Types

• Live cottontail rabbit control is usually divided into three types: exclusion, repelling, and trapping. Trees and other plants are protected by barriers to exclude the rabbits; the rabbits are trapped and removed from the area; or something is done to the area to make it unattractive to rabbits.
  
  

Legal Game

• A fourth control option is killing the rabbits, but this must be done in accordance with local hunting laws. These vary by state and might limit the amount you shoot to the bag limit normally imposed on hunters. You might also need a license to shoot the animal, even if it's in your own backyard.
  
  

Alternatives Might Not Work

• Other forms of cottontail control are based on hearsay and marketing, and they might not work. Kansas State University notes that ultrasonic repellents that claim to force rabbits away from your yard haven't been proven to work. The University of California says noise-making devices aren't very effective, either.