For many hunters, the cottontail is pre-eminent among the South's small-game animals, and for a lot of good reasons. Found in parts of California, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Nevada, this species of rabbit is critically endangered in the state of Washington. They are coloured greyish/brown with a pale coloured underside and they have reddish/brown hairs on their hind legs. This rabbit was introduced in various places in Washington, starting in 1926. Two of the native rabbit species in the area are the pygmy rabbit and the nuttall’s cottontail. DISTRIBUTION OF COTTONTAIL RABBITS IN WASHINGTON STATE Walter W. Dalquest The Provisional List of the Land Mammals of the State of Washington (Taylor and Shaw, 1929) gives a rough outline of the range of the native cot-tontail rabbit. During the past several years a number of records have been obtained that make it possible to show But rabbit hunting usually doesn't start that way. The eastern cottontail bunny is so named for its distinctive tail, … I did my fare share of hunting rabbits while growing up in the mid-west but haven't done much in a long, long time. It is found in sagebrush areas, weed and tall-grass patches, and orchards throughout eastern Washington. Legend: = Core Habitat = Marginal Habitat. On the west side of the state, it is found in much of the low-elevation, disturbed areas. License: Public Domain. Wildlife North America . GAP Analysis Predicted Distribution Map Nuttall's Cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii) Species Code: SYNU. This publication describes the characteristics of these two species, signs of activity and damage, and management options. Mountain cottontail rabbit on deep snow looking cold in the winter . Hunting rabbits with beagles is not a contemplative sport. Mountain Cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii) Mountain Cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii) in Washington State Photograph by Justin Wilde. We highlight some of those reasons here. wild eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) rabbit hiding in long grass, Rattlesnake Mountain, Washington State, USA. During the past several years a number of records have been obtained that make it possible to show In Washington State, two of the most common species to cause damage are the snowshoe hare and Eastern cottontail rabbit. Main Characteristics Mountain Cottontails are medium sized rabbits. On the west side of the state, it … In eastern Washington, it occurs in wetter, brushy and other types of habitat providing low cover, including sagebrush, river bank thickets, rock outcrops, gullies, etc.