Rabbit decline

[Sox74 20]

1 minute ago, Greyman said:

I,m about as far from a doctor as you can get but I would imaging as with most things the adults would pass a certain amount of immunity on to the offspring, may be the reason I seem to have a bit of a glut of ginger and white bunny’s hopping round in one area I walk, even if they don’t would still add a bit of variety to the gene pool

Thought about doing this myself a while back, what put me off was how would they adapt to living in the wild, especially with on other wild rabbits to learn off so to speak. It would be unnatural to them, no wild instincts, that's just my thoughts on it, I could be wrong.

Atb sox

[Black neck 16,055]

1 hour ago, Sox74 said:

Thought about doing this myself a while back, what put me off was how would they adapt to living in the wild, especially with on other wild rabbits to learn off so to speak. It would be unnatural to them, no wild instincts, that's just my thoughts on it, I could be wrong.

Atb sox

Dont think the offspring would be immune as it's just an inoculation if u have a measles jab your nipper not immune to measles natural immunity teks a few years before it becomes widespread in my professional opinion as a doctor like

[Sox74 20]

4 minutes ago, Black neck said:

Dont think the offspring would be immune as it's just an inoculation if u have a measles jab your nipper not immune to measles natural immunity teks a few years before it becomes widespread in my professional opinion as a doctor like

No point in dropping healthy rabbits on infected land so.

Wonder how long does it take the land to be free from the virus after the rabbits have died off.

Atb Sox 

[Black neck 16,055]

2 minutes ago, Sox74 said:

No point in dropping healthy rabbits on infected land so.

Wonder how long does it take the land to be free from the virus after the rabbits have died off.

Atb Sox 

Some will always survive the land itself isn't infected in the case of mixi the flea eggs can lie dormant down holes for months only to hatch [BANNED TEXT] the body heat from host animal sets it hatching poxy it is 

[Bobtheferret 1,249]

Whilst there’s no doubt that hunting rabbits all year round, night vision and excessive hunting have had a negative impact on rabbit numbers those things pale into insignificance compared to RVHD2. That is without doubt why populations fall from decent to almost nothing over a few weeks, when you add in that mixi is still very much present it’s not hard to see why the poor rabbit is struggling. This may be wishful thinking but they will recover, rabbits do build up immunity to both mixi and RVHD. When mixi first struck people thought that was the end of the rabbit yet they came back. I do however question when you see lads lamping already and catching 50 plus in August, same lads will then probably moan there’s nothing about come October. I am lucky I have a lot of permission but the last few years I have managed it like a gamekeeper, doing just enough to keep the permission and if there’s been an outbreak of disease and numbers are low most (not all) landowners are happy to leave what’s left alone and if there not then I will just bolt a few for the dog and show my face but basically leave them alone. If numbers are low and you still hammer them then they have no chance of recovery. 

[Sox74 20]

14 minutes ago, Black neck said:

Some will always survive the land itself isn't infected in the case of mixi the flea eggs can lie dormant down holes for months only to hatch [BANNED TEXT] the body heat from host animal sets it hatching poxy it is 

Hopefully they will return in the future, it's sad to see the humble rabbit nearly wiped out. They gave and give plenty of good sport to  nearly all types of hunting men and women.

Atb sox

[downsouth 7,356]

Lifting with them round my way

[Black neck 16,055]

5 minutes ago, downsouth said:

Lifting with them round my way

Wheres that mate

[dytkos 17,815]

3 minutes ago, Black neck said:

Wheres that mate

Down South, Kent.

Cheers, D.

[downsouth 7,356]

5 minutes ago, Black neck said:

Wheres that mate

Kent mate.Dont know if its the same all over but plenty local to me.

[sandymere 8,263]

3 hours ago, Sox74 said:

Do you think the young of these released rabbits would carry the anti virus in their system's, say to the likes of rvd or rvd2

Any sox

Alas no. 

[Bosun11 537]

1 hour ago, Bobtheferret said:

Whilst there’s no doubt that hunting rabbits all year round, night vision and excessive hunting have had a negative impact on rabbit numbers those things pale into insignificance compared to RVHD2. That is without doubt why populations fall from decent to almost nothing over a few weeks, when you add in that mixi is still very much present it’s not hard to see why the poor rabbit is struggling. This may be wishful thinking but they will recover, rabbits do build up immunity to both mixi and RVHD. When mixi first struck people thought that was the end of the rabbit yet they came back. I do however question when you see lads lamping already and catching 50 plus in August, same lads will then probably moan there’s nothing about come October. I am lucky I have a lot of permission but the last few years I have managed it like a gamekeeper, doing just enough to keep the permission and if there’s been an outbreak of disease and numbers are low most (not all) landowners are happy to leave what’s left alone and if there not then I will just bolt a few for the dog and show my face but basically leave them alone. If numbers are low and you still hammer them then they have no chance of recovery. 

Spot on...!!!

[Bobtheferret 1,249]

By the looks of the pictures on social media and some of the write ups in the air gun section there are large numbers of rabbits in some areas and very few in others but this is basically what has been said on these pages for the last few years what’s a little more promising (in some areas) is people saying they are seeing rabbits in places they haven’t for a while which would suggest they are coming back after being wiped out. It’s also very promising to note that after RVHD2 was released in Australia they seemed (from my reading on the subject and a few conversations with Aussies) to develop an immunity very quickly (10-15 years) which in nature is have rapid. When you think that it was confirmed in 2010 we are nearly 10 years in already. I know different eco system and climate etc but nonetheless positive. One permission I have was literally lifting with rabbits 3-4 years ago eating 30 yards out from the hedge into the wheat then basically not a rabbit to be seen would walk it with a lamp and see 6 over 300 acres but drive round now and there’s 3/4 here and 2/3 there not big numbers but promising...

 

[Lloyd90 509]

9 hours ago, micky said:

Rabbits will recover if left alone  during the Breeding season  which is between March and September if you do not want any Rabbits on your land then Kill them in the Breeding  season  it is as simple as that .

I accept that in some places Rabbit must be controlled  but as all Farmers Know that Rabbits should be Killed in the colder Months when their numbers are at their lowest  and access to their living  areas  is easier. 

After a lot of years catching Rabbits on thousands of Acres of good Rabbiting land I have only been asked to  help out of season twice , the first was an impossible  situation  and the second was a Television  Personality  who quickly  realised  how much she liked Rabbits when I told her the cost of fencing her Ten Acre Garden .

Where I live people tell me that the Fells were teeming with Rabbits and do not believe me when I tell them there are none but in an effort to redress this situation I have released a few Rabbits and 8 Months on I am seeing the odd one about  including a half grown one in the Jaws of a Cat. 

If all Sports men had this outlook [ and I know a few who do] released  a few Rabbits  over the season  in barren areas what harm would it do ?, 

A mate and I are trying to do just that, how did you find best to trap and transport them? 

[micky 3,325]

1 hour ago, Lloyd90 said:

A mate and I are trying to do just that, how did you find best to trap and transport them? 

A ventilated Box with little room to move and nothing to chew