population this weather

[genuine 81]

Thought this would be interesting topic,do people think with the big freeze and all that it will effect the population of Rabbits mainly? but also fox,hare,deer etc? With temperatures getting to -10 plus on a night and not even getting above freezing through the day surely they will struggle to feed etc!

 

Just your views people cheers!

[Guest jt750]

Didn't seem to affect this area much when we used to have *proper* winters when i was a youth. I seem to remember someone telling me in weather like this that squirrels go into a comatose like state to conserve their reserves and after walking the fields and woods here there isn't much activity on known badger and fox earths (maybe they are sleeping this cold snap off) ..there is some but not as much as you would expect in the previous wet winters we have had. The deer here are staying tight in the woods and only venturing out rarely. The hare population here is sporadic to say the least but in the pockets where the population is healthy there is very little sign of them in the open they could possibly be in hedge bottoms or snuggled up to the deer. When this cold spell breaks i think there will be plenty of game around

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Like 750 said, ive found the deer and hares tight under cover, making the most of brambles and other browse. Rabbits are causing some massive damage to young trees through bark stripping, especially young ash trees. Foxes seem to be doing well, as usual, and the ones we have shot and caught this week have been in fine condition.

 

Iv found a dead song thrush yesterday, wasted away, and also a dying redwing very thin. But luckily for many birds there was a large field of barley near mine that didnt get harvested and has attracted thousands of yellowhammers, linnets, redpolls, bramblings, finches and pipits. Its also a great spot for watching birds of prey, that have come from the surrounding fells and woods for the feast. Over the last couple of days we have seen loads of buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrels, and also hen harriers, goshawks and merlins all hunting on the same field.

[whip x grey 276]

one year i went up to brother,s house when he stayed up the glen,,,loads off rabbits up there on the hill,,,,but the snow had been lying there for weeks,,,,the rabbits were coming down off the hill to the road side to find food,,,,my dog caught one,,wasnt much of a chase as snow was really deep,,,,at closer expection of the rabbit, there wasnt much meat on it, just a bag of bones,,,walked on abit more same another bag of bones retrived and more rabbits at road side not moving much, probably cause they were starving and deep snow,,,put dog on lead as it wasnt sport

 

but rabbits always bounce back,

[poacherman 353]

ave been out a lot from the snows came and its been good for the rabbits. one of the rabbits a got could hardly run tho and it was realy thin when a got it but most of the ones ave got have still been healthy. ave seen a lot of bark been stripped of the trees aswell. been getting a lot of rabbits out the brambles. sitting nice and tight in them. ave been loving my hunting while the snow has been here

 

atb poacher

[genuine 81]

Speaking of finding things dieing i was out the other day up shire and we was walking in snow 3ft deep or so with the terriers and we found a bloody GROUSE way off where it was mena be had a look at it and seemed ok no cuts etc but just wouldnt move and wasnt bothered by us picking it up!

[zap 4]

Speaking of finding things dieing i was out the other day up shire and we was walking in snow 3ft deep or so with the terriers and we found a bloody GROUSE way off where it was mena be had a look at it and seemed ok no cuts etc but just wouldnt move and wasnt bothered by us picking it up!

my mate keepers a grouse moor up here and he reckons the grouse have gone from his place and there have been hundreds spotted around 20-30 miles away where they have never been seen before the snow to his road was 6 inches above his landy bonnet and in some bits where it has drifted it is well over its roof ,things are suffering round here 3-4ft of snow and most days we are well into double figures into the minuses

[steveS.Yorks 161]

When i was young we used to have winters like this nearly every year,and it does take its toll,after the thaw we would find Hares dead in their seats sometimes and various animals/birds dead/dying,but its just natures way,im not happy about it because other things have took their toll on the local game,myxi,rifles being the worst culprits. There seems to be a lot of foxes[shame the shooters can only shoot hares/rabbits]but that can look false in snow,its probably they are having to work harder for a meal creating more tracks.

On the bright side it could help to kill off the Myxi viruses,we never had it every year when i was young.