Pissed off!

[DogMagic 461]

I took my lot over to beaulieu for a walk last week. Its a good walk there, no roads, plenty of bushes and cover for them to sniff about in, the odd rabbit etc and best of all not to many people (as long as you dont stick to the tracks) and you can easliy make it a 3 hour walk.

 

Well half an hour into the walk my beagle x jack follows his nose into a patch of gorse and i hear a squeel. Obviously a rabbit. I wonder how come it didnt bolt for the lurchers to take out? When i took it off him i found out why. Both eyes half closed with mixy! Pissed off to say the least.

 

Iv just back from another dog walk about 10 minutes drive away and found another one! Surely at the time of year the f*****g disgusting disease is meant to be dormant! Im gutted. So thats that, im not expecting this season to be much better than a sack of shit now and christ alone knows how bad it will be again come summer and breeding season. And after that shit will there be any at all left for NEXT season?! Not looking good for us new forest lads.

[ianh 83]

not really been cold for long enough to be dormant mate i wouldnt think, been too mild a winter up to now. it will get worse but it will always get better mate

[NEWKID 27,089]

They always survive mate, next summer they will breed again for sure.

Been quite lucky down here and only had a handful with mixy, had one tues night either just getting over it or the start of it, it's an evil disease but it will never be gone now, luckily rabbits are survivors and it don't seem to matter what's chucked at them there's always a few about

[paulus 26]

rabbits are still breedind here the dogs had a half grown one yesterday

[darbo 4,774]

got a few with myxi 2 weeks ago.

[DogMagic 461]

I know they bounce back i dont think its normal to be seeing it halfway through december! Its been shit here for a few years now. I hope the years of seeing 20 perfectly healthy rabbits during our 3 hour walks aint JUST memories. These days i consider myself lucky if i SEE 2!

[The Duncan 802]

Until a few years ago we'd have no myxy until september, it would pass in a couple of months.

 

Dormant? its passed by fleas from rabbit to rabbit and when the weather turns bad and the bunnies spend more time below ground they swap more fleas hence the myxoma virus rises again.

The rabbits are getting more resistant to it thanks to their rapid rate of reproduction, so sooner or later it shouldn't be much of a problem to them.

Still horrible to see them in such discomfort though. Ironically, I do have some affection for rabbits, for all I've culled thousands and would like to see the back of this scourge.

 

D.

[The Duncan 802]

I know they bounce back i dont think its normal to be seeing it halfway through december! Its been shit here for a few years now. I hope the years of seeing 20 perfectly healthy rabbits during our 3 hour walks aint JUST memories. These days i consider myself lucky if i SEE 2!

They do tend to be more nocturnal in the winter.

You'll see a heck of a lot more with a lamp in the wee hours DM.

[pikesta 54]

a few years back a place i go was hit by mixy. this land was alive with rabbits before it hit, with us catching good numbers when ferreting and lamping.

Then the mixy hit! After clearing alot of mixys the land was near dead. Anyway 3 seasons on and the place is back to its best if not better. Just hoping it stays that way....

[MUDD 374]

Plenty off maxi about this season, that's jmo in certain areas I lamp. I dont target bunnys ip, still a run for a dog so why not. It comes and goes. At the minute it's thriving

[DogMagic 461]

I know they bounce back i dont think its normal to be seeing it halfway through december! Its been shit here for a few years now. I hope the years of seeing 20 perfectly healthy rabbits during our 3 hour walks aint JUST memories. These days i consider myself lucky if i SEE 2!

They do tend to be more nocturnal in the winter. You'll see a heck of a lot more with a lamp in the wee hours DM.

I wish that were true mate! I lamp a lot BUT i have to lamp a lot to get the numbers i want. A couple of nights ago i went lamping. I went to 3 different places, had 7 runs and took 5 rabbits home. The numbers just aint here any more. Weve been hit HARD by mixy 4 years running and yes they bounce back but to see them at the numbers of 4 years ago seems like a f*****g fairytale these days. Someone said it goes in 7 year cycles, if that true weve got another 3 to go. Edited December 18, 2011 by DogMagic

[DogMagic 461]

Another today

[reddawn 2,173]

im out ferreting most days at this time of year, i aint come across any myxi since the start of october but there is still loads a fleas about, so i guess myxi will still be doing the damage in some places, we had loads of bunnys bounce back after myxi over the past few years aswell, so that a bonus, not seen any babys as of yet

[DogMagic 461]

Red i caught one last year that had scars all over its head, skull exposed, the lot that i reckon must be a mixi surviver.

[canaliculata 28]

I couldnt understand it around me a few years ago. I mean theres not that many rabbits anyway, but literally over a few weeks it was like 'where have all the rabbits gone', not been the same since.....no signs of mixy or anything, baffled me.