Vo I. 9 , No. 5 
Page 6 
forb and slat plots had deteriorated to the extent that little concealment was 
provided. The use of conifers may have also been related to temperature, but the 
data are not clear. Conifers provided good concealment, both overhead and to the 
side. 
Brush . -- Of all the cover types, brush piles provided the most protection 
but received the least use. In Cecember a new rabbit was released in the pen and 
spent the first 2 days in one of the brush piles. In February three observations 
of rabbits in brush piles were associated with a 4-inch snowfall. This was the 
only appreciable snowfall of the winter. Two more observations were made on the 
edge of brush piles, but the rabbits were feeding heavily on apple cuttings at the 
time. 
The results of the study are surprising in that the two cover types affording 
the most concealment (conifers and brush) were not preferred until the month of 
February, and the area affording the least concealment (outside the plots) was 
preferred during December. The generally accepted idea seems to be that rabbits 
prefer to use the heaviest cover available. These data indicate that a moderate 
cover density is preferred, except under severe climatic conditions. 
Table 4. Percent of rabbit observations in each cover type, December, January, 
and February, 1965-66. 
Cover Type 
December 
January 
February 
Outside 
55.2 
10.4 
10.3 
Forbs 
15.5 
18.8 
1.7 
Slats 
15-5 
50.0 
32.8 
Conifers 
10.4 
20.8 
46.6 
Brush 
3-4 
0.0 
8.6 
