Snowshoe hare at a glance
Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) is a forest hare with large, heavily furred hind feet and black-tipped ears. Most populations change from brown in warmer months to white in winter, so coat colour alone is unreliable during transition.
Large, furred hind feet and black-tipped ears matter throughout the year. The coat changes from brown to white seasonally; Arctic hare is larger and has more distinct black ear tips in overlap areas. [1]
How to identify it
Large, furred hind feet and black-tipped ears matter throughout the year. The coat changes from brown to white seasonally; Arctic hare is larger and has more distinct black ear tips in overlap areas. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Eastern cottontail · Sylvilagus floridanus
- Arctic hare · Lepus arcticus
Field notes
- Identification Coat colour changes seasonally. Use the large furred hind feet and black-tipped ears, and distinguish snowshoe hare from Arctic hare or local rabbits.[1]
Where it lives
Snowshoe hare is a forest species that uses dense conifer, riparian woodland, willow-birch scrub and other habitats with protective understory cover. [1]
How it behaves
Most active from sundown to dawn and active all winter; rests by day in sheltered 'forms' under bushes, stumps or logs. [2][3]
Keeps a network of well-maintained runways that follow the same routes summer and winter and become conspicuous after snowfall. [2][3]
Eats herbaceous plants and shrub leaves in summer; twigs, buds and bark of conifers, aspen and willow in winter. [2][3]
Populations cycle between high abundance and scarcity; generally silent but snorts, and clicks during breeding season. [2][3]
Tracks and sign
The oversized hind feet leave a characteristic paired print ahead of the smaller forefeet when the hare bounds; well-used winter trails can be conspicuous in snow. [4]
What changes by season
The coat molts brown in spring and white in fall. Summer foods include succulent vegetation; winter foods shift toward twigs, buds and bark. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Manitoba — hunting · Manitoba Hunting Guide 2026
- New Brunswick — hunting, trapping · Hunt & Trap Regulations Summary 2026–2027
- Newfoundland and Labrador — hunting, trapping · 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Northwest Territories — hunting · NWT Summary of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
- Nova Scotia — hunting, trapping · 2026 Hunting and Fur Harvesting Summary of Regulations
- Ontario — hunting · Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary — Small game and furbearing mammals
- Prince Edward Island — hunting, trapping · Wildlife Conservation Act — Hunting and Trapping Seasons Regulations (consolidated to 2022-09-03)
- Québec — hunting, trapping · Périodes de chasse au petit gibier 2026-2028
- Saskatchewan — hunting · 2026-27 Trappers Guide
- Alaska — hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations: Fur Animals, Small Game, Unclassified Game, and Deleterious Exotic Wildlife (pp.140-142)
- California — hunting · 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations (updated July 1, 2026)
- Colorado — hunting · 2 CCR 406-3 Chapter W-3 Furbearers and Small Game, Except Migratory Birds (07/16/2026; eff. 2026-09-01)
- Connecticut — hunting · 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Idaho — hunting · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Maine — hunting · 2026-27 Maine Hunting Seasons (Summary of Laws & Rules)
- Minnesota — hunting, trapping · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Montana — hunting · Recreational Shooting of Nongame Species (FWP web page)
- New Hampshire — hunting · Fis 300 Wildlife Seasons and Rules
- Oregon — hunting · 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet, eRegulations host linked from myodfw.com)
- Pennsylvania — hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- Utah — hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Vermont — hunting · Hunting and Trapping Seasons (web page)
- Washington — hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- West Virginia — hunting · West Virginia 2026-2027 Hunting Season Dates | WVDNR
- Wisconsin — hunting, trapping · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
- Wyoming — hunting · WGFC Ch. 11 Upland Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Seasons (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Forested Canada, Alaska and the northern United States, extending south in some mountain regions.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
Government of Canada · reviewed 2026-09-20
Parks Canada
- BIOLOGICALSnowshoe Hare Species Profile
Alaska Department of Fish and Game · reviewed 2026-09-30
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- BIOLOGICALSnowshoe Hare - Hinterland Who's Who
Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada · reviewed 2026-09-30
Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada
- BIOLOGICALSnowshoe hare
Government of Canada · reviewed 2026-09-20
Canadian Wildlife Service