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Where have all my rabbits gone?


minghis
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Went out last night to a permission for my usual wander around but saw just a handful of rabbits and ended up with just 3 - usually it would be at least a dozen.

 

It was warm, just about to get dark and it was almost like they were all staying in as it was too hot outside. I wondered if someone had been out dog walking or similar and I arrived just after they had gone, but it is unusual to see anyone there as it's quite remote and the landowner has put all manner of signs and gates up.

 

Question is - where were they? Too hot? Spooked already? Just a bad night?

 

 

 

 

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RHD ??? There is now a Stage Two of this which is killing dozens of tame rabbits down in the south of the country. When RHD first appeared some 15yrs ago, I could have guaranteed at least 40 to 50 in the basket on the ATV after a night out. Overnight they vanished, all but a few young but apparently this new mutation kills the lot, young and old. They die underground so bodies are rarely found. I was asked by a researcher in Cambridge to try and recover bodies from the original outbreak and ship them to him but I could not find any.

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have to agree that when some people get carried away and shoot every rabbit they see due to being trigger happy , then what do you expect,,

 

please note, its called PEST CONTROL !!!!!, yes its ok to take a couple but shooting everyone you see is only gonna cause one thing,,,and that is no rabbits left

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Some of you all think a dozen rabbits is too many, without knowing how many acres it is, how often I go there and how much of a problem the rabbits are causing.

 

I had no idea there were so many clairvoyants here but you learn something every day. Let me know when I'm going there next and if it will be worth it, I'll then know how late home I'll be. ;-)

Edited by minghis
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Just my opinion but VHD, VHD1?

 

I , along with the farmers would be happy not to see rabbits on some of the ground I shoot due to the massive amount of damage they cause. Despite Myxi I shot in excess of 300 in 6 outings on one farm (circa 400 acres) and there are still loads more, just lacking in time at the moment due to other shooting and work.

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Went out last night to a permission for my usual wander around but saw just a handful of rabbits and ended up with just 3 - usually it would be at least a dozen.

 

It was warm, just about to get dark and it was almost like they were all staying in as it was too hot outside. I wondered if someone had been out dog walking or similar and I arrived just after they had gone, but it is unusual to see anyone there as it's quite remote and the landowner has put all manner of signs and gates up.

 

Question is - where were they? Too hot? Spooked already? Just a bad night?

 

One of my fav spots dried up 12 months back gutted wish they would return
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Full moons are a pain for me.

Even if there is cloud, they don't come out.

 

Foxes don't seem to bother coming out to play either.

I have had some good nights on the foxes with a full moon out and not a cloud in the sky. Just need to keep movement to a minimum if they are close.

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Can I come out with you then? I have more luck moving (walking), rather than sitting.

 

Always ready to learn.

Of course you can come out with me mate but I am not sure if mid wales will let you in or not being from down south :lol:

 

Not sure if my response was clear. 95% of my shooting involves walking as well. The comment about staying still was if I have spotted a fox when its a full moon. Given how light it is you have to be a bit more careful getting ready to take the shot or close the distance.

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Of course you can come out with me mate but I am not sure if mid wales will let you in or not being from down south :lol:

 

Not sure if my response was clear. 95% of my shooting involves walking as well. The comment about staying still was if I have spotted a fox when its a full moon. Given how light it is you have to be a bit more careful getting ready to take the shot or close the distance.

 

Ah, no time for foreigners then? Will me being a Jock be a bigger issue then? Actually I think I get less grief than folks 50 miles apart give each other.

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I had the same thing maybe 8 years ago, rabbits vanished over a period of a few weeks. Not shot a single rabbit myself in 2 years.

 

VHD is the main cause any survivirs being picked off by Buzzards and Kites. A drive a lot at night, maybe 3 /4 evenings a week over a 70 miles radius, to see a dead rabbit on the road these days is rarer than dead foxes.

 

 

 

A

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