Effects of Weather Conditions on the Winter Activity of Mearns Cottontail

An important phase of cottontail management is estimation of the populations. The accuracy of methods used to determine the numbers may be increased with greater knowledge of the effects of weather conditions on cottontail activity. The effects of temperature on cottontail activity have been observed by several investigators. In Michigan, Allen (1939) found that females tended to use burrows at temperatures of 10° F. Linduska (1947) reported the use of dens by cottontails in southern Michigan to be three times as great at temperatures of -8° to +12° F. as when the temperature ranged from 12° to 32° F., and that females were more inclined to use dens than were males. In Wisconsin, Hanson (1944) found no correlation between temperature and the number of cottontails trapped per night, the correlation with barometric pressure not significant, and cloudiness, precipitation and wind direction showing no relationship to the number of rabbits trapped per night. Crunden (1954) reported more rabbits trapped during periods of rising or falling barometric pressure than during periods of constant barometric pressure