Rabbits

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

I had a phone call from Reynardhunter last night and we spoke at great length about hunting.

 

One question that did pop up was the use of a smoker for rabbits. Would this method work as good on rabbits as it does on rats? Has anyone ever tried it?

[Guest john2007oliver]

I had a phone call from Reynardhunter last night and we spoke at great length about hunting.

 

One question that did pop up was the use of a smoker for rabbits. Would this method work as good on rabbits as it does on rats? Has anyone ever tried it?

 

 

Never tried it but i don't think it would work too well. Because warrens are much bigger than rat hole so it would take alot more smoke and a lot more power to push it through the tubes. If you've got one already though it would be worth a try, then you could tell us how you got on

 

John

[john b 38]

I had a phone call from Reynardhunter last night and we spoke at great length about hunting.

 

One question that did pop up was the use of a smoker for rabbits. Would this method work as good on rabbits as it does on rats? Has anyone ever tried it?

 

 

Here you go - I knew we'd had a dabble at this one before http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/index...showtopic=12258

 

Just to repeat my post from that time:

 

I thought it worth updating you on an experiment I did in the spring. Before you get too excited it didn't work - but it was interesting.

 

I netted up a set of holes and then dropped in one of those smoke pellets that you use to test chimneys. To start with the smoke just billowed out of the same hole then suddenly it sucked back in, just like a scene from Backdraft. Over the next couple of minutes a brief puff of smoke came out of all the other holes in turn. But no rabbits.

 

I tried it on another warren and got exactly the same results - it even showed up a hole I'd missed under a pile of leaves.

 

I have a theory on this which, if correct, would mean that you can't get them to bolt with smoke. I think that in a natural situation the rabbits reaction to fire would be to go deep and sit it out, rather than bolt and make a run for it. The odds of survival would certainly be better as fire doesn't usually spread down and a few feet under the ground would be quite safe, provided the oxygen wasn't exhausted.

 

I think the unusual smoke behaviour was caused by rabbits in the tunnels near the surface heading down quickly and pulling in air and smoke behind them. The smoke then just drifted along the top tunnels leaking out of the holes.

[wyllie 1]

tried it when i was younger. you end up just gassing them. the very odd one bolted. stick with the ferrets

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

I had a phone call from Reynardhunter last night and we spoke at great length about hunting.

 

One question that did pop up was the use of a smoker for rabbits. Would this method work as good on rabbits as it does on rats? Has anyone ever tried it?

 

 

Here you go - I knew we'd had a dabble at this one before http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/index...showtopic=12258

 

Just to repeat my post from that time:

 

I thought it worth updating you on an experiment I did in the spring. Before you get too excited it didn't work - but it was interesting.

 

I netted up a set of holes and then dropped in one of those smoke pellets that you use to test chimneys. To start with the smoke just billowed out of the same hole then suddenly it sucked back in, just like a scene from Backdraft. Over the next couple of minutes a brief puff of smoke came out of all the other holes in turn. But no rabbits.

 

I tried it on another warren and got exactly the same results - it even showed up a hole I'd missed under a pile of leaves.

 

I have a theory on this which, if correct, would mean that you can't get them to bolt with smoke. I think that in a natural situation the rabbits reaction to fire would be to go deep and sit it out, rather than bolt and make a run for it. The odds of survival would certainly be better as fire doesn't usually spread down and a few feet under the ground would be quite safe, provided the oxygen wasn't exhausted.

 

I think the unusual smoke behaviour was caused by rabbits in the tunnels near the surface heading down quickly and pulling in air and smoke behind them. The smoke then just drifted along the top tunnels leaking out of the holes.

 

Excellent stuff john b. Thanks for the replies.

[Guest Bigbob]

In days of old if a ferret killed below ground i can remember my old man stuffing some grass in a burrow and setting it on fire the smoke used to drive the ferretout but i dont ever remember a rabbit bolting .