Volunteers with Michigan United Conservation Clubs and local Department of Natural Resources staff members recently spent a day together giving “hare cuts” on public land in the Grayling Forest Management Unit as part of an effort to improve wildlife habitat. “Snowshoe hares are a type of rabbit here in the northern areas of Michigan, and a lot of folks have great memories hunting them,” said DNR wildlife biologist Brian Piccolo. “Unfortunately, snowshoe hare populations have steadily declined over the past few decades, and research suggests that this decline is due partially to shorter winters and less snow cover due to climate change.”
Snowshoe hares differ from the more common eastern cottontail rabbit in several ways – they have longer ears and bigger hind feet than the cottontail, and one other unique trait.
“Snowshoe hares have the ultimate adaptation for survival by being able to completely change the color of their fur to adapt to their surroundings,” said Piccolo.
Snowshoes are a brownish-cinnamon color in the summer and will molt, or grow new white fur, in the winter. While many animals molt, most do not change their color so drastically. The white fur gives snowshoe hares great camouflage when snow is on the ground. If there is little or no snow cover during the winter months, having white fur against a brown background can lead to increased detection by predators.
To create prime hiding cover for snowshoe hares and help them stay hidden during not-so-snowy winters, the group hinge-cut conifers within lowland conifer swamps, the preferred habitat of snowshoe hares. Hinge-cutting involves cutting partially through a tree and leaving a portion of the tree still attached to keep the tree alive, and then pushing it over so it’s horizontal and lying just above the ground. This horizontal cover not only helps hares escape from predators – such as coyote, fox, bobcat and birds of prey like hawks and owls – but also provides shelter to raise their young, which can lead to an increase in survival rates. In addition to hares, white-tailed deer and ruffed grouse also benefit from low-lying cover and the easy-to-reach browse created by hinge-cutting.
“We had a great volunteer crew,” said Drew YoungeDyke of MUCC. “They drove all the way from the Detroit, Jackson and Lansing areas, as well as local hunters, to give up their Saturday to improve habitat for the game they hunt. Special thanks, too, to Extreme Powersports of Gaylord for lending us a Yamaha ORV for the project.”
Around 200 conifers were hinge-cut in Oscoda County’s Greenwood Township. A large, mixed-conifer swamp with spruce, fir and cedar on public land was chosen because this area provides ideal cover and is surrounded by aspen trees, which are a preferred food source for hares.
“When we think of doing habitat work in an area, we make sure we are covering multiple needs for that species, specifically making sure food and cover are available. These mixed-conifer swamps with nearby aspen are where most snowshoe hares concentrate and where we can have the biggest positive impact on the species,” said Piccolo.
The DNR has identified snowshoe hares as a featured species, an animal that is highly valued but is limited by habitat. Although habitat is just one of a number of different factors that affect survival, the lack of habitat is the primary cause of wildlife declines worldwide.
As part of Michigan’s recent license restructuring, the need to expand small game hunting opportunities was identified, and the DNR has made an investment to increase habitat work specifically benefiting squirrel, rabbit and snowshoe hare.
MUCC’s YoungeDyke coordinates On the Ground volunteer days all over the state to give hunters and anglers a chance to make a difference outdoors to benefit both fish and wildlife. To learn more, and to look for other events, visit www.mucc.org. On the Ground is supported by a Wildlife Habitat Grant from the Department of Natural Resources, the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, Huron Pines AmeriCorps and Outdoor Life’s Open Country initiative.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.