In 1875 the territorial legislature established a bounty on jackrabbits. Rather than require that bunny hunters bring in the whole rabbit, a pair of ears was enough to claim the bounty. The county paid from about a penny a pair to as much as 5 cents for a pair of ears, depending on how big the rabbit population was.
Jack Rabbit populations fluctuate naturally on a 7-11-year cycle. On their own their numbers can be large one year and drop by 90 percent the next. They can recover quite rapidly because of their well-known ability to, let’s say, court. Weather can impact the cycle, with hard winters and dry summers making life tough for rabbits.
Why the fluctuation? There are many reasons, which lead to many questions, just as if you have a 3-year-old at hand to ask, why, why, why, why? Predator populations fluctuate, so you’ll see a lot more coyotes when there are a lot more rabbits. And, when there are a lot of rabbits, a lot of rabbit disease spreads among the population. The availability of feed plays a part, so the weather is in the mix.
Farmers inserted themselves into this crazy cycle as soon as they began farming in Idaho. They probably didn’t mind a few rabbits, but when that cycle came around every few years and there were more rabbits than stocks of corn or wheat, the tolerance of farmers ran short. Thus the bounty on rabbit ears.
In deference to those who may have just eaten, I won’t go into great detail about how those bounties were collected. It wasn’t unusual to have a large circle of men and boys close in on a thousand or more rabbits and dispatch them in ways that would make Walt Disney squeamish.
They didn’t do it for sport. Jack Rabbits have caused millions of dollars in damages for farmers over the years, sometimes destroying a thousand acres at a time.
In a uniquely Idaho sidelight, I must point out that the first Stinker Station advertising/humorous sign was about rabbit drives. Farris Lind installed it on the old highway between Boise and Mountain Home when rabbit drives were common in that area. The humorous side of the sign said, "Notice: Running Rabbits Have Right of Way!"
Jack Rabbit populations fluctuate naturally on a 7-11-year cycle. On their own their numbers can be large one year and drop by 90 percent the next. They can recover quite rapidly because of their well-known ability to, let’s say, court. Weather can impact the cycle, with hard winters and dry summers making life tough for rabbits.
Why the fluctuation? There are many reasons, which lead to many questions, just as if you have a 3-year-old at hand to ask, why, why, why, why? Predator populations fluctuate, so you’ll see a lot more coyotes when there are a lot more rabbits. And, when there are a lot of rabbits, a lot of rabbit disease spreads among the population. The availability of feed plays a part, so the weather is in the mix.
Farmers inserted themselves into this crazy cycle as soon as they began farming in Idaho. They probably didn’t mind a few rabbits, but when that cycle came around every few years and there were more rabbits than stocks of corn or wheat, the tolerance of farmers ran short. Thus the bounty on rabbit ears.
In deference to those who may have just eaten, I won’t go into great detail about how those bounties were collected. It wasn’t unusual to have a large circle of men and boys close in on a thousand or more rabbits and dispatch them in ways that would make Walt Disney squeamish.
They didn’t do it for sport. Jack Rabbits have caused millions of dollars in damages for farmers over the years, sometimes destroying a thousand acres at a time.
In a uniquely Idaho sidelight, I must point out that the first Stinker Station advertising/humorous sign was about rabbit drives. Farris Lind installed it on the old highway between Boise and Mountain Home when rabbit drives were common in that area. The humorous side of the sign said, "Notice: Running Rabbits Have Right of Way!"
Black-tailed jackrabbit. (2024, June 22). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_jackrabbit
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