Ilunis in Utah. 



*Measrs. Dotson &. Son report that 21,000-22,000 rahbit.s were killed in two months in 1887 and l.<88. 



t A number of liunts sceui to have ociurred near I'.riuliaiii ("ity and elsewhere, whicli are necessarily 

 omitted hero in the absence of suthcieut data. The county \>aid bounties ou 12,758 rabbits duriui; the 

 years 1893, 1894. and 18',I5— see p. 43. 



;Mr. M. Riihards, jr., of Parowan gives 9,000 as the probable number of rabbits killed in thia 

 county during 1894. 



