Back Netting Rabbits In Long Nets - Uphill

[ZeusPolecat 185]

Got a little wood on a steep slope crawling with rabbits, over 100 holes easily in the main mass warren, plenty more in little sets around it. I don't have enough long nets to go around but I thought I could rig up a cross or a T shape in the centre of the main concentration of holes. A few stop nets that could be moved around during the day and some purse nets rigged to back net any escape holes I feel they may run for on the outskirts of the wood.

I'm fairly confident the majority will bolt up or down the hill rather than leaving the wood entirely, as there's not many nearby warrens outside of the wood... there would be some escapees but I think the catch rate would be high enough to compensate.

Thing is the long net running horizontally along the slope will have its bagging hanging downhill and I'm not sure how well it would do at catching the runners heading uphill. Something I've never done is back net with long nets. I have it in mind to set that long net facing uphill with the poles uphill of the net bagging - I don't think having it facing downhill would make any improvements?

Just wondering if you guys have had experience with a set up like this? Should I rethink my approach?

Edited January 5, 2017 by ZeusPolecat

[Tiercel 6,986]

Got a little wood on a steep slope crawling with rabbits, over 100 holes easily in the main mass warren, plenty more in little sets around it. I don't have enough long nets to go around but I thought I could rig up a cross or a T shape in the centre of the main concentration of holes. A few stop nets that could be moved around during the day and some purse nets rigged to back net any escape holes I feel they may run for on the outskirts of the wood.

 

I'm fairly confident the majority will bolt up or down the hill rather than leaving the wood entirely, as there's not many nearby warrens outside of the wood... there would be some escapees but I think the catch rate would be high enough to compensate.

 

Thing is the long net running horizontally along the slope will have its bagging hanging downhill and I'm not sure how well it would do at catching the runners heading uphill. Something I've never done is back net with long nets. I have it in mind to set that long net facing uphill with the poles uphill of the net bagging - I don't think having it facing downhill would make any improvements?

 

Just wondering if you guys have had experience with a set up like this? Should I rethink my approach?

 

The fact that you are actually thinking about it is worthy of praise. Place your poles up right, with the headline no more than 18" off the ground try and keep the head line as taught as possible even if it means putting guy ropes / purse nets on the end poles. Try and pick a day with as little wind as possible and that should help with the rabbits coming from both sides of the net. That said in my experience if the net has plenty of slack it does not usually matter what side of the net they come from.

 

TC

[Flacko 1,755]

Alternatively invite ma & couple of lads to help you out atb Flacko

[andy s410c 61]

I have area's on my permission which are quarry walls which are now grassed over which I run quicksets around.In MY experience most rabbits will run downhill....max speed for very little effort.If there's a few of you position yourselves so you can send them downhill if possible.

I run 150% bagging in my quicksets & netted rabbits no problems uphill & at one permission I was a guest on as I was running out quicksets I seen rabbits walk into the the already set quickset further along the bank.If you've enough bagging (running kill) you'll ball them up 99.9% of the time regardless of which way they hit the mesh.

[The one 8,511]

Net what you think will be the hot spot then fill in the rest of the holes with soil grass what ever and if your handy with a locator your rabbits that couldn't bolt are only a foot or so beneath the surface