aaronpigeonplucker 32 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 i know that rabbits are pests and not game so can be shot at any time iof the year but somebody told me not to shoot from the end of january onwards . something to do with there young? but i thought rabbits breed all year round. can someone clarify this. thanks, pigeon plucker Quote Link to post
Deker 3,491 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 i know that rabbits are pests and not game so can be shot at any time iof the year but somebody told me not to shoot from the end of january onwards . something to do with there young? but i thought rabbits breed all year round. can someone clarify this. thanks, pigeon plucker European Rabbits do NOT have a season and Landowners are legally bound to control their numbers, rabbits tend to breed from February to October, depending exactly on the weather and food supply, and have up to 7 litters a year, they do not breed in the depths of winter! We wonder into areas of vermin control and sport yet again with this thread! Quote Link to post
ChrisJones 7,975 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Sportsmen will tell you to honour the breeding seasons. Pest controllers will tell you to honour the interests of your client/landowner. As a pest controller I would say keep your client happy. Sport or not it's he/she who decides whether you can come back again. Quote Link to post
mattydski 560 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Maybe a bit of confusion withe Ferreting for rabbits season. It is an unofficial season where ferreters tend not ferret due to the increased risk of digging, when the ferret kills the young down the holes. Quote Link to post
jazz_11 5 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 people dont ferret usually from feb to october but theres no law thats just in the interest of the ferreter. but shooting them can be done all year round... Quote Link to post
Guest air gunner Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 In my location there are only about 3 rabbits around im not worried about them being pests but i do love eating them so what i really want is for there to be an abundance of them so i can go out in the morning and drop a rabbit for luch every now and then. so what im saying and i think pigeon plucker wants to know is when are rabbits most abundant? so after october the rabbits round me should have young and i will have plenty of game around. i dont want to shoot the ones i see because after i have shot the 3 there is it will be a long time untill more rabbits turn up. As long as foxes dont get the young i should be ok. Quote Link to post
ChrisJones 7,975 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 When are rabbits most abundant? That's a tricky one. I don't think there is a magic time, it's all dependent on the environmental pressure the species faces in any given location. Predation. Foxes, buzzards, etc. Disease. Mixy and VHD. Hunting. How many have permission on your land? How many hunt it without permission? How many, like me, ferret all year round and don't honour breeding seasons? Destruction of habitat through housing development and commercial expansion. If you've got a formula, I'd love to hear it. Quote Link to post
Deker 3,491 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 In my location there are only about 3 rabbits around im not worried about them being pests but i do love eating them so what i really want is for there to be an abundance of them so i can go out in the morning and drop a rabbit for luch every now and then. so what im saying and i think pigeon plucker wants to know is when are rabbits most abundant? so after october the rabbits round me should have young and i will have plenty of game around. i dont want to shoot the ones i see because after i have shot the 3 there is it will be a long time untill more rabbits turn up. As long as foxes dont get the young i should be ok. There are no hard and fast rules about population but you will TEND to find rabbit populations at their highest in June, the reason for this is simple, the first born of the year are breeding themselves, as well as the older ones, providing a large number of young and food is plentiful. Following on from this period the fox clubs, birds of prey etc are plentiful and are getting very hungry and killing themselves. On top of which all the tarts who find it too cold to hunt in the winter are all coming out to play in the summer so loads get shot as well!! Quote Link to post
ChrisJones 7,975 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I reckon the best bet is to observe your hunting ground and find out how it works for you. Quote Link to post
Guest air gunner Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I have 2 buzzards living near me how do i go about scaring them from my land im sure they take most of the rabbits around me. there were three foxes living here too one took a fancy to my chickens luckily i spotted it so managed to chase the fecker as it was running off with one it took one look at me shouting and sprinting towards it so it droped the still alive chicken and legged it. havent seen the foxes around much latley so i dont think they are a problem. In the summer i see rabbits out during the day but in winter i never do is this normal? Quote Link to post
mad al 146 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 i know that rabbits are pests and not game so can be shot at any time iof the year but somebody told me not to shoot from the end of january onwards . something to do with there young? but i thought rabbits breed all year round. can someone clarify this. thanks, pigeon plucker well I just shoot or run them as I see them and if one is carrying four young well that's five less to devastate the countryside Quote Link to post
Deker 3,491 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 (edited) I have 2 buzzards living near me how do i go about scaring them from my land im sure they take most of the rabbits around me. there were three foxes living here too one took a fancy to my chickens luckily i spotted it so managed to chase the fecker as it was running off with one it took one look at me shouting and sprinting towards it so it droped the still alive chicken and legged it. havent seen the foxes around much latley so i dont think they are a problem. In the summer i see rabbits out during the day but in winter i never do is this normal? Pretty normal and again the reason is simple, first off they are not breeding so they are not chasing each other around, many no longer exist due to natural predation and mankind and mixxy. It is cold and just like most of us they like to keep tucked up nice and warm (below ground), they have put on fat deposits from the summer and food is much less plentiful so no need to go out, they do not like to, and have no reason to expend energy anyway at this time of year...I think that about covers it! Edited January 25, 2009 by Deker Quote Link to post
mad al 146 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I have 2 buzzards living near me how do i go about scaring them from my land im sure they take most of the rabbits around me. there were three foxes living here too one took a fancy to my chickens luckily i spotted it so managed to chase the fecker as it was running off with one it took one look at me shouting and sprinting towards it so it droped the still alive chicken and legged it. havent seen the foxes around much latley so i dont think they are a problem. In the summer i see rabbits out during the day but in winter i never do is this normal? what's wrong with the buzzards dude, use them to your advantage, as for the fox, it'll take more than a shout and a sprint to stop charlie Quote Link to post
ChrisJones 7,975 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I have 2 buzzards living near me how do i go about scaring them from my land im sure they take most of the rabbits around me. there were three foxes living here too one took a fancy to my chickens luckily i spotted it so managed to chase the fecker as it was running off with one it took one look at me shouting and sprinting towards it so it droped the still alive chicken and legged it. havent seen the foxes around much latley so i dont think they are a problem. In the summer i see rabbits out during the day but in winter i never do is this normal? Leave the buzzards alone. If anyone interprets your actions as malicious you'll be in really deep s*it. Just read some of the threads in the falconry section! I loathe to use this term but 'as a rule' you 'should' see more rabbits in the summer as there is 'usually' more food around and it's warmer. The same rule applies to foxes and buzzards though so if you don't see more rabbits, or they suddenly disappear, then something else predates your land. Environmental changes are seeing these patterns shift so the rule book is always changing. Quote Link to post
Guest air gunner Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 no i think the local farmer dispatched the foxes. how can i use the buzzards to my advantage? bring on the summer the best feeling ever is stalking a rabbit in the middle of a sunny day. i can only lamp during the winter and to be honest daytime is much better. the buzzards are ok i suppose they take the ferrals that have becaome abundant around here due to the neigbours thinking a few years ago white doves would be nice before we knew it white doves have become white and grey sky rats great to pop of the roof and watch the buzzards swoop down and pick them off. i cant wait till lots of fat rabbits start popping there heads out of there warrens in the warmer months. hears a tip white and grey ferals area ace jackdaw bait they stand out on the grass and to me they are easily accesable. Quote Link to post
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