Another question; we have a bunch of rabbits around here and in order to plant vegetables…won't they just eat the veggies? The only thing I can think of to keep them away is to shoot them. Also, what type of veggies would be best to grow and thrive in zone 5a? Any experience with great growing vegetables I could possibly grow?

You have two options and shooting them is not one of them.

Rabbit fencing or a Terrier. I have both. If you have digging bunnies, you will have to bury a certain amount of wire below ground. I have climbing bunnies so the fence needs to be a bit taller.

Last week, Terrier chased a bunny out of the yard. I called Terrier back before he crossed the street. Bunny ran across the street and barely missed being hit by the FedEx truck. On the other side of the street, he chose to hide behind a 3 ft tall wall. A hawk was sitting on the top of the wall. Oops!

So maybe add friendly hawks to the list.

Ok I do have a terrier and he chases them a lot. But he's getting old and he isn't out all the time.

A simple fence will keep them out - it doesn't have to be very high (at least not for the bunnies that we have here), something like 3 feet works fine.

If you are also dealing with deer, though, it needs to be a lot higher.

Yes indeed it does. Deer can hop barbed wire fences about 5 feet high

The stuff i'm thinking of is less than 3 ft tall - it wouldn't keep deer out.

My cats catch rabbits... They just don't catch enough of them.
One year when the rabbits were entirely too comfortable... I shot a few.

Any more, they run immediately when I step out the door...

There are other alternatives... but they are a PIA.

When you figure out what they eat... you can take an egg or two in a sprinkling can, stir it up with a fork, add water to top while stirring, sprinkle over affected plants, repeat after every rain.

Or... put in a wood surround for beds especially affected... like spring peas... staple some fine mesh poultry netting or 'what have you' to the wood.

Last year I put pine logs around the pea patch, supported the wire with bamboo... Worked.

Ok, thank you, Stone!