Consistently low numbers of rabbits this year

[nothernlite 18,028]

It's all down to greed peopl getting cion for the bunny's taking loads of guys on and hitting  same spots for money spoils everything no thinking  of next season 

[Penda 3,221]

22 minutes ago, nothernlite said:

It's all down to greed peopl getting cion for the bunny's taking loads of guys on and hitting  same spots for money spoils everything no thinking  of next season 

Good Job I don't rely on the coin off the bunnies I'd be drawing my dole daily

[fred90 3,100]

2 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

I have never ever seen it as bad around here for rabbit numbers another reason i wont contemplate getting another lurcher. Like has been said disease must be the main factor though i have noticed a big rise in buzzard numbers also the technoligy used now days by shooters at night must be having an impact on numbers were rabbits that had become lamp shy now their is no need to put a lamp on them to get a shot off in darkness.

absolutely spot on mate

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

4 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

 the technoligy used now days by shooters at night must be having an impact on numbers were rabbits that had become lamp shy now their is no need to put a lamp on them to get a shot off in darkness.

Thermal and nv has undoubtedly helped in shooting more rabbits but believe me you still can't get them all .

Many a night I am out with the thermal and cant get anywhere near them , believe me their hearing is amazing. I often look at them through the thermal and try to get in shooting range only to see them running off the field .

They get used to being shot at , the 1st couple of times it's easy then it gets progressively harder.

However disease takes no prisoners. 

 

[Borr 4,519]

1 hour ago, FOXHUNTER said:

Thermal and nv has undoubtedly helped in shooting more rabbits but believe me you still can't get them all .

Many a night I am out with the thermal and cant get anywhere near them , believe me their hearing is amazing. I often look at them through the thermal and try to get in shooting range only to see them running off the field .

They get used to being shot at , the 1st couple of times it's easy then it gets progressively harder.

However disease takes no prisoners. 

 

When I had thermal for scanning I was amazed how far away rabbits were making for the hedges even with the wind in our favour... Thermal definitely adds another dynamic I enjoyed finding partridge and was amazing how much you see that you can't pick up with the lamp..

[Whoknows 159]

Simple facts are …. There are nationally less rabbits than there were and this number has vern reducing over last decade. Anyone who says different doesn’t get about enough or hasn’t been in the game very long.

Lads saying plenty in the dales, never saw the dales when it was lifting. You used to catch 100 and say it was a good day, now 50 is a good day. That’s a big change. 
 

The biggest contributor to population loss has been disease. Coupled with the wet and mild winters which means you never break the disease cycle. 
 

Chuck in a few nasty snow storms, lads with a .22 and night vision, ferreters and those weird c*nts with an air rifle, ghillie suit and a small c*ck. and it’s no wonder the humble rabbit is stuffed ! 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Yep thermal is definitely an eye opener. I see loads of woodcock , mice and rats out in the fields.

Watched a fox the other night hunt up and flush a woodcock.

Last week I saw a blackbird roosting in the middle of a grass field and another 50 plus roosting in a holly Bush.

 

 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

2 minutes ago, Whoknows said:

Simple facts are …. There are nationally less rabbits than there were and this number has vern reducing over last decade. 

Yep and its all down to RHD ..

They are starting to make a comeback though in some areas .

[Whoknows 159]

Got to be honest though. There is little as fecking boring as pinging rabbits with a rifle and night vision 

[Daniel cain 42,960]

2 minutes ago, Whoknows said:

Got to be honest though. There is little as fecking boring as pinging rabbits with a rifle and night vision 

Much prefer a session on the rats at night

[The one 8,398]

Due to the wet weather closing the golf course across the road  i have  been walking the dogs there , for the first time in two years i have been on there  . I was paid to control the rabbits there used to get a few hundred a year i was surprised they have let the brambles go you cant see a warren in the rough now  but the lurchers never marked a single spot on the whole course 

[Luckee legs 422]

22 hours ago, paulus said:

Air gunners quoting pest control in the middle of summer. grips my shit mate, Round here they are as rare as hens teeth at the minute, yet people are still after what little are left. 

I suffer some of that and it's frustrating to know pregnant and milky does are getting potted 

[Luckee legs 422]

5 hours ago, FOXHUNTER said:

Thermal and nv has undoubtedly helped in shooting more rabbits but believe me you still can't get them all .

Many a night I am out with the thermal and cant get anywhere near them , believe me their hearing is amazing. I often look at them through the thermal and try to get in shooting range only to see them running off the field .

They get used to being shot at , the 1st couple of times it's easy then it gets progressively harder.

However disease takes no prisoners. 

 

It's difficult to be certain with RHD because the numbers just collapse and you don't see carcasses but I feel it's the main problem. I have in the past ferreted and shot on one farm and numbers always bounced back

[Luckee legs 422]

21 hours ago, Borr said:

We hear it every season, but there's so many pressures.. night vision, airgunners , ferrets and the possible spread of myxi vhd , increase in predators bops especially, foxes , badgers, mink stoats weasels, cats, weather I'd say is a big one, suitable habitat, foot traffic has been a big one near me I think the pressure of hundreds more dog walkers pressures them off ground and food sources. Not sure why all these empty fields near me don't see a pair of eyes anywhere, more likely see a deer than a rabbit tbh.

Fair points. Badgers in east Anglia have become incredibly common, even 40 years ago they just weren't in evidence and today they are everywhere. I hadn't thought about foot traffic, that has gone up a lot and also plenty of new build houses in our area with lots of cats, I lost a ferret this year and looking for it around our village at dawn and dusk I was amazed by the numbers of cats. Deer certainly cope better, muntjac are a massive pain for me as my dogs are mad for them

[jok 3,041]

I wonder if Skipton still has the huge numbers? That moor was alive. You could look over a wall, clap your hands and the place would move. Best was 124 in or on 2 mornings. The were good days. Jok.