catchthepigeonmutley Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 Was out the other evening, first time on my new permission, in fact. To cut a long story short, I was going back to the car over a bit of rocky ground as the light was fading when what I had thought was a large stone about 10 feet in front of me suddenly moved. It was a rabbit, behaving very strangely. I approached for a closer look and could see that it had swelled eyes and drooping ears. I'm relatively new to shooting, but it looked like myxomatosis to me. The fact that it let me get so close suggested it was aware of my presence but was too weak to bolt to get away. As it was thin (in contrast to the others I had seen) it was obviously starving, so I thought it best to give it the coup de grace. Even if I wanted to do this manually, I couldn't get close enough, so I went back a few yards and gave it a single blast from the shotgun to end its suffering. I then gingerly picked it up and did my best to bury it in some long nettles. I informed the landowner who seemed to think that the disease seemed to come around every 5 years or so, and that each cycle is worse and affects more rabbits, but is nothing like as bad as the initial outbreak in the post war years. i know I did the right thing in dispatching it, but was I right in leaving it there partially buried, or should I have taken it home and burned it ?? Your thoughts please....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 As long as no livestock can get near it, it should be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdom Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 You did the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted June 27, 2016 Report Share Posted June 27, 2016 Yes, mixy does seem to come and go in waves. You'll find that the population in an area will rise over 3-6 years, until it seems to reach a 'critical mass', for want of a better phrase. Then mixy will strike, pull numbers down massively, and then it will all start again. As to burying (or not) a dead rabbit, nothing else that I'm aware of can suffer from mixy. So foxes, badgers, corvids or birds of prey will not be affected, no matter what you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshMike Posted June 27, 2016 Report Share Posted June 27, 2016 Yes, mixy does seem to come and go in waves. You'll find that the population in an area will rise over 3-6 years, until it seems to reach a 'critical mass', for want of a better phrase. Then mixy will strike, pull numbers down massively, and then it will all start again. As to burying (or not) a dead rabbit, nothing else that I'm aware of can suffer from mixy. So foxes, badgers, corvids or birds of prey will not be affected, no matter what you do. +1. All the rabbits that I shoot that have myxi are thrown in the bottom of a hedge or somewhere out of site, leaving them there isnt going to make the situation worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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