Syracuse.com - DEC asks rabbit hunters to save the skulls of the rabbits they shoot for research purposes

[HuntingNY-News]

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is collecting rabbit heads from hunters east of the Hudson River.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The state Department of Environmental Conservation is collecting rabbit heads from hunters east of the Hudson River for a research project.

The agency wants rabbit heads from Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia or Rensselaer County, or in the Sterling Forest State Park in Orange County.

Researchers want to examine the skulls to learn more about the distribution of various cottontail species. The common eastern cottontail and less familiar New England cottontail are almost identical. The only sure way to accurately identify species is to sample DNA or examine the skull.

More details can be found on DEC’s New England Cottontail Survey website.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog