They are the most popular game mammal across the United States (Burger, 1973 pg35, 48). Harvest of the cottontail numbers well into the millions each year without having a lasting effect on the size of the population (Bolen1995 pg27). Water plays a big part in the number of cottontails harvested. As precipitation, water acts to protect cottontails from hunters by being under cover and discouraging hunters (Bolen, 1995 pg192).

Agriculture has seized nearly all of the richest soils. We established in the “Reproduction” section that fertile soils are important to yielding strong, numerous litters. Having a hunting season harvest well into the millions, biologists often face the task of managing for populations that are less than optimal and do not yield a high number of litters (Bolen, 1995 pg93). Even so, the hunting season has not taken a high toll on the number of cottontails; they continue to thrive in high numbers.

Fire is only a problem for cottontails during nesting season. At that time, fire may destroy nests and young. During other seasons, fire has little impact on cottontail populations. They maintain trails and remove enough herbaceous vegetation at the base of brush clumps so that the cleared areas become effective firebreaks (Bolen, 1995 pg308).

Farms are good habitat for cottontails, with the brush and edge. But pesticides and tractors have been known to kill rabbits. At the invention of headlights, nighttime mowing increased mortality of all species in the area fivefold over the daytime rate (Bolen, 1995 pgs272, 269-260).