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Where are all the rabbits?


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Although my permission has never had any rabbits, there were bunnies about in other areas but this past year theres been nowt.

I used to pick road kill rabbit up to use as corvid bait but there just hasn't been any,

Where are all the bunnies?

I've not had a decent population on the farm for years, I shot them, but genocide shooting, we just don't have them on the farm in numbers anymore.

 

Hares, that's a different matter....

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i probably cover a lot of ground picking up new pieces regular but most has very little rabbits on it. with mixy hitting the area 2 years ago heavy and the vhd clearing large areas. but saying that i have just taken on a large rabbit problem with the most i have seen in a long time. counted 80 rabbits in one field the other night :yes:. so there are pockets out there. i am currently shooting over a wide area with 2 other guys who have large amounts of ground and it is the same in there areas. with only pockets of rabbits and most areas very little. going back 5 years you could shoot big numbers 60-70 in a night easily

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back i the early 80's when i started lamping could do average of 10-20 a night with my lurchers every few weeks over several different areas. From the mid 90's the bunters had become more pocketed due to several factors. Some of the land now built on, myxy coming in waves of three consecutive years. Had ferrets for 30 consecutive years, me own line and loved ferreting however the numbers just did not justify me having them in the end and was gutted as i used to love ferreting.

Would say one of the biggest factors for the huge decline in numbers in the last 10 years surrounding me is the sheer amount of increase in other people out lamping and shooting. Nothing gets a rest. In fourty years of shooting air rifles,shotty, lamping, ferreting and hawking have never known it be so dire, they just have never recovered in many areas i know of.

 

I still cover all me areas but as i have always done is not hammer them unless they need thinning out a lot on rare occasion.

 

It will be a sad day when the poor old Bunter is not part of the countryside!

 

atb

7diaw

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Although my permission has never had any rabbits, there were bunnies about in other areas but this past year theres been nowt.

I used to pick road kill rabbit up to use as corvid bait but there just hasn't been any,

Where are all the bunnies?

I don't know where you're from but everybody I talk to say the same thing. I haven't seen any local for year or two.

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Used to be big colonies all the way to work <18 mile trip> but it looks like VHD has wiped that back to 1,s or 2,s here n there .My last rabbit perm had 3 small colonies of 6 to 8 across about 400 acres but they,re deffo in decline hereabouts

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There are still areas that have large populations of rabbits like the Yorkshire Dales etc

 

I used to do lots of rabbiting year ago but travelled to where there were numbers , no point in going where there aren't any.

 

Scottish Borders and Northumberland used to have large populations.

 

These days I just have a few days local ...

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There are still areas that have large populations of rabbits like the Yorkshire Dales etc

 

I used to do lots of rabbiting year ago but travelled to where there were numbers , no point in going where there aren't any.

 

Scottish Borders and Northumberland used to have large populations.

 

These days I just have a few days local ...

Yep, Yorkshire a good area for rabbits, a lot of gundog trainers take their dogs up there to steady them on the rabbits, Ian Openshaw takes a trailer full of dogs up there for training.

 

Seen more rabbits here the last two years than I have seen in the last ten, starting to see lots of rabbits out along the hedgerow in late evening now.

 

Mind you I am surprised how we still have any rabbits left in the countryside when you think of the pressures they are under from us, predators and disease.

Edited by old'un
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We got some new permission late in the season and done really well on it, had over 100 rabbits in 3 outings with the ferrets around Weardale, looking forward to next season as there's still plenty there but too many young around now.

Im guessing breeding is later here, as i havn't had any pregnant does , although I have been expecting them, noticeably I have been getting mostly bucks and Im now wondering if the does are suckling young below ground and perhaps only coming out in safety of darkness, any thoughts ?

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Im guessing breeding is later here, as i havn't had any pregnant does , although I have been expecting them, noticeably I have been getting mostly bucks and Im now wondering if the does are suckling young below ground and perhaps only coming out in safety of darkness, any thoughts ?

 

Would of thought it would be a bit late for there not to be any gestation going on, could be slighty late so as said does suckling young and as you know in the early suckling period they wont be away from them long. Could be that last year it had been a bumper season for bucks so these now reaching sexual maturity are being pushed above and out to establish there own territory/harem and you are happening upon them. I have experienced this in past years and have had periods that have been predominantly bucks. Have had areas that on daylight surveillance has shown little evidence of the said Bunter, however on inspection with lamp has shown the real numbers, conversely have had it the other way.

Any roads good luck with your Bunter populous.

 

atb

7diaw

Edited by 7daysinaweek
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The problem is down to Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_haemorrhagic_disease

 

http://www.future-of-vaccination.co.uk/rhd-disease-rabbits.asp

 

I have seen a big decline in the numbers of rabbits in Northumberland in areas which used to have large numbers. Most of the rabbits I am seeing these days are well conditioned rabbits lying dead on the ground without any of the signs of mixi, such as wasting and swollen eyes. They look like they were just shot and left, but they weren't.

 

It is highly contagious and sad to say, if you don't have it yet, you will do before too long.

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Would of thought it would be a bit late for there not to be any gestation going on, could be slighty late so as said does suckling young and as you know in the early suckling period they wont be away from them long. Could be that last year it had been a bumper season for bucks so these now reaching sexual maturity are being pushed above and out to establish there own territory/harem and you are happening upon them. I have experienced this in past years and have had periods that have been predominantly bucks. Have had areas that on daylight surveillance has shown little evidence of the said Bunter, however on inspection with lamp has shown the real numbers, conversely have had it the other way.

Any roads good luck with your Bunter populous.

 

atb

7diaw

 

Right, thanks for that, Ive been taking rabbits regularly all winter but havn't taken any gestating (that i have noticed) it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks and if any young appear ! We dont have any spring flush of grasses yet and my perms are in dunes and vegetation is very brown

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Not much round this way either (Cambs) we cover probably 10,000 acres and numbers are well down to say 4 - 5 years ago.

We used to get up to 50 a night but you can only shoot them once, keep at it as we were requested to do, and numbers have to go down.

I got rid of my ferrets, still got the gear tho, and dont anticipate getting anymore, shame cos I loved working them.

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My season ended last year with very few about, but have been surprised at the numbers on the same perms, including kitts and pregnant does. I only shoot during the day to avoid the attention of the boys in blue, but had five in a couple of hours the other afternoon. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/cz-452-17-hmr-and-magtech-7022-answer-the-call/

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when i whent to my golf course permission last week saw more hares than rabbits and havent shot good numbers for a while there just seem to see odd couple now and again :no: but one off my farm permissions over at selby looks promersing farmer cut hegerow last week and uncoverd a couple of warrens ive not seen before :good:

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