Why aren't the lads with high populations of Rabbits helping the lads with none in a hunting community

[jiggy 3,209]

Just a thought but the area where I hunt has been void of rabbits for 20 years. It used to be well populated and suitable terrain so the ground should be completely disease free. I know that in certain fields rabbits thrive but go 2 fields across and they just don't like that ground. My point is that my father , grandfather and great grandfather hunted the same bogland and it was a poor area only for bord Na mona hiring people for turf , money was tight and my grandad reared 12 kids on game. What is the legality of let's say releasing 100 ferreted or lurcher caught disease free rabbits on this ground and could  they thrive when there is no mixy or these knew infections on fresh ground . To shorten the essay f**k the government and pay a tenner a rabbit and put them back where they should be. These photos of 100 rabbits per night turn my stomach when that would be plenty  to repopulate some of these areas. My point is ive a 3 year old dog that has killed more foxes than rabbits. (Legal in Ireland ) and it's very hard keep him running fit.

[Str 793]

In the 1980s my area was short on rabbits through mixi & over hunting,a local lad had some good permission in the Yorkshire dales ,he started to release ferreted rabbits on a regular basis and the area has never looked back, I would give it ago what have you got to lose.

Edited December 9, 2018 by Str

[countrymon 52]

I can understand your frustration mate. There used to be plenty of game around me locally. Now it's almost devoid. I look at the land and wish it were the same as it used to be. I was working for a local farmer last wk,he has been farming there around 20 years on that particular farm. We used to hunt that land 30 years ago and it had reasonable numbers of hares,partridge and rabbits on it then. In Feb you could often see 5 or 6 hares boxing regular. I have not seen a hare on there  for the last 15 years. He says his farming methods haven't changed, he puts it down to predators.i.e. badges,foxes buzzards. I remember walking that land when I was younger and stepping over leverates in there forms.

[forest of dean redneck 11,606]

You say the pics turn your stomach , but it’s pest control , if they didn’t do it , the farmer would get someone in who would it’s sheep grazing after all. 

To be honest I think the rabbit is doomed

if I was getting back into dogwork I would be getting a whippet or terrier or terrier/beagle type an looking at rat or squirrel hunting an if a rabbit or pheasant etc was caught would be a bonus . 

Due to work an living arrangements an air rifle suits me better an I can get pheasants for free atm.

an before I get jumped on there are my own opinions which are like arseholes everyone’s got one

[fred90 3,233]

why would they thrive? the same reason they disappeared in the first place would most likely put paid to them again. 

[Daniel cain 45,458]

been dropping 10's/20's that I've ferretted ,local to me every season for 12/15yrs.....always get wiped out by airgun lads ,last few months I've seen quite a few about,but the grounds not the best for running a dog over .I drive 2 hrs away to lamp these days 

[Neal 1,869]

Similar to Forest of Dean Redneck: I occasionally get annoyed that there are no rabbits near me for my dogs but, as the only reason I hunt is to give the dogs a job rather than because I have to reduce a particular population, I've just tried to accept the switch to squirrels, rats and wood pigeons and the occasional rabbit (usually on Dartmoor holidays) is a bonus. They seem to enjoy the mammoth hikes looking for stuff as much as actually catching it.

[RTurlough 160]

Rabbits, wild boar piglets, fallow and sika. Suddenly appearing on your ground.....now you are talking. Think Big!

[Bearfoot 1,477]

To much  of anything gives me the bile

[terryd 8,424]

If the lads with a high population helped the lads with out then they wouldn't have a high population for long 

[Rusky1984 155]

Some people are just lucky to have a good head of rabbits to go at.  But it will be the same for them once they have taken to many and there population crashes. I think in not to many years time the rabbit will be a thing of the past 

[jiggy 3,209]

8 hours ago, forest of dean redneck said:

You say the pics turn your stomach , but it’s pest control , if they didn’t do it , the farmer would get someone in who would it’s sheep grazing after all. 

To be honest I think the rabbit is doomed

if I was getting back into dogwork I would be getting a whippet or terrier or terrier/beagle type an looking at rat or squirrel hunting an if a rabbit or pheasant etc was caught would be a bonus . 

Due to work an living arrangements an air rifle suits me better an I can get pheasants for free atm.

an before I get jumped on there are my own opinions which are like arseholes everyone’s got one

Point is those rabbits that were pests could of been caught alive and placed in an area that was void. Pest control is money based which in certain situations could still provide money for the controller if he sold them. A lot of people and game clubs would be happy to pay money to regenerate their own area. Sadly money and greed comes into the conversation instead of preservation.

[Jackknife 823]

11 hours ago, Rusky1984 said:

Some people are just lucky to have a good head of rabbits to go at.  But it will be the same for them once they have taken to many and there population crashes. I think in not to many years time the rabbit will be a thing of the past 

 I guess any large populated areas can be wiped out given enough time and pressure. 

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by Jackknife

[jiggy 3,209]

7 hours ago, Daniel cain said:

been dropping 10's/20's that I've ferretted ,local to me every season for 12/15yrs.....always get wiped out by airgun lads ,last few months I've seen quite a few about,but the grounds not the best for running a dog over .I drive 2 hrs away to lamp these days 

Everybody knows air gunners are closet homos. Just head butt them and problem sorted.

[mighty celt 996]

Should be fine no of a lad that done it on his premision close to home realising 5 or 6 every week, for entire season has plenty to go at now,lot of cover on the land so they don't get hammered by lads ferreting,which helps.i would try and get as many as you can towards end of season as they will probably have young in them.