I imagine this will be a very stupid question

[Guest JohnGalway]

Hi folks,

 

I'm not quite sure but I think this is the best forum for this question?

 

My local rabbit ground has been wiped out almost. Where I used to see 50- rabbits a night I see 5 or 6 - on a good night. Could be that someone else is shooting there but I don't see any evidence of it, don't see lamps there when am passing and see no carts or cases (mind you they could, and should, pick them up). So I'm wondering about mink and their possible effect. I trapped a mink not far from there a while back. If there are more mink operating in that area, how much damage could they do exactly?

 

ATB,

 

John

[Guest coopermurphy3]

it cud be mixo or the mink just kills for fun

[Rolfe 2]

Hi folks,

 

I'm not quite sure but I think this is the best forum for this question?

 

My local rabbit ground has been wiped out almost. Where I used to see 50- rabbits a night I see 5 or 6 - on a good night. Could be that someone else is shooting there but I don't see any evidence of it, don't see lamps there when am passing and see no carts or cases (mind you they could, and should, pick them up). So I'm wondering about mink and their possible effect. I trapped a mink not far from there a while back. If there are more mink operating in that area, how much damage could they do exactly?

 

ATB,

 

John

John

I would doubt a mink.......or several mink even......could reduce the rabbit population so dramatically in such a short period of time. On several of my contracts I trap mink on a regular basis and have not noticed any huge reduction in the rabbit population. Unless there has been an outbreak of some disease (mixy or HD) then human intervention is the most likely cause. Is it possible someone could have ferreted, snared, or even gassed the area......I wonder?

 

Regards

 

Rolfe.

[The one 8,600]

Thats what i was thinking R.H.D.aparently the get a bloody nose then 4 hours later they can be dead .i reckon they would go down the burrows to die and only heard of in the south l

[Guest JohnGalway]

Locating beats to snare the bunnies would be nigh on impossible in this spot, it's an overgrazed piece of land with grass shorter than kojacks haircut. I've not seen any signs of mixy around, and don't know if there are any other rabbit diseases here. The reduction in numbers has been gradual over the last year or so. Years back my dad tried ferreting this area, said it was a nightmare due to the burrow complex being so large, it's only gotten bigger since then (until now). It's in sand so I assume the old burrows would still be open. Gassing would not happen, it's common land and anyoen grazing there would be too tight to pay for it lol.

 

I'm thinking human intervention or maybe this HD/RHD thing. Seen no bodies though that's the weird thing but if they die down the burrows I wouldn't.

 

I've taken a good number of rabbits out of this spot over the past couple of years but certainly not near enough to decline the population to it's current level.