Whats happening with the british rabbits

[brown trout 1]

Hi people ,just thought I would start a New thread about ferreting ,I go up on the Yorkshire dales and have been for the past 8 year and it seems to me the past 3 year have been really poor for bolting rabbits or even digging them out,I've been doing warrens what you would put all your life savings on that they were in and you are in for an explosive session but then realizing your digging for 1 poxy rabbit and . But when I go up with the lamp its lifting with them,they just seem to be sitting out in what ever weather and that's in snow ,frost you name it just want to know what's it like in your region people ,atb

[paulus 26]

Hi people ,just thought I would start a New thread about ferreting ,I go up on the Yorkshire dales and have been for the past 8 year and it seems to me the past 3 year have been really poor for bolting rabbits or even digging them out,I've been doing warrens what you would put all your life savings on that they were in and you are in for an explosive session but then realizing your digging for 1 poxy rabbit and . But when I go up with the lamp its lifting with them,they just seem to be sitting out in what ever weather and that's in snow ,frost you name it just want to know what's it like in your region people ,atb

tomo :laugh:

[BEARINATOR 2,871]

Plenty about here , if Blackwater reads this he will blame the minshaws for wiping out the dales

[ferret1988 20]

In areas such as that they will live in the stone walls etc thats why and it can be very frustrating when farmers say your not doing and good job and they wont let you lamp it, they dont realise that there animials will get anywhere they can and that means in walls gullys quarrys anywhere. hope this helps

[skycat 6,173]

It is a fact that animals change their behaviour when hunted a lot: could be that the rabbits which are surviving are the ones that stay on top as much as possible, only going underground to breed. It's not that they are thinking it through, but if you kill the ones that like to live to ground all year, it stands to reason that the ones which live on top will pass on that behaviour to their young, and they therefore survive better than the ones which live in burrows all the time.

 

I noticed it on heavily coursed land with hares: a friend of mine surprised a litter of leverets playing outside a rabbit hole, just like young rabbits: when he startled them they all flashed to ground just like rabbit kits. Normally the doe would leave leverets dotted about the field separately, thus lowering the chances of them all getting snaffled up at once, but these had obviously either been born to ground, or the doe had carried them to a hole after being born.

 

Could also be that the greatly increasing number of birds of prey might have something to do with the change in hare lifestyle as well. The hares on this particular farm were so heavily coursed from the moment the corn was cut that they went to ground in drains and rabbit holes very quickly the moment a dog got on them.

[whippet 99 2,613]

Hi people ,just thought I would start a New thread about ferreting ,I go up on the Yorkshire dales and have been for the past 8 year and it seems to me the past 3 year have been really poor for bolting rabbits or even digging them out,I've been doing warrens what you would put all your life savings on that they were in and you are in for an explosive session but then realizing your digging for 1 poxy rabbit and . But when I go up with the lamp its lifting with them,they just seem to be sitting out in what ever weather and that's in snow ,frost you name it just want to know what's it like in your region people ,atb

up on top of the mendips mate theres warrens but the rabbits live above ground all year round ,........we run dogs through to put them to ground in coverts gullys etc , i guess you couldnt do that on the dales. obviously apart from breeding in the summer , they are above ground all through the winter,,, i exspect on the dales alot live in the walls aswell

[lapin2008 1,587]

Plenty in the dales around here the last few years

[whippet 99 2,613]

It is a fact that animals change their behaviour when hunted a lot: could be that the rabbits which are surviving are the ones that stay on top as much as possible, only going underground to breed. It's not that they are thinking it through, but if you kill the ones that like to live to ground all year, it stands to reason that the ones which live on top will pass on that behaviour to their young, and they therefore survive better than the ones which live in burrows all the time.

 

I noticed it on heavily coursed land with hares: a friend of mine surprised a litter of leverets playing outside a rabbit hole, just like young rabbits: when he startled them they all flashed to ground just like rabbit kits. Normally the doe would leave leverets dotted about the field separately, thus lowering the chances of them all getting snaffled up at once, but these had obviously either been born to ground, or the doe had carried them to a hole after being born.

 

Could also be that the greatly increasing number of birds of prey might have something to do with the change in hare lifestyle as well. The hares on this particular farm were so heavily coursed from the moment the corn was cut that they went to ground in drains and rabbit holes very quickly the moment a dog got on them.

great post and good understanding of ecology adaptation to the enviroment and changes , it does happen and theres good logic behind it. mother nature is unique

[reddawn 2,173]

the bits of the dales we do, most the year your better off ferretin the walls

[albert64 1,882]

a good dog will show you where they are mate

or will put them to ground for you

[whippet 99 2,613]

a good dog will show you where they are mate

or will put them to ground for you

true enough, i bet it is surprising what those walls hold

[philkemp 50]

Plenty on the parts of the dales i go but a hell of a lot of em do go in walls,cracks in limestone but still also get plenty to ground. And i have ran hares that have took safety in rabbit holes and drains only a few like but have witnessed it

[brown trout 1]

It is a fact that animals change their behaviour when hunted a lot: could be that the rabbits which are surviving are the ones that stay on top as much as possible, only going underground to breed. It's not that they are thinking it through, but if you kill the ones that like to live to ground all year, it stands to reason that the ones which live on top will pass on that behaviour to their young, and they therefore survive better than the ones which live in burrows all the time.

 

I noticed it on heavily coursed land with hares: a friend of mine surprised a litter of leverets playing outside a rabbit hole, just like young rabbits: when he startled them they all flashed to ground just like rabbit kits. Normally the doe would leave leverets dotted about the field separately, thus lowering the chances of them all getting snaffled up at once, but these had obviously either been born to ground, or the doe had carried them to a hole after being born.

 

Could also be that the greatly increasing number of birds of prey might have something to do with the change in hare lifestyle as well. The hares on this particular farm were so heavily coursed from the moment the corn was cut that they went to ground in drains and rabbit holes very quickly the moment a dog got on them.

great post and good understanding of ecology adaptation to the enviroment and changes , it does happen and theres good logic behind it. mother nature is unique

I think it has a lot to do with this aswell ,great post mate . I also use a dog to mark up and season just gone he come in very use full indeed .top stuff

[brown trout 1]

Great replies guys ,thanks