The instant you see a rabbit flush within shotgun range --and not in the line of fire of a companion -- raise your gun, mount and fire in one fluid motion. Point the shotgun at the fleeing rabbit, lower your cheek to the gun, track with the moving blur of fur, and then slap the trigger just as the barrel moves ahead of the quarry. This should put most of your load in the head and neck area, leaving the bulk of the meat undamaged.

Most hunters use too much choke for small-game hunting. Because of the quick, close shooting involved, an open choke or, at most, improved cylinder is optimal for most rabbit hunting. One of my favorite rabbit guns is a 16-gauge Stevens double handed down to me by my father. I've modified it by amputating 3 inches from the barrel and removing all of the choke. This is a light, quick-pointing gun whose open pattern is perfect for most rabbit shots. If a cottontail gets up too far away for the open pattern, I simply let it go. That rarely happens, though: Most rabbits you jump up are 10 to 25 yards away -- prime range for an open-choked gun, or improved cylinder at most.

Don't use shot any larger than No. 5 for rabbits. Sure, 4s will work, but you get a better pattern with more pellets using 5s or 6s. That shot size will kill cottontails cleanly at close range if you aim true.

You can practice your shooting for rabbits by having a friend throw some clay targets for you. Have him throw them at shin-height, and from behind you.

Where the option is legal, a .22 rifle shooting hollow-point ammo is another possibility for cottontail hunting. This calls for a slightly different strategy. Take a stealthier approach as you work through the cover, scanning ahead with your eyes. Try to spot the brown fur or the large glassy eye of the rabbit, or its quivering ears.

Aim carefully for the head when you spot the stationary target; squeeze off smoothly. Don't give up, though, if the rabbit hops off before you shoot. Sometimes the quarry will just run a few yards, and then pause to investigate whatever it was that disturbed it -- at which point you might get a second chance.

Never use .22s around homes or farm buildings; stick to shotguns in those situations.

No, I'll never turn down an invitation to hunt with a pack of rambunctious beagles leading the way. But if no dogs are available, I think you'll find you can still enjoy some pretty good sport on your own by following these tips for jumping up the cottontails.

DANGERS OF TULAREMIA
Tularemia is uncommon in rabbits, but be aware of the possibility that cottontails could be infected with this disease.

The liver and spleen of a rabbit carrying tularemia will be swollen, with the liver covered with hundreds of tiny white spots. A few, larger spots about the size of a pencil eraser are symptomatic not of tularemia but of tapeworm. Rabbits showing symptoms of tularemia should be buried. Those with just a couple of the larger white spots can be eaten safely, but the viscera should be buried or placed in a trashcan so that dogs can't reach them.

The most common route of infection in humans is through a break in the skin, and there's obviously an opportunity for that to occur during the cleaning of tularemia-infected rabbits. To reduce the risk posed by dressing cottontails, wear rubber gloves and wash thoroughly with soap and water after cleaning the game.