\lo\ . 9, No. 3 
Page 7 
The Dale Area experienced a large increase in hunting pressure and in number 
of rabbits harvested during the 1965-66 hunting season. Hunter success, however, 
increased only slightly from 1964-65 and was still below hunter success experienced 
in 1963-64. 
In contrast, hunting pressure and number of rabbits harvested declined on the 
Forbes Area during l965-66. Hunter success has varied little on this area during 
the past three seasons and has usually been lower than hunter success on the Dale 
Area. 
Eye lenses were collected from samples of the harvested rabbits. The age- 
distributions of these samples are presented in Table 7* Over the past 3 years the 
proportions of juveniles in the Forbes Area samples have never varied significantly 
from 83 percent, considered to be normal for cottontail rabbits. The proportion 
of juveniles in the Dale Area sample of 1965-66 was below normal. 
The average date of birth for juvenile rabbits collected on the Dale Area has 
been within the first week of May during all 3 years. The average date of birth 
for juvenile rabbits on the Forbes Area during 1965 was unusually early. 
Table 6. Success of hunters who visited two Illinois areas specifically to hunt 
cottontail rabbits, 1963-64 to 1 965 - 66 . 
Sam Dale 
State Park 
Stephen A. Forbes 
State Park 
63-64 
64-65 
65-66 
63-64 
64-65 
65-66 
Hunter-trips 
Hours Hunted 
Rabbits Harvested 
Rabbits per Trip 
Rabbits per Hour 
43 
125 
1 33 
3.1 
1.1 
85 
344 
151 
1 .8 
0.4 
244 
836 
488 
2.0 
0.6 
79 
331 
129 
1 .6 
0.4 
214 
731 
363 
l .7 
0.5 
145 
513 
208 
1 .4 
0.4 
Table 7• Age-d i str i but 
1963-64 to 1965-66. 
ion of cottontail rabbits harvested from two Illinois areas 
Sajn Da 1 e 
State Park 
Stephen A. Forbes 
State Park 
63-64 
64-65 
65-66 
63-64 
64-65 
65-66 
Number of Rabbits Aged 
Percent Juveniles* 
Average Birth-date , 
140 
81+7 
70 
76110 
1 29 
68+8 
1 14 
78+8 
71 
8718 
135 
79l7 
Juveni1es* 
May 7 
tl9 days 
Hay 3 
- 1 3 days 
May 2 
±12 days 
May 28 
+23 days 
June 1 
112 days 
April 21 
±9 days 
* Plus or minus two standard errors. 
