lack of rabbits

[jok 3,213]

Paulus. I reckon you are telling fibs. Reason. Buck and doe shagging for England. No way only 3 young ffs. I think we are in the position of virtually no rabbits at all. Jok.

[tonyormy1 191]

looks  like the bucks are shooting  blanks on top of every think i am sure they will squirt a couple of them dirty does

[Black neck 15,875]

47 minutes ago, tonyormy1 said:

looks  like the bucks are shooting  blanks on top of every think i am sure they will squirt a couple of them dirty does

Top gibberish tone

[tonyormy1 191]

1 hour ago, Black neck said:

Top gibberish tone

HEHE

[wildman 486]

21 hours ago, Stubblebubble said:

No probs. How do you normally keep on top of them? Ferrets, rifle, dogs? 

AlAll three pal

[downsouth 7,213]

Plenty round here.Not as many as Id see back in the 80s but a lot of the land has gone from fruit orchards to arable so hedgerows and banks have been rabbit fenced but still seeing good numbers on my morning and evening walks around the orchards that are still here

[Bobtheferret 1,248]

I am at a caravan park in camber right on the beach and it’s crawling with rabbits. The fields around it I have been walking the dogs in also, not great rabbit land either it’s to flat so will get wet in the winter but plenty there despite loads of people. I say that because if the virus is a easily spread as I hear then the volume of people from all over the country means it must be about here ( I think it’s very widespread now anyway). This suggests to me that over hunting is as big a problem as the virus, another place I know (woodland England land) is literally overrun but the estate it backs onto numbers have dropped right off. The only difference the estate shoot etc and the woodland trust don’t. Rabbits can’t cope with the virus and over hunting. Thermal etc are as a big a problem as RVHD if left alone they will recover. 

[iworkwhippets 12,514]

loads of the buggers coming back from Chelmsford on the a12 this morning on the verges, and munties splattered all over the motorway 

[Daniel cain 45,128]

plenty about local around my way...counted 50/60 young and old in just 2 field's the other evening... thunderstorms this weekend and then more sun...interested to see how they fair these next few weeks

[Aussie Whip 4,092]

23 hours ago, Bobtheferret said:

This suggests to me that over hunting is as big a problem as the virus,

I agree. When I used to do pest control on properties with the ferrets, a few I did were isolated pockets of rabbits and they haven't come back for years. I think it's different in vast areas and they move back in pretty soon after. Also if you thin them out too much and a virus hits they are in trouble.

[dodger 2,754]

On 07/06/2023 at 12:47, Bobtheferret said:

I am at a caravan park in camber right on the beach and it’s crawling with rabbits. The fields around it I have been walking the dogs in also, not great rabbit land either it’s to flat so will get wet in the winter but plenty there despite loads of people. I say that because if the virus is a easily spread as I hear then the volume of people from all over the country means it must be about here ( I think it’s very widespread now anyway). This suggests to me that over hunting is as big a problem as the virus, another place I know (woodland England land) is literally overrun but the estate it backs onto numbers have dropped right off. The only difference the estate shoot etc and the woodland trust don’t. Rabbits can’t cope with the virus and over hunting. Thermal etc are as a big a problem as RVHD if left alone they will recover. 

Funny you should say that as on Facebook a year or 2 back I remember seeing a few rifle lads posting pics of nights out on rabbits right through summer then when some people posted saying give em a break etc they would reply saying there's plenty n won't make a difference then in winter you would see posts saying lack of rabbits etc

[fred90 3,208]

there as always been summer hunting, but it's far worse now. infra red, thermal imaging call it what you want, they don't have a chance. they all shout pest control but it's far from sporting. if that's hunting I would rather be skinny dipping with fxxking barrymoor (again). 

[gnipper 6,426]

36 minutes ago, fred90 said:

there as always been summer hunting, but it's far worse now. infra red, thermal imaging call it what you want, they don't have a chance. they all shout pest control but it's far from sporting. if that's hunting I would rather be skinny dipping with fxxking barrymoor (again). 

And when they run out of bunnies to rifle the hares and cubs are next on the menu

[iworkwhippets 12,514]

1 hour ago, gnipper said:

And when they run out of bunnies to rifle the hares and cubs are next on the menu

well said that man, and its true what you say, in all my years in the field, i never took more than i needed,  TWO, and i was more than happy with that

[downsouth 7,213]

On 07/06/2023 at 13:51, iworkwhippets said:

loads of the buggers coming back from Chelmsford on the a12 this morning on the verges, and munties splattered all over the motorway 

Always been munties up the A12 but I travelled down the A13 a couple of weeks back from the 25 to Southend and was shocked by the amount of munjack I saw splattered along there