Photo's by Allen "horntagger" Morris
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THE TRUE SYMBOL OF THE SWAMP LANDS
BY ALLEN "horntagger" MORRIS

You may wonder what the true symbol is. Could it be the Bald Cypress with its knees coming up from the swamp forest floor? Could it be the next Missouri Mammoth Buck whose only presence is know by the muddy hoof prints crossing the broad walk at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. What could it be? Hares your first clue. The cousin of this symbol may be the most hunted animal in North America if not it is certainly the most hunted in Missouri. The famous hunted cousin is the, cottontail rabbit with length of 14 to 16 inches and weighing from 2 to 4 pounds. His not so famous cousin, the SWAMP RABBIT the true symbol the swamp, with a length of 17 to 22 inches in length and weights 4 to 6 pounds, and locals even talking about swamp rabbits as big as there beagles. Also a favorite name for this swamp rabbit is the swamper.

We grow them big in Swampeast Missouri

RANGE
If you never been swamp rabbit hunting along the Mississippi river or other Southeast Missouri waterways like the Current River you are missing out on some explosive action like you have never encountered before.

They can be found in swamps and bottomland forest where dense vegetation wetlands exist. They love fallen and hollow trees, brush piles, and dense vegetation, which provide cover and food. Also, they are never found far from water. I have even found some favorite hiding spots among large rock piles along Current River and concrete piles dumped near New Madrid along hardwood forest near drainage systems.

ESCAPE
I consider the swamp rabbit to be one of the cleverest animals you will ever hunt. Here, is why I believe the swamp rabbit to be the symbol of the swamp.

If he is in hiding tall switchgrass along the bottom of the levee he will let you step right next to him and let you walk by, then take off in theother direction.

If you are lucky enough to get the swamp rabbit to break cover and run. You will then find out that speed is definately one of his survival weapons. The speed of this animal would make the cottontail look like it's sitting still.

If you have dogs with you and they make this swamp buggy take off. You may wonder if your dogs will ever come back. The times that I have been hunting swamp rabbits with dogs the swamp rabbit will not act like the cottontail and make a small circle back. They will run, run, and run, until you cannot hear the sound of the dogs barking. Then either the dog will turn the rabbit or pick up another one, I never figured out which.

I mentioned earlier about swamp rabbits being as big as some beagles. I have let a swamp rabbit run out of a brush pile thinking it was one of the beagles, then realized my mistake, but by then it's to late.

As a beagle owner you may think your dog can sniff out any cottontail in Missouri. But, how about up a tree. That's what I said up a tree. When hunting in New Madrid there are a number of times we have had to help a dog down from a tree. One of the favorite tricks of a swamp rabbit is when a tree has fallen part of the way down and is leaning at a angle is to run about six to seven feet high up the tree and then jump off. The dog will follow but seems to stop at jumping down from that height and also has trouble backing back down. The swamp rabbit eat the bark on these trees and leave pellets for proof they will climb some leaning trees.

The other thing, that we have witnessed, if you have no dogs and have jumped a swamp rabbit he will run a short ways and stop and wait till you have walked by then take off the other direction. So you have to watch closely, if you miss or don't get a shot off. The swamper may just outsmart you.

This is not all of the swamper tricks. There is a reason he lives near the water. He is also an excellent swimmer. Which I have seen them with one jump almost make it to the other side and then swim and be out of the water before you ever get chance to raise your gun.

This may be the main reason it is the symbol of the swamp. Since it uses it for cover. I have never witnessed this next part and for good reason. I probably don't know what to look for. It has been said that the symbol of the swamp to escape predators, it can dive under the water and remain submerged with just its nose breaking the surface. I don't know of any land animal outsmarting predators or humans by this method.

Well, if this was not enough to wear down a hunter I don't know what is. But, it's not over yet. I have taken swamp rabbits with standard rabbit load No. 6 or No. 8, but not very often. With his enormous speed I have ended up using 2 ¾
Double X Magnum No. 6 - 12ga loads for the greatest success. Same thing you might turkey hunt with.

OVER ABUNDANCE....NOT!
With cover, speed, climbing, swimming, smarts, and toughness you would think there would be an over abundance of these animals. This is not the case. When flooding occurs they move to higher ground. Which in most years is the location of natural covers that the floods from years past have brought. Like trees, brush, or what ever the river typically brings down river.
 

In the not so far past we have had some major floods. In this case the natural cover gets taken down stream, there is no cover left. Remember, the swamp rabbit is not only mans main menu but the coyote, fox, owl, hawk and etc. lets put itthis way, he is almost at the bottom of the food chain, and every predator knows it. Also, they do not produce as many young and do not reproduce as often as a cottontail does. This may be the reason the Missouri Department of Conservation keeps there limits to no more than two swamp rabbits daily and four in possession. After you walk a distance with two swamp rabbits in your pack you wont want to take another anyway.

Both of these young adult swamp rabbits have a length of  18 to 19 inches.

LAND MANAGEMENT COMMON SENSE
If you have swamp rabbits on your land lets use common sense to maybe not to increase the population but keep it from disappearing from the area.

Provide the first line of cover just about the normal floodline of rivers, drainage systems, and reservoirs. Then provide a second line of cover for the flood of a lifetime, which we have had in the last several years.
 

You can do this by not mowing the levees, and banks. Just allowing the vines, grasses, thinning out mature forests, leaving piles of brush or fallen treetops for cover. Common sense to any land management is typically your best bet. If you need help just ask your private land management assistant program the Missouri Department of Conservation has established. SUMMARY So remember, when some one asks you what the hardest animal in Missouri to hunt. Be sure and tell them the Symbol of the Swamp Lands – The Swamp Rabbit  a.k.a. SWAMPER. by Allen "horntagger" Morris horntagger@charter.net

Another great day huntin Swampers

Big Group Bunny Bowhunt

One of the funest hunts I have ever been on consisted of about 25 guys with bows. We harvested about 12 rabbits. This was a suburban piece ofproperty in Southwest St. Louis county that was absolutely full of bunnies. I think it was organized through Robin Hood's Den sometime in the mid eightys.

One of the funnyest things I have ever seen happened on that hunt. Awoman was watching us as we worked the brush behind her apartment. We came to the end and gathered for a strategy meeting. One of us was notsatisfied and continued on to check out one last brush pile about twenty yards from us. We watched as he looked in the brush pile and drew his bow,at near point blank range. He shot and the brush pile started moving. Her an around the pile stuck his arm down in the pile and pulled a rabbit out with the arrow through it, held it above his head and started a Native American chant and dance.  Ted Nugent would have been proud.

The women on her back porch just shook her head and retreated to the comfort of her apartment.

We rolled.

Tom Morrow, Editor, NMSIN

Cleaning Rabbits

The way I handle my rabbits is to twist off their head right after they are shot. Then grab the rabbit with both hands right under its front legs(around the rib cage) the back legs hand down. Now start SQUEEZING the ribs in and down..work your hands down toward the belly of the rabbit until the guts pop out. Then sling the rabbit a little to dislodge the guts on the ground. Keeps your hands clean. It's fast, makes them lighter to carry,and they don't stink when you get them home.

When I do get them home, I skin them from the back legs down. Use game shears to cut off the feet. Then cut off the front and back legs at the joints. Next use the shears to cut the belly flap meat and ribs off at the tenderloin line. Snip off the neck and tail bone too.

What you are left with is 4 nice legs and a long backbone piece. I like to use the legs in stews and casseroles (boil, then de-bone), and use the tenderloin to fry.

SQUIRREL SEASON

Photo by Allen "horntagger" Morris I see you  September seems to be the month when most squirrel hunters actually hunt squirrels.  This year’s season runs May 26th, 2001 through January 15th, 2002 yet most hunters prefer the fall months.  The reason being that most ticks, chiggers, and mosquito can be avoided, also all the green cover is quickly changing colors and falling off the trees, leaving the squirrels as easier targets.  The daily limit is 6 and possession is 12.  Small game hunting seems to be a fading past time.  Adults have forgotten the lessons to be learned from teaching a young person how to pursue small game such as squirrels.  It also seems that we’ve forgotten how good squirrel tastes when prepared with small potatoes.  My grandfather use to eat fried squirrel heads, the thought and sight use to turn my stomach.  I’ve since learned that fried heads and even squirrel brains are considered a delicacy in some parts of the United States.  In the South brains are prepared with scrambled eggs and served fried, head and all.  If you haven’t already, take a young person squirrel hunting this fall.  Some good websites to checkout are www.squirrelworld.com and "Scholarly Squirrel".  These sites offer some fun facts and trivia.  For instance, did you know?  “According to fossil records, squirrels have been on earth for over 11 million years.  Squirrels as we recognize have been around for about 3 million years.”  “One of the largest squirrels is the Ratufa, which can grow up to 3 feet in length.  The Ratufa can jump 20 to 30 feet and is native to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent to Nepal.”  “The teeth of squirrels are constantly growing throughout their lifetime.  The front part of a squirrel’s tooth is made of hard enamel, while the back is made of softer dentin.  This means that a squirrel’s teeth are self-sharpening!  Squirrels wear down their teeth by knawing constantly, even in their sleep!

 

Adam’s First Squirrel  My mom and dad bought me a BB/Pellet gun for Christmas in 1995.  I remember it well, I was 7 years old and I thought mine was better than my cousin’s cause mine had a 4x scope.  That 1st winter I spent a lot of time target practicing with cans and sometimes chippies, “cause they make a big mess,” and then I would feed them to our cats so they didn’t go to waste.  That year I finally got to go squirrel hunting with my dad and my brother.  All the years before I only got to go because they made me carry all the squirrels they shot.  One day I asked my dad if we could go and he said, “Adam I am too tired.”  Then I asked him if I could go by myself.  He said “okay.”  I was so excited that I put my boots on the wrong feet and almost fell down.  With my BB/Pellet gun as my partner I started for the woods.  Our 50 acres is mainly one big hill and after walking awhile I decided to sit down.  Before I sat down I was making a lot of noise shuffling through the leaves.  After sitting for a while I heard a noise that was in a nearby tree.  I turned around and saw a gray squirrel in a cedar tree.  I got up and tried to sneak.  I was being really loud.  I snuck about 20 yards till I was about five yards from the squirrel.  I raised my gun, looked through my scope and I couldn’t see anything.  I was too close and my scope lens was all black.  I finally found him.  He was turned around so I couldn’t really see him but I took a shot anyway.  I missed.  I reloaded my gun and the squirrel didn’t even move.  I pumped my gun about 20 times till I couldn’t pump anymore.  I took about two steps toward the squirrel.  I was only three yards away when I raised my gun and shot.  I hit him and he fell.  I had shot him right in the head.  After that I didn’t see anymore so I went to show my dad.  I told dad that I shot him from about 20 yards and snuck about 10.  That wasn’t the truth!!  I think he still believes me.  I still have my BB/Pellet gun but now I use a 410 shotgun.  My brother and me go a lot.  I think about my first squirrel and laugh cause I figure it might have been blind and deaf.  I still go hunting with my dad and he says I sound like Sasquatch walking through the woods.  Guess I still have some work to do.

 

Adam has grown up a bit since those first squirrel hunts.  Here he is with his first 8 point buck and a near limit of squirrels he shot this year.

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