Why The Rabbit Population Collapse?

[Bosun11 537]

Aww think about it fellas, only in some places will preditation wipe out rabbit populations and even if it does you could bet ya bottom dollar that it'd bounce right back when the hunters left it be.

Myxi has been around since the 50's and probably long before and us hunters were taking massive numbers out of specks that get a wipe out every few years.. They always bounce right back!

My own best gaff got myxi every few years and the catch numbers would drop by 3/4 bags for a few months then climb back up. Even at its best the Rangers on there were shooting 200 plus per night an never put a dent in em, so gave up.

Then, just like other hot spots, one year they had all but gone, 30 to 60 rabbits (depending on how much time you had) went down ten fold, 3 to 6 on a good night... Sickening...

Never made any recovery either. Betcha plenty of others have witnessed the same thing?

 

RHD... We wont see a change in a generation at least. And thats 'our' generation, not theirs...

[Mary 352]

There is not too many farmers that will let you shoot land containing stock, especially with the reputation the rifle boys have for killing or wounding farm animals, a trustworthy man and dog is safest way to go, it can be physically demanding unlike pulling a trigger but real men just get on with it.

[Truther 1,579]

 

 

 

 

The last 1/2 dozen or so I've shot all had mix

Lads shooting them is a massive contributer to their decline, same as the fox population, getting slaughtered by men with their big guns and their bigger ego's.

So it's acceptable to kill over a hundred a night with a lurcher, but not with a rifle? FFS get real they are all dead and it does not matter how.

 

TC

 

 

The last 1/2 dozen or so I've shot all had mix

Lads shooting them is a massive contributer to their decline, same as the fox population, getting slaughtered by men with their big guns and their bigger ego's.

So it's acceptable to kill over a hundred a night with a lurcher, but not with a rifle? FFS get real they are all dead and it does not matter how.

 

TC

Doesnt matter to the lazy hunter lol, point and shoot, robbing another man of his sport with his dogs. Go to rifle range or somewhere and leave genuine lads to get on with it, or trade your gun in for a PlayStation, loads to shoot at on there.

What do you mean lazy hunter? Are you getting at people who shoot rather than use dogs? Can you cull rabbits around sheep with a lurcher? No, I doubt it, but a rifle can at the request of a farmer who wants rid of rabbits and doesn't care about the sport.

 

 

A local place to me always held decent numbers of rabbits and hares, the rabbits get myxi now and again, but always come back, last time i lamped it, about 5 years ago, i counted 18 hares in one small field. The rabbits and hares never got to the point of doing much if any damage. Then the farmer let a small shoot have the land...................I can't find one hare, and the rabbits are very low in number...........lamp and rifle...........ferreting and shotgun.........vandals with guns.................plenty like that round here, WANKERS.

[redquil 219]

Aww think about it fellas, only in some places will preditation wipe out rabbit populations and even if it does you could bet ya bottom dollar that it'd bounce right back when the hunters left it be.

Myxi has been around since the 50's and probably long before and us hunters were taking massive numbers out of specks that get a wipe out every few years.. They always bounce right back!

My own best gaff got myxi every few years and the catch numbers would drop by 3/4 bags for a few months then climb back up. Even at its best the Rangers on there were shooting 200 plus per night an never put a dent in em, so gave up.

Then, just like other hot spots, one year they had all but gone, 30 to 60 rabbits (depending on how much time you had) went down ten fold, 3 to 6 on a good night... Sickening...

Never made any recovery either. Betcha plenty of others have witnessed the same thing?

 

RHD... We wont see a change in a generation at least. And thats 'our' generation, not theirs...

 

 

Aww think about it fellas, only in some places will preditation wipe out rabbit populations and even if it does you could bet ya bottom dollar that it'd bounce right back when the hunters left it be.

Myxi has been around since the 50's and probably long before and us hunters were taking massive numbers out of specks that get a wipe out every few years.. They always bounce right back!

My own best gaff got myxi every few years and the catch numbers would drop by 3/4 bags for a few months then climb back up. Even at its best the Rangers on there were shooting 200 plus per night an never put a dent in em, so gave up.

Then, just like other hot spots, one year they had all but gone, 30 to 60 rabbits (depending on how much time you had) went down ten fold, 3 to 6 on a good night... Sickening...

Never made any recovery either. Betcha plenty of others have witnessed the same thing?

 

RHD... We wont see a change in a generation at least. And thats 'our' generation, not theirs...

Hope your wrong mate. However I fear you are very right. Everybody I talk to carrys the same tale wipeout. I know of places where numbers aint been big but fairly healthy . No shooting no ferreting nowt. These places are now barron of bunnys , no corpse's nothing just gone.Very sad mine and a lot of other boys hunting bread n butter. The only positive I can see is that rabbits are great comeback kings. The original mxy onslaught of the 50s proved that here, ozz and many other places. I'm sure it was a French boffin who created it in a testube.atb

[Paulnix 426]

 

The last 1/2 dozen or so I've shot all had mix

Lads shooting them is a massive contributer to their decline, same as the fox population, getting slaughtered by men with their big guns and their bigger ego's.

 

Sorry but that's rubbish, the numbers our grandfathers used to take night after night and send to the markets by train would make your eyes water and they never made a dent in the numbers, farms used to be bought by the rabbits those guys caught back in the pre-mixy days.

 

Alongside Mixy and RHD I got a feeling it more to do with the weather over the last couple of decades not supporting a healthy population, is just too mild and damp during the autumn and winter letting disease build up, more springs than not we get a chill east wind not helping the breeding. certainly in my part the world there not a lot of rabbiting going on, literally a farm maybe lamped 2 or 3 times a year,many not at all, ferreting is pretty much non existent apart from the odd guy keeping them for old time sake were every farm would of been lamped every week and ferrets were kept by more people than not in the village.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Paulnix

[tb25 4,627]

There is not too many farmers that will let you shoot land containing stock, especially with the reputation the rifle boys have for killing or wounding farm animals, a trustworthy man and dog is safest way to go, it can be physically demanding unlike pulling a trigger but real men just get on with it.

also I never see a lot of lads who shoot take big numbers ..I couldn't think of anything nor boring than sitting there on a cold night waiting to pop a few bunny's of. .

[tote 854]

 

There is not too many farmers that will let you shoot land containing stock, especially with the reputation the rifle boys have for killing or wounding farm animals, a trustworthy man and dog is safest way to go, it can be physically demanding unlike pulling a trigger but real men just get on with it.

also I never see a lot of lads who shoot take big numbers ..I couldn't think of anything nor boring than sitting there on a cold night waiting to pop a few bunny's of. .

 

Sitting in the hoose drinking a carry oot and gettin' pissed would be more boring fur me.

[tb25 4,627]

You have a point lol.

[Mary 352]

 

There is not too many farmers that will let you shoot land containing stock, especially with the reputation the rifle boys have for killing or wounding farm animals, a trustworthy man and dog is safest way to go, it can be physically demanding unlike pulling a trigger but real men just get on with it.

also I never see a lot of lads who shoot take big numbers ..I couldn't think of anything nor boring than sitting there on a cold night waiting to pop a few bunny's of. .

They might not take big numbers but they don't respect seasons either, they firing all year long.

[walshie 2,804]

There is not too many farmers that will let you shoot land containing stock, especially with the reputation the rifle boys have for killing or wounding farm animals, a trustworthy man and dog is safest way to go, it can be physically demanding unlike pulling a trigger but real men just get on with it.

 

Let's assume you don't like shooters, but don't emphasise that by talking rubbish.

[lurchers 2,855]

 

The last 1/2 dozen or so I've shot all had mix

Lads shooting them is a massive contributer to their decline, same as the fox population, getting slaughtered by men with their big guns and their bigger ego's.

Dont no where ya getting that from as ive got guns to and still do plenty with the lurchers.i think you may be on about the syndicates pal so dont tar everybody with the same brush,and ive had the lurchers a very long time

[tote 854]

 

 

There is not too many farmers that will let you shoot land containing stock, especially with the reputation the rifle boys have for killing or wounding farm animals, a trustworthy man and dog is safest way to go, it can be physically demanding unlike pulling a trigger but real men just get on with it.

also I never see a lot of lads who shoot take big numbers ..I couldn't think of anything nor boring than sitting there on a cold night waiting to pop a few bunny's of. .

 

They might not take big numbers but they don't respect seasons either, they firing all year long.

 

And we all know the lurcher lads respect seasons.

[lurchers 2,855]

I think the best thing to do is them the BREEDING SEASON take a part for once instead of mooching killing stuff in the few months and the dogs csn sleep on it.

[Daniel cain 45,654]

Could be the pics on here of ton bags making everyone hunt all year round and not giving a f**k about letting the numbers pick back up?or different ways the land is farmed/managed? I'm no expert just my view.atb dc

[Bosun11 537]

No no no no no no no no no... I could go on...