Rabbit numbers

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

3 hours ago, chartpolski said:

Any amount of foxes, mate. Especially in the fields near houses.

I see them almost everyday hanging around my Allotments and the b*****ds cleared out my Cayuga ducks, killed six but only carried off two.

To be honest, rabbits aren't my first or second choice of quarry with the type of dogs I keep, I like to run the hares and roe, day or night, but we cover a lot of ground along the Tyne valley and there are certainly nowhere near the rabbit numbers there were, say, back when we were doing the lamping competitions 10-12 years ago.

Cheers.

 

Where is your allotment?

I know the rabbits are nowhere near the numbers of back then. I used to lamp and ferret a lot with Woodga up there .

Rabbits arent my no 1 quarry either prefer foxes. 

[TOMO 26,067]

droped half a dozen off local to me this week...to see if a could boost the local numbers...

[lifelong cumbrian 1,826]

rabbit numbers been poor local to me for years, im out trapping moles and never hardly see a rabbit, bits we ferreted as kids in the 70's are barren and have been so for a few years.

[Neal 1,857]

10 hours ago, lifelong cumbrian said:

rabbit numbers been poor local to me for years, im out trapping moles and never hardly see a rabbit, bits we ferreted as kids in the 70's are barren and have been so for a few years.

It's the same here too and the only time I get to see any rabbits is when I go to Dartmoor. I see maybe a handful close to me and always hope it's the start of a comeback but it never is.

[moonlighter 1,163]

It’s funny how they can thrive in one place then struggle in others.. I used to go to a place in the Yorkshire dales rabbiting. The place was full of rabbits.. I remember catching 20 rabbits one day without ferrets, which is amazing coming from the fens.. I’ve never caught that many in one season down here let alone one day.. now, 15 years later you don’t see a rabbit on that area… but I’ve now found big numbers about 2 or 3 miles up the road.. you would assume it would have to be disease to completely wipe an area out . 

[Dinosaurs 2,037]

Not seen rabbits on my perms for years used to see the odd one or two a few years back but farm managers lads put pay to them with nv & rifles. Despite my asking for them to be left to try & recover. Loads of hares & deer but there not my thing. Can’t remember last time I saw any road kill rabbits. My three lurchers now 13&1/2 - 11 &  8 so these will be my last dogs. Atb

[Sammyballer 146]

Found a few small pockets lately but mostly hares deer and fox here so got dogs to suit , i do the odd trip a season for rabbits but gets less and less Now 

[moonlighter 1,163]

Like most have said on here.. roe and muntjac populations have exploded.. I see them most days even just on urban dog walks, let alone going looking for them. 

[Anythingthatruns 4]

The rabbit numbers down my way are sort of on the up but they were never great in the first place. Still there’s enough for a bit of sport. 

[Bird Catcher 95]

Same as most folk on here say, rabbits quite scarce,  but in pockets very plentiful.  I travel over Watership Down most days and 5/10 year ago you wouldn't have to worry about ferret food, especially this time of year. Always plenty of road kill ,especially baby rabbits, first thing in the morning. Now it's like a lottery win if you find one. No bullshit the verge used to move with them when you drove past. We even used to do drive by shootings with air rifles on them as young lads to get ferret food. Nowadays I can find a field with a healthy amount, go back and check it a week later and nothing!! Deffo not mixy, probably the viral disease. Luckily, at the moment,  my son does the foxes etc on a poultry farm about 15 mile away and that is alive with them. We are however knee deep in Hares ( that seem to be breeding  all year round) and roe and muntjac,  the muntjac only been in this area a few year but are plague proportions. Just a quick subject change but I ferreted a place in Berkshire along a river. Caught 9 if I remember, but every single rabbit had lumps in the meat or bags of fluid on the meat with white bits in. Binned the lot. Told it was tapeworm cysts. Anybody else seen this ?

[grompz 703]

22 hours ago, Dinosaurs said:

Not seen rabbits on my perms for years used to see the odd one or two a few years back but farm managers lads put pay to them with nv & rifles. Despite my asking for them to be left to try & recover. Loads of hares & deer but there not my thing. Can’t remember last time I saw any road kill rabbits. My three lurchers now 13&1/2 - 11 &  8 so these will be my last dogs. Atb

dont give up completely on the dogs mate, from the posts ive read off yours you come over as a genuine lurcherman of the old school, my old deerxgreyhond is now 11yrs old, and im in my late 60s, but just got myself a nice young 4mth old pup, just to keep me active and keep my mind active,i know dogs take  lots of time and dedication to get them right, only time i will cease having dogs is when icant walk anymore or die,would you not considedr a whippet or something later in life, never say never,lifes for living.

[chartpolski 23,272]

10 minutes ago, grompz said:

dont give up completely on the dogs mate, from the posts ive read off yours you come over as a genuine lurcherman of the old school, my old deerxgreyhond is now 11yrs old, and im in my late 60s, but just got myself a nice young 4mth old pup, just to keep me active and keep my mind active,i know dogs take  lots of time and dedication to get them right, only time i will cease having dogs is when icant walk anymore or die,would you not considedr a whippet or something later in life, never say never,lifes for living.

Well said

I had my last two lurchers put down due to illness and at 70 I had thoughts about giving up the game, but that didn't last long and I got myself a deer/grey pup.

The pup, the poultry and my Allotments mean I'm still very active, out every day........better than sitting watching daytime telly and wondering what might have been !

Cheers.

Edited June 13, 2022 by chartpolski

[OldPhil 5,677]

 I can't ever see the rabbits coming back in numbers, in my area...

They have taken too much stick over the last few decades, and apart from the usual Summer crop , where you seem to see conies everywhere,...I think its all over, done and dusted....

Its a shame, but its a fact..

As for deer,.. well they have all been very successful and we have most of the species in abundance...

My last remaining lurcher is now fast approaching, ten years of age..

Should I give it one more throw of the dice,....I really cannot decide....

No complaints though,...I've had one hell of a ride,. .not always comfortable admittedly, but exciting nevertheless.

Lovely day here today,...I reckon a nice long walk on the Downs is on the cards....

All the best, OldPhil.

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by OldPhil

[Dinosaurs 2,037]

57 minutes ago, grompz said:

dont give up completely on the dogs mate, from the posts ive read off yours you come over as a genuine lurcherman of the old school, my old deerxgreyhond is now 11yrs old, and im in my late 60s, but just got myself a nice young 4mth old pup, just to keep me active and keep my mind active,i know dogs take  lots of time and dedication to get them right, only time i will cease having dogs is when icant walk anymore or die,would you not considedr a whippet or something later in life, never say never,lifes for living.

Cheers Grompz I’ve not been in great health last few years & lost a lot of weight/strength etc & after having dogs for last 40 years The spark has fizzled for me. Lots of reasons ie bad health, loss of permission due to development, severe decline in rabbits etc. I’ll be late 60’s by time my lot pass. But who knows I may as you say take on a smaller house dog when that time comes like as you say a whippet or something. Cheers. Atb

[fred90 3,208]

numbers have been poor for years here. I mainly mooch, foraging I call it. always have a catty in my pocket, sometimes take a ferret and half a dozen nets. sometimes gat a rabbit and a pheasant, other times a squirrel and a pigeon, lot of times fxxck all. I am going to have a shine this autumn, first time I will have lamped in nearly 30 years. this whippet pup has given me the enthusiasm to have a run. but the biggest factor in it all is.        I am enjoying it