Any Rabbits In Dorset/hampshire?

[Halle Berry 6]

Things were looking good in the summer of 2016, loads of rabbits everywhere, then towards the end of the summer the dogs started picking up myxi ones and when we started working the dog and the ferrets there was nothing anywhere. Maximum bag 2 rabbits (bucks) a day.

Has anyone else in the Dorset/Hampshire area had a similar experience?

The dog, the ferrets are getting bored and we are getting quite despondent.

[jok 3,464]

Too many immigrants. They need to eat like everyone else so where do they attack first? Carp ponds and rabbits. Get rid. End of problem. Jok.

[Arry 24,899]

It does seem a bit weird this year. I think its down to a mixture of Myxi , RHD and RHD2. Its very patchy, 3 trips around one field to get 45 yet 2 fields away nothing at all. Some farms theres none on one side and there fair numbers on the other. Have you seen any dead rabbits that look like they have just dropped dead with maybe blood coming from their nose or ears ?

 

Cheers Arry

[Born Hunter 17,910]

They've been smashed by disease mate all over the country. Everyone has witnessed exactly the same events as you, seemed to be lifting with rabbits in summer and then nothing by xmas. That's just life. There'll be a few to go at again in October.

 

With a bit of good fortune the lack of rabbits will starve half the f***ing buzzards.

[NEWKID 28,686]

As said the same story all round, for different reasons we've not managed much ferreting this year so hopefully see a few back next year, we've had a good run of it for the last 4 years or so with loads of rabbits about, it all goes in cycles...

[walshie 2,804]

I saw a rabbit yesterday that looked like it had just dropped dead. Hard to tell with all the tyre marks though.

[Born Hunter 17,910]

As said the same story all round, for different reasons we've not managed much ferreting this year so hopefully see a few back next year, we've had a good run of it for the last 4 years or so with loads of rabbits about, it all goes in cycles...

 

This cycle seemed to last a bit longer than previous cycles as you say. I remember having a chat about rabbits and saying that it's been a long while since the rabbits suffered myxi, then weeks later they were flattened by it! I was starting to wonder if they had developed a stronger resistance to it.

[NEWKID 28,686]

 

As said the same story all round, for different reasons we've not managed much ferreting this year so hopefully see a few back next year, we've had a good run of it for the last 4 years or so with loads of rabbits about, it all goes in cycles...

 

This cycle seemed to last a bit longer than previous cycles as you say. I remember having a chat about rabbits and saying that it's been a long while since the rabbits suffered myxi, then weeks later they were flattened by it! I was starting to wonder if they had developed a stronger resistance to it.

They certainly have, over the last 5 or so years I've seen a fair few rabbits that look to have had myxi but are recovering, and it hasn't seemed to have an effect on numbers. This past season though a real noticeable shortage in rabbits but no myxi visible, seems to be VHD is being blamed for the shortage.

We were doing one hedge for 50 plus 2 years back, Lamped a few of these places the past year and its scratchy as hell

Edited January 27, 2017 by NEWKID

[Born Hunter 17,910]

 

 

As said the same story all round, for different reasons we've not managed much ferreting this year so hopefully see a few back next year, we've had a good run of it for the last 4 years or so with loads of rabbits about, it all goes in cycles...

This cycle seemed to last a bit longer than previous cycles as you say. I remember having a chat about rabbits and saying that it's been a long while since the rabbits suffered myxi, then weeks later they were flattened by it! I was starting to wonder if they had developed a stronger resistance to it.

They certainly have, over the last 5 or so years I've seen a fair few rabbits that look to have had myxi but are recovering, and it hasn't seemed to have an effect on numbers. This past season though a real noticeable shortage in rabbits but no myxi visible, seems to be VHD is being blamed for the shortage.

We were doing one hedge for 50 plus 2 years back, Lamped a few of these places the past year and its scratchy as hell

 

 

I'm not particularly familiar with VHD but the rabbits local to me have definitely suffered myxi badly this summer gone after a good few years with hardly any sign of it. VHD may have gone through them too.

 

On the positive side there seems to be good pigeon numbers about and Feb roost shooting is imminent! LOL

[Neal 1,930]

I've had a continual cycle of it my way for several years now: I get despondent after seeing virtually nothing all winter then start to get my hopes up during late summer when I spot a few rabbits and almost​ consider getting in some ferrets again! Then, come autumn, it's as dry as a nun's knickers again. Mine have switched their attention almost completely to squirrels and woodies now. I keep considering getting another pup in, due to Noggin's accident, but it hardly seems worth it with no rabbits in evidence.