Rabbits(Or Lack Of)

[CushtyJook 1,097]

Better still. If you fancy another black eye or two I'll meet you down there.

What you mean the feilds are the safest place in Northamptonshire

[Sorefoot 30]

VHD

[tjones3862 3,423]

Very bad season for us due to myxi 4000 acres totally whipped out,only got out 3 times earlie on just managed 100, it must have started earlie August and just came right through. Fingers crossed there is enough left to replenish the numbers throughout the spring and summer ready for next season

the 70 the other day was less than 5 miles of skipton,,there about iff you look over fences,,,

Edited January 30, 2016 by tjones3862

[neil b 2,355]

My sister lives out that way il tell her to keep her eyes open then! Do you have permission over that way

[tjones3862 3,423]

the other day yes,,,

Edited January 30, 2016 by tjones3862

[neil b 2,355]

Any more clues or is it just a case of seek and you will find

[tjones3862 3,423]

lol who in the right mind tell s the net were the hot spots are

[neil b 2,355]

?????? true

[archiekale 427]

its not VHD thats wipeing them out its NV (NIGHT VISION )

[rabbit demon 302]

On one of my perms its not myxi or vhd. Its a combination of summertime hunters with dogs and guns. Birds of prey and the amount of foxes all over the place is unreal. Also me ferreting. All takes its toll. I Stopped ferreting 4 weeks ago to try give them a break. Serious decline in numbers this year.

[johnrthrfrd 223]

Was back up the sand dunes a mentioned today before first light a while back you couldent drive down the back road for rabbits parked up and went for a wander with the dogs walked for an hour not one rabbit bumped into the farmer who farms the land around that area asked him about rabbits hardly any about he said they have gone from bloody hundreds upon hundreds to next to nowt also asked if when he was out and about had he seen any dead or dying he said no told me I could go for a wander across his fields into a small wood and a long bank side to have a look he said there was a big warren there and it used to be like water ship down so had a wander over found were he said there was absolutely hundreds of holes but not a rabbit to be seen plus the dogs just wandered over the holes taking no interest no sign of dead rabbits (bones etc. ) just nowt on my way back bumped into farmer again he said he had phoned his mate on the next farm and asked about the rabbits to be told haven't seen any for weeks now.

[comanche 3,059]

Don't know about the rest of the country but round here two or three unusually bad winters knocked them right back and the last few years have seen cold,damp springs that knock off the early litters or cause the does to reabsorb.

Its my theory that its the survival of the early litters that holds the key to high numbers as the early-born young mature soon enough to be able to add to the breeding population alongside their parents in their first year.

Myxi and VHD get blamed a lot but unseen diseases like coccidiosis and enteritis are probably at least as much to blame especially in cold,damp weather when the bunnies are miserable , stressed and forced to eat wet food which is not good for their digestion.

Then of course the likes of you and me continuing to chip away at the population probably doesn't help the gene pool to develop along "survival of the fittest " lines.

On the other hand I know a couple of farmers who think I've been doing a grand job of rabbit control..

Edited January 31, 2016 by comanche