White jackrabbits

[REDFOX]

Has anyone on here ever seen white jackrabbits in northern Utah ? I was hunting today and I saw 6 of these rabbits in the snow in sage brush flats.

[denaliguide]

are there snowshoe hares in northern utah?

[oldno7]

Yes there are snowshoes, likely what was spotted.

[REDFOX]

I did some research and found that the rabbits that I was seeing were white tailed jackrabbits. Their coat turns white in the winter and these rabbits are quite large in comparison to the snowshoe hare. In fact I saw that they are the largest rabbit species in Utah.

[ilanimaka]

As jackrabbits aren't actually rabbits, but hares, like the snowshoe, their coats do turn white in the winter. When I went up to Bear Lake in January for the Cisco run, there were several dead on the road.

[canyoncaver]

I see the white jackrabbits in my yard at about 7300' elevation. When I drive down into Heber Valley at approx. 5900' I often see white snowshoe hares. Considering they both turn brown in the summer, it can be quite confusing.