Lets go kill some rabbits

[bowler]

Yes that may be true as my family farms tomatoes,corn,sugar beets and alfalfa along the Sacramento river but you can not find Alfalfa year round and especial not on his side of the San Jaciento Mountains he is in the desert. Not to mention negotiating permission from the land owner is required to hunt an active farm crop.
He wants to hunt now as I hunt the mountains between us I think my suggestion is his best bet. As far as taste is concerned Spring rabbits in green grass meadows is easily comparable to alfalfa fed rabbits .
You have to remember the rabbits are lucky to have alfalfa 1/3 of the year the rest of the year it's some other forage . Mountain rabbits
generally have more fat on them because of better overall forage and the colder climate . Extra fat makes the meat better as rabbits are very lean . So lean in fact if you tried to exist only on rabbit you would get sick and die as you need more than just protein to stay healthy.

Wikipedia;
"Rabbit starvation, also referred to as protein poisoning or mal de caribou, is a form of acute malnutrition caused by excess consumption of any lean meat (e.g., rabbit) coupled with a lack of other sources of nutrients usually in combination with other stressors, such as severe cold or dry environment. Symptoms include diarrhea, headache, fatigue, low blood pressure and heart rate, and a vague discomfort and hunger that can only be satisfied by consumption of fat or carbohydrates."

But he can not hunt cottontails in the spring. He has to wait till it is hot and that is no fun. July 1 is the start of rabbit season.

[Skyler]

If you are seeing Jacks in legal shooting areas then you can hunt them there as long as it is not a formal range .
DFG has maps that show legal hunting areas . Blm land is good so is State Forest land (my choice) . The rabbits
have better forage in the forest as the desert has limited forage. The old adage you are what you eat applies
and bunnies from the forest taste better . Try up Hwy. 74 (Palms to Pines Hwy.)get up out of the salt pan/sage brush scrub into pines and grass meadows Just a few minutes above palm Springs .

I have to disagree there. There are fewer Jack rabbits at the higher elevations when compared to the desert floor, at least in the high desert. And none to speak of in the actual high elevation forest areas. Only a few cottontails, which he would be better off going for in the foothill chaparral areas. What exactly do you mean by "state forest land?" All of the forests around here are federal lands as far as I know. Personally, if I was after jacks in that area, I would head up hwy 62 and out off of 247. I can drop 10 in a few hours out there. You practically trip over them, even in dry years.

[Stalker Of Fish]

I have to disagree there. There are fewer Jack rabbits at the higher elevations when compared to the desert floor, at least in the high desert. And none to speak of in the actual high elevation forest areas. Only a few cottontails, which he would be better off going for in the foothill chaparral areas. What exactly do you mean by "state forest land?" All of the forests around here are federal lands as far as I know. Personally, if I was after jacks in that area, I would head up hwy 62 and out off of 247. I can drop 10 in a few hours out there. You practically trip over them, even in dry years.

Ok you are right on the State Forrest misuse I still have the Northern California mindset where there are State Forest .
There are State areas in the National Forest though.
He is in the Colorado Desert which is a low desert by the way . I have national Forrest land less then a mile from me and Jack are everywhere . I happen to have clients in the Palm Springs/ La Quinta Area . So I make the drive quite a bit over
the mountain and often hunt my birds coming and going . The transitional zone of elevation I gave him has jacks and cotton
tails in good numbers as it is not very high in elevation and does not receive much hunting pressure . I easily could also
get ten quickly if I needed to .
This area also is the closest drive from Palm Springs.

"Try up Hwy. 74 (Palms to Pines Hwy.)get up out of the salt pan/sage brush scrub into pines and grass meadows Just a few minutes above palm Springs"
He can also hunt the Sage Brush scrub before the Pine elevation which was suggested for it's better tasting rabbits .
The sage holds lots of Jacks but they have a stronger taste.

Bowlers suggestion was also good the Cochella Valley alfalfa fields are a good choice and not far away . Good tasting
bunnies there for sure in big numbers .
62 of off 247 is pretty built up now and is a fairly long drive . He could just go up N. Indian canyon drive to the 62 junction and hunt there as well and save some drive time.
I can't comment on your area but if you say it's good then it's just another choice.
I just gave him an area maybe 15 -20 minutes away depending on what side of Palm Springs he lives on that would
have more palatable Jacks .

@Bowler ya I know he can't hunt cotton tails right now. There are Jacks
found where I suggested I see them all the time as I hunt my birds there .

[Skyler]

Ok you are right on the State Forrest misuse I still have the Northern California mindset where there are State Forest .
There are State areas in the National Forest though.
He is in the Colorado Desert which is a low desert by the way . I have national Forrest land less then a mile from me and Jack are everywhere . I happen to have clients in the Palm Springs/ La Quinta Area . So I make the drive quite a bit over
the mountain and often hunt my birds coming and going . The transitional zone of elevation I gave him has jacks and cotton
tails in good numbers as it is not very high in elevation and does not receive much hunting pressure . I easily could also
get ten quickly if I needed to .
This area also is the closest drive from Palm Springs.

"Try up Hwy. 74 (Palms to Pines Hwy.)get up out of the salt pan/sage brush scrub into pines and grass meadows Just a few minutes above palm Springs"
He can also hunt the Sage Brush scrub before the Pine elevation which was suggested for it's better tasting rabbits .
The sage holds lots of Jacks but they have a stronger taste.

Bowlers suggestion was also good the Cochella Valley alfalfa fields are a good choice and not far away . Good tasting
bunnies there for sure in big numbers .
62 of off 247 is pretty built up now and is a fairly long drive . He could just go up N. Indian canyon drive to the 62 junction and hunt there as well and save some drive time.
I can't comment on your area but if you say it's good then it's just another choice.
I just gave him an area maybe 15 -20 minutes away depending on what side of Palm Springs he lives on that would
have more palatable Jacks .

@Bowler ya I know he can't hunt cotton tails right now. There are Jacks
found where I suggested I see them all the time as I hunt my birds there .

Yeah, the transitional areas, especially rocky ones, can be great for cottontails. I have done well off the 74, but much farther south toward you. Here in San Bernardino, our foothills are great for cottontails, but not many jacks. But if you head up the pass or up the 62 into the high desert, it's wide open. You should check out the area around Landers with your birds come quail season. There are some HUGE coveys of Gambels up there.

[Stalker Of Fish]

Our transitional zones hold Jacks I live in one . They are all over the field across the street from me. I don't hunt those
unless my birds are all out of food. I prefer to go into our foot hills and low elevation mountains it's more fun .

I have great Quail hunting about 10 miles from me in the Aqua Tibia Wilderness and in areas just past Vail Lake .
I also have access to hunt in Vineyards out here because they are clients of mine holding Turkey and Quail .
So I never have to drive far except for duck hunting at lake Henshaw.

[bowler]

Our transitional zones hold Jacks I live in one . They are all over the field across the street from me. I don't hunt those
unless my birds are all out of food. I prefer to go into our foot hills and low elevation mountains it's more fun .

I have great Quail hunting about 10 miles from me in the Aqua Tibia Wilderness and in areas just past Vail Lake .
I also have access to hunt in Vineyards out here because they are clients of mine holding Turkey and Quail .
So I never have to drive far except for duck hunting at lake Henshaw.

Have you ever try your hawks on pheasant. Let me know if you want to go after them when there are in season for you. I will pm you some area to try for them. I miss all the pheasant I saw this year. And it was a good year for them too. On the opening day we saw over 12 roosters. I been going for the last three years. The first two years we only saw 6 roosters total.

[DrePSP]

If you are seeing Jacks in legal shooting areas then you can hunt them there as long as it is not a formal range .
DFG has maps that show legal hunting areas . Blm land is good so is State Forest land (my choice) . The rabbits
have better forage in the forest as the desert has limited forage. The old adage you are what you eat applies
and bunnies from the forest taste better . Try up Hwy. 74 (Palms to Pines Hwy.)get up out of the salt pan/sage brush scrub into pines and grass meadows Just a few minutes above palm Springs .

Thank you. Never thought about going up there. Great idea to get out the desert. Maybe after I can hit up lake hemmet for little fishing.