RABBIT POPULATION

[Guest Frank]

As its the end of the ferreting season, well, for most of us, thought i would ask how your rabbit population has been.

Did you have a bumper year, or just avarage? Was you just scratching the surfice and strugling to keep the numbers down, or, killing all, just to get some work for the ferts?

 

All experinces apriciated.

 

Frank.

[the fezz 44]

this was my first season as iv been out of the game for a few years ,the ground i ferret used to be well populated (a few years ago) this season iv really struggled to find any signs of rabbits about

few weeks back got some new permission only to find a large number of rabbits but the weather is all to pot and there are young about so il leave it till next season and prey the myxi doesnt come and wipe them out

[Guest JohnGalway]

I don't ferret but I posted average on what I see lamping :thumbs-up: Strange critters, twice last time I was out I shot one and two others appear and stop to both get shot

[Guest Frank]

Yes John, in areas where they are not shot much, they tend to get suicidal.

 

Frank.

[Yokel Matt 918]

Having moved to Bristol the nearest patch i had was Dorset until the end of last year when i got a patch near Mid-Somer. Finding permission round here is a bloody nightmare without an introduction so i was stoked to find a farmer who said his modest 200 acres of grazing land was thick with them... I walked round one evening after work with the .22 and only saw (ans shot) 3.. two of which had mixy... and haven't seen one since!

 

Needless to say he thinks i'm the dogs balls for sorting out his 'infestation'... i think he needs his eyes testing.

 

Makes me realise how spoiled i was when i was back in Sussex...

 

My Dorset permission has been thinned out a lot as well... i see a hell of a lot of badgers round there and the shepherd says the takes out a lot of foxs. Pisses me off... I don't get to use my snares or nets as much as would like to.... maybe i should move back.

[midnight walker 8]

the land i hunt was moving up until december then they seam to vanished there is still a few around but no high numbers

[danielt 1]

How do you tell if the rabbit has myxi ?

 

Dan

[Yokel Matt 918]

Its quite obvious mate when you see it Swolen (generally pussy & scabby orifices) eyes, arse etc and a generallg sorry state. In the latter stages they are so out of it and unaware of their surroundings that you can walk right up to them to put them out of their misery...

 

One nasty way to go... i'm glad they linched the French f****r who invented it.

Edited March 29, 2007 by LocalYokel

[Paul in North Lincs 15]

Had a decent year.......more productive with the dog and lamp than ferrets...........on the rough stuff struggled to ferret as good as other years as the lack of frost and cold snaps has kept the greenery in place for most of the year.......................stopped ferreting in Feb.....too many young uns......had some nightmare lay ups back end..........one fecker was eight foot under a road.....so we had to sit it out.

 

Would have had a lot more but CORUS have changed their Health & Saftey proccedures so our ferreting permit was not renewed this year.....................cracking sport on there over the years......trying to get an induction day sorted so we can get back on!

 

Not too bad with mixy either back end of last summer.

 

Still running the dogs until its too light to bother going.............................got a lot of permission top keep on top of.

[Kay 3,709]

This little place we found has a fair few bunnys, i saw a black one when last there , but i will be happy with one or two a week in the net , no point trying to catch more than i can carry on foot

 

Hopeing it will be a few yrs before there all gone

[highlander 0]

My ground was not to bad had mixed year big boom in the summer then it slowly died off dont know why didnt see much mxyi about so dont know what happened to them they just vanished.

[whin 463]

rabbits are scares were im at at the moment but got a new cottage or old cottage with a 1000 acre of rabbit land so shall pass the time with the young dogs until its to light and keep the farmer happy as hes a good ole boy , doesnt like the shooting to much or syndacites but like me keeping the pests down etc all the best, rabbits in my gardem last week young ones underneath logs etc and lots ten yards from house next to woodland lana and pup are in there for hours bushing, theyve had six but hard work as they have to get them quick toas the cover is to thick, but keeps them happy , and sharp,

[Guest Frank]

Thanks all, seems the rabbit is till badly effected with that disgusting ilness, mxy.

 

Frank.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

None here, Frank. And I mean None! Thought I'd seen one, twice. But looking back I reckon it was just one of these tiny little native hares. Being used to the huge Brown's, my eye couldn't get my mind to accept it could be anything but a rabbit. My brain and ears since joined in to tell me what was what. No sign. Locals tell me the mink and marten took what little our bout of myxi left.

 

I have Irish Hare on my ground. Enough that it's just pleasent to see one. Not an issue of marvel. Yet I've seen rabbits a few miles down the road and Brown Hare too. What is it about my patch? I think the locals are perfectly correct. It's the waters here, ye see? They harbour the mink and the rest is history. Like the local rabbits

[Ron Weasley 83]

Some of my permission is hit and miss, some is teeming, and other parts are just dead empty!