The Anishinaabe Algonquin people of the Ottawa Valley have been living from and caring for the land since time immemorial. Rabbit has long been an essential staple food and was usually trapped in the winter.

Typically, families would spend the winter months on their trapline, hunting game, living from the land and educating youth.  From dawn to dusk, rabbits always travel on the same trails and are very easy to spot, making them one of the easier animals to trap.

An old saying calls for rabbits to be trapped during months including the letter “R”, namely from September to April, as their coats are thicker, their tracks are more visible in the snow and the risk of killing pregnant mothers is lower.

Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island have developed precise trapping and snaring techniques over millennia. Traditionally they used a noose made of moose sinew but now opt for more easy-to-use metal traps and modern snares.

One of the traditional recipes for hare or rabbit is a stew with root vegetables and broth. Algonquin chef Cezin Nottaway opts for a recipe she learned from her grandmother, using potatoes, celery, rosemary and garlic, in addition to mustard and homemade maple syrup.