Rabbit sex ratios

[mole trapper 1,693]

The last two months i have been almost exclusivley on rabbit clearance, during this time something has become very obvious and that is the ratio of does to bucks, to the extent that i am now quite suprised when i get a buck. Last night i had sixty only three were bucks four nights before that i had a hundred and thirty odd, only seven were bucks.

Now personally i have never seen numbers as high as they are this year, every doe is milky and got between five and seven in her as well, i dont remember ever seeing anywhere near as high a ratio of does to bucks as this year.

Anyone else experiencing this or is it a localised phenomenon, or is there a coney plot to make a take over bid.

[Rabbithunter 456]

well i snared 5 rabbits yesterday morning and they were all bucks, if thats of any help to your investigation

[micky 3,325]

The last two months i have been almost exclusivley on rabbit clearance, during this time something has become very obvious and that is the ratio of does to bucks, to the extent that i am now quite suprised when i get a buck. Last night i had sixty only three were bucks four nights before that i had a hundred and thirty odd, only seven were bucks.

Now personally i have never seen numbers as high as they are this year, every doe is milky and got between five and seven in her as well, i dont remember ever seeing anywhere near as high a ratio of does to bucks as this year.

Anyone else experiencing this or is it a localised phenomenon, or is there a coney plot to make a take over bid.

does usually outnumber bucks 6/1.

[mole trapper 1,693]

The last two months i have been almost exclusivley on rabbit clearance, during this time something has become very obvious and that is the ratio of does to bucks, to the extent that i am now quite suprised when i get a buck. Last night i had sixty only three were bucks four nights before that i had a hundred and thirty odd, only seven were bucks.

Now personally i have never seen numbers as high as they are this year, every doe is milky and got between five and seven in her as well, i dont remember ever seeing anywhere near as high a ratio of does to bucks as this year.

Anyone else experiencing this or is it a localised phenomenon, or is there a coney plot to make a take over bid.

does usually outnumber bucks 6/1.

 

6-1, , well lastnights was 20-1, the night before was 18.5-1, wish i had been keeping tallies of gender ratios before not just tallies in general for customers, will do from now on, just out of curiosity.

[OldTrapCollector 377]

MT -

 

You didn't mention how you caught your latest hauls of bunnies? I think that might hold the answer at this time of year.

 

I would assume that Mother Nature might up the anti on the female side to perhaps 3:1 just to tip the scales in favour of species survival.

 

I also have an idea that a lot of bucks might be living above ground at this time of year, whilst the does are underground or at least nursing the youngsters. I am not sure how this would account for the imbalance if they were lamped with a rifle at night for example, unless the does were further afield to get the better feeding or something

 

OTC

[mole trapper 1,693]

MT -

 

You didn't mention how you caught your latest hauls of bunnies? I think that might hold the answer at this time of year.

 

I would assume that Mother Nature might up the anti on the female side to perhaps 3:1 just to tip the scales in favour of species survival.

 

I also have an idea that a lot of bucks might be living above ground at this time of year, whilst the does are underground or at least nursing the youngsters. I am not sure how this would account for the imbalance if they were lamped with a rifle at night for example, unless the does were further afield to get the better feeding or something

 

OTC

 

OTC, The last two nights have been lamping with the rifle, rabbits at all distances from cover, When the rain finally abates will be ferreting and night time long netting, watch this space as they say for statistics.

[ferreterno1 0]

im not sure about the ratio but this year theres f**king hundreds of rabbits everywear for some reason

[woodga 170]

yes well they dont use the saying breeding like rabbits for nothing + good isnt it

[Leon 0]

I have been clearing a large garden and orchard over the last three day's and have taken 63 rabbits so far by different methods and only had 7 does, I have never seen so many bucks about this has happened on other jobs in the last couple of weeks to. The opposite to you MT

[gibby 0]

A guy I know let some guys ferret his land (which made me feel a bit put-out but nevermind...) anyway they got 68 rabbits in one day. ALL does. This was last winter.

[john b 38]

According to The Private Life of The Rabbit by RM Lockley, ratios of males to females are generally stable : about 100 males to every 106 females.

 

This was from a controlled studies where a whole population was examined and relates to embryos and young at weaning age.

 

He also concludes that figures for rabbits caught at random in the wild are unreliable because the methods of catching may influence the result.

[mole trapper 1,693]

He also concludes that figures for rabbits caught at random in the wild are unreliable because the methods of catching may influence the result.

 

This would make sense, as i said earlier, i will now keep records ie methods, location, sex ratios, not that it matters as the customer said kill em all, but it is interesting.