I don't know where you are, Fox, but in my area (Northern Michigan), the rabbits don't run out of their dens when you try to kick them up. They stay put and wait until you leave. If they're out and about, munching on twigs and saplings, they'll jump out ahead of you, but if they're hunkered down in their den, they're not going to move. Actually, sending my cat into the den to explore has been the only way I've had success rousting them out.
There being snow on the ground, I doubt you're able to get close enough to their main feeding/sleeping area without them hearing you first. Those big ears aren't just for decoration. If you've been getting to know some rabbits in a new area, it might be useful to sneak in during the early morning or mid-afternoon, find a spot out of sight and down wind of their burrow and wait with an arrow knocked on your bow. You'll eventually see one, but the cottontail rabbit is a crafty animal. They don't just walk into the point of your broadhead like people think they do. You have to use all of your hunters wits while pursuing them, and if you do happen upon one, you've got to make a great shot.
