Snowshoe hare

Scientific name: Lepus americanus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Snowshoe hares have distinctive large hind feet (acting as snowshoes), long ears, and a color that shifts seasonally: brown to gray in summer and white in winter in northern populations. Adults are stocky with a short tail and relatively short front legs compared to their hindquarters.

Size and weight

Adults typically weigh 1.5–2.5 kg, with body length of 37–52 cm; females average slightly larger than males.

Habitat

Snowshoe hares inhabit dense boreal and mixed forests with thick understory cover, including spruce, fir, and willow thickets. They prefer areas with deep snow in winter and rely on brush and young forest regeneration for shelter year-round.

Distribution

Snowshoe hares range across boreal North America from Alaska and Canada south through the Rocky Mountains and northeastern United States. They are found at higher elevations in southern portions of their range.

Diet

Snowshoe hares browse on woody vegetation including willow, aspen, and conifer needles in winter; in summer they feed on herbaceous plants, clover, grasses, and berries.

Behaviour

Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, they are solitary and spend daylight hours resting in shallow forms under brush. They move via bounding gait and rely on speed and zigzagging to escape predators.

Hunting tips

Look for distinctive large tracks (up to 12 cm wide) in snow and small rounded droppings along runways through dense brush. Approach quietly through thick cover during low-light hours, using terrain contours to stay concealed. Still-hunt along the edge of openings and young regenerating forest where hares forage at dawn and dusk.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.