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The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications

Rabbit drives like this were common on the plains during the ’20s and ’30s. The jackrabbits in the local area numbered tens or hundreds of thousands and were ruining crops and fields. The pests were especially problematic during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, when crops were already scarce due to the drought and dust storms and farmers were struggling to provide food for their families and their livestock. The drives became something of a sport and provided entertainment during hard times. A bounty of a few cents per rabbit was often offered, earning the residents a little extra money (or at least covering the cost of ammunition if it was used) and ridding farms of thousands of the pests at the same time. The rabbits were then sold for a few cents for their fur and meat. A few coyotes were sometimes killed on the hunts and were then often sold for a couple dollars each to help pay the cost of the lunch. — Source: Phillips County Museum