What happens?

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Hey All. What happens to a warren when you have a ferret kill under, but you cant retrieve the rabbit? I had a hob come up with claret on him and then he went back down before I could lift him, he was on the missing list for half hour, in which time I couldnt get a reading, these warrens are really deep on the side of a high bank, some of the holes are massive and drop 3 or 4 foot vertically, instantly, so that sorta told me digging wasnt an option, even if I had a mark. So, will the rabbits vacate till the bury stops stinking? Im doing this purely for pest control, so if it moves them into the other bury`s, surely that can only be a good thing as there will be more rabbits in less holes? Ta for any replys.

[max abell 196]

Dead rabbits in a bury doesn't seem to make any difference mate take the amount of rabbits with mixy that die down the holes also the ones that get wounded when shot at and die underground the burys are still full of rabbits again come the spring

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Cool. Ta lads. Will it be decayed enough in a week to put my ferrets off eating it, dont want them to have a feed and lay up, but that said, my ferrets have constant access to food so they shouldnt be too hungry when we go out any way.

[paulus 26]

i cleared a warren 2 years ago, backfilled all the holes, 2 were reopend by the next morning, rats by the looks of it, within a week all holes had been dug out and rabbits were bussy running around on the top.

[Born Hunter 17,813]

Cool. Ta lads. Will it be decayed enough in a week to put my ferrets off eating it, dont want them to have a feed and lay up, but that said, my ferrets have constant access to food so they shouldnt be too hungry when we go out any way.

 

I've never experienced any of my ferrets stopping to chow on a rabbit while working, never mind a week old dead 'en. They are well fed before work and only have interest in live rabbits, other than ragging a fresh kill when fired up. I wouldn't be concerned but then perhaps I do things different to you?

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Cool. Ta lads. Will it be decayed enough in a week to put my ferrets off eating it, dont want them to have a feed and lay up, but that said, my ferrets have constant access to food so they shouldnt be too hungry when we go out any way.

 

I've never experienced any of my ferrets stopping to chow on a rabbit while working, never mind a week old dead 'en. They are well fed before work and only have interest in live rabbits, other than ragging a fresh kill when fired up. I wouldn't be concerned but then perhaps I do things different to you?

Dunno mate, now Im not poaching any more I have time to take in the surroundings and think about all sorts of questions I wouldnt normally bother with. Edited November 12, 2011 by bobcullen79

[Leeview 791]

Anyone have any idea how long it takes for a dead rabbit to go off/decay underground?

Consider the Victorians used to keep ice underground for anything up to 8months, no refrigerators to make the ice it was all naturally frozen in winter and stored in purpose built underground stores and used during the Summer.

Last season the crop crew were ferreting in that cold/freezing spell and dug down to 2 ferrets one was frozen and had died the other was saved by one of the lads putting the ferret inside his shirt till he got home.

BC as a fisherman have you never buried maggots in containers in the ground to stop them turning casters? and dug them up the following weekend to use

Y.I.S Leeview

Edited November 12, 2011 by Leeview

[bobcullen79 1,495]

I was thinking that myself Lee, considering how deep these holes are. Also, we hang game upto and past a week and still eat it.