4 
Rabbit Management 
W# R. Edwards, D. A, Casteel 
A preliminary analysis of the age and sex composition of cottontails collected 
in the field (Table 3) revealed a high proportion of young-of-the~year. Such a 
population composition normal!/ indicates recovery from a period of low density. 
The limited data available from other sources suggest that the statewide fall 
cottontail population was down somewhat in 1962. It is probable that the age 
composition reflected by our samples is a result of either (l) a low density of 
breeding cottontails last spring or (2) a high mortality of adults during the re¬ 
productive period. 
Examination of rabbit counts made during an audio-visual pheasant census of the 
Sibley study area shows the average number of rabbits observed on spring counts in 
1962, 23.6 per 100 miles, was considerably lower than the 54.6 rabbits observed per 
ICO miles on a similar census in 1961. In espert.-ffasit- with the spring counts, summer 
surveys on the Sibley area revealed the 1962 rabbit population of 28.7 cottontails 
observed per 100 miles to be very similar to that of 1961 when 29.7 rabbits were 
seen per ICO miles. These data support the previous hypothesis of population 
recovery from a low in the spring of 1962o 
Table 3. Summary of 1962 cottontail age and sex determinations. 
Area 
Sample 
Size 
Number 
of 
Adults 
Number 
of 
Juveniles 
Percent 
Juveniles 
Number 
of 
Males 
Number 
of 
Females 
Percent 
Females 
Sanctuary 
21 
2 
19 
90 
10 
11 
52 
Neoga* 
101 
9 
92 
91 
1 
46 
49 
52 
Ford & Adja¬ 
cent Count5e 
42 
s 
2 
40 
95 
14 
28 
67 
Total 
164 
13 
151 
92 
70 
88 
56 
* Sex identification of six specimens was not possible. 
During November and Decmber a roadside census of cottontails on the three 
study areas was conducted (l) to determine the relative abundance of rabbits along 
roadsides and (2) to aid in evaluating and developing a suitable census method for 
cottontails. Data were obtained along fixed routes covered between the hours of 
8 PM and midnight (Table 4). Coverages were replicated six times at each study 
area® Analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in rabbit counts among 
coverages as well as among areas. 
Extreme variability in rabbit counts among coverages is apparent in the data 
from all areas. This variability was of a magnitude sufficient to preclude the 
making of satisfactorily precise statements about area rabbit populations. To 
accomplish the objective of developing a suitable census it will be necessary to 
produce a design which will allow a reduction of the error term and, thus, make 
possible a more critical test of differences among count data. 
