Life History Studies of the Cottontail Rabbit in Southwestern Michigan

Abstract

The cottontail rabbit is one of the most important game animals in the United States, yet little effort heretofore has been made to determine the habitat requirements and to develop management measures for this species. The two most extensive studies of this nature to date have been those of Trippensee (1934) and Allen (1938a). When we consider that the annual kill of cottontails in Michigan alone is over 2,000,000 individuals, it becomes apparent that this species is worthy of detailed investigation to formulate a basis for sound management. The huge numbers of cottontails imported by various eastern states for planting prove that those states were in need of better methods for properly managing their native cottontail populations.