How to identify it
Large hare whose tail is always white (sometimes with a buffy top stripe). [1]
Ears rimmed in white and tipped in black year-round. [1]
Summer upperparts yellowish to grayish brown with white or gray underside. [1]
In snowy northern range turns pure white in winter; farther south only the sides whiten. [1]
Compared with the black-tailed jackrabbit: Black-tailed jackrabbit has a black tail top, black back stripe and black rump patch. [1]
Compared with the snowshoe hare: Snowshoe hare is a smaller forest hare with smaller ears. [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.
- Black-tailed jackrabbit · Lepus californicus
- Snowshoe hare · Lepus americanus
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify White-tailed jackrabbit from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Open grasslands, pastures and fields, also forest openings up to alpine tundra, from 40 to 4,300 m. [1]
How it behaves
Nocturnal, feeding sunset to sunrise; rests by day in shallow forms under cover, linked by well-used trails; tunnels into snow in winter. [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
- Manitoba — hunting · Manitoba Hunting Guide 2026
- Saskatchewan — hunting · 2026-27 Trappers Guide
- 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)
- Idaho — hunting, trapping · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Minnesota — hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Nebraska — hunting, trapping · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- Nevada — hunting · CR 26-13 2026-27 & 2027-28 Seasons, Bag Limits ... Upland Game Birds, Rabbits, Wild Turkey, Furbearers
- South Dakota — hunting, trapping · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Utah — hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Wyoming — hunting, trapping · Wyoming Statutes Title 23 (W.S. 23-1-101 definitions)
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
West-central Canada and the western and north-central United States: the Great Plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan east to extreme southwestern Ontario and Wisconsin, west to the Rockies and south to central California. The range has contracted in the southeast (e.g., Kansas).
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology