Rabbits?

[keeperstweed]

Im sure they will bounce back, im starting to see them on my shoot, after shooting the hell out of them for years.
We always had a good population of hares, but even more now, and im not keen on shooting them as no one seems to eat them anymore, I tend to leave the bunnies alone and try to let them recoup, but even the foxes aint in numbers like they used to be.
It seems the humble bunny plays a far more important role, in nature than we think.....

 

[Rowey]

I keepered a shoot for many years till illness forced me to stop. When I was there you had all on to see one as I used to kill them on my daily rounds and as you know you can't kill them twice. I've picked up the lamping and some stalking on my old ground now I'm well again and I am astounded how quickly they bounced back. The old boy who now looks after the birds doesn't lamp and just bags the odd one with a 410 or air rifle. Took about 3 years for the population to bounce back. They do breed like rabbits though

 

[User00025]

We had a big purge with traps and 3000 plus were taken over a three year period. They are back in small numbers that can be controlled with a smallbore. Shot about 110 last year but they still keep popping up in separate places so i am now plinking half a dozen at a time just to check the numbers.

 

[pete65]

I'm in Hampshire and haven't seen any since last year, although I haven't been out with the NV yet

 

[Essex stalker]

Out in Essex with the thermal last night and there are certainly no shortages of them around here

 

[old keeper]

They are indeed very localised. On one of the local farms of about 500 acres the rabbits have virtually disappeared except for two fields right in the middle of the farm. On those two about 20 acrers in all the thermal picks up around 80 every night yet on all the surrounding fields they have completely gone. These two fields are a bit isolated from the others by road and very high thick Devon hedges which may help keeping the healthy rabbits away from the sick ones.
At the present time what very few rabbits are in the area either have mixy, VHD or the VHD variant. My yearly take has, over the past three years dropped from around 2500 to a couple of hundred!

 

[Overlay]

One perm I have is under control nicely, but you can still get 20+ in a night, my other places two of em 40-60 an evening starting an hour before dusk with ease.

There is a shortage in some areas hereabouts, but it's still early days on the breeding cycle front,

 

[User00043]

I to shoot North Northants I was seeing a lot of rabbits late summer/autumn, I don't get around to lamping rabbits until December by which time there was very few rabbits left
It's possible it could be Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease 2
The neighbouring farmer has been finding Dead Hares with no visible marks on them and unlike RHD1, RHD2 can also affect hares

 

[DAVIDAIKEN]

They are just starting to reappear on my permission in Cliffe (Kent) after an absence of 18 months.

 

[ChrisJB]

Good numbers round here in Surrey but only taking the larger ones

 

[Archer]

Last evening, before dark, 19 shot in an hour (all good size/condition)

 

[25 Sharps]

Plenty on my ground, easy to take a dozen in hour or so on the newer bit that I've just gained, for now at least! Everywhere else I shoot the numbers are smaller (probably due to me) and manageable.

 

[oxonhunter]

loads here on my shoots had 30 last night with my 17hmr

 

[JTO]

SCHOOL tries “ferrets, gas and shooting†to control plague of rabbits (From Dorset Echo)

 

[foxhunter]

Had a look round one of my farms last night for couple of hours with the .22 before dark and shot 31 . The place is moving at the minute .

 

[ileso]

im breeding some for release cause there no more where i live.

 

[SD198]

I shoot a couple of permissions in hants and have seen only a few rabbits so far this year (not been out with NV yet though), which is not normal (although last year wasn't great either). Also barely seen any on roadside in new forest each day. Also found an unmarked dead young bunny on one permission- farmer suggested maybe an adder got him, just hoping it's not disease...

 

[ileso]

lets hope the new viral disease the aussies have released stays in australia and doesnt get to europe or we may never see a rabbit again....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-24/rabbit-virus-kits-enables-farmers-to-eradicate-the-pests/8298266

 

[Hastings]

Bit thin on ground here( Basingstoke area). Less than last year anyway.

 

[hammo]

Not a brilliant picture I know, iPhone off back of my XQ38, but you get the idea. I would estimate 50 to 70+ rabbits in two large fields on one of my perms!
Landowner is well into his 80's and convinced there aren't too many about. They simply never show in the daytime, just feed all night. Its a job for the rimfire, when I get the scope changed out for one that works with my add on NV. I leave them be for now. As long as I keep the numbers down around the stables I'm deemed to be doing my job.

Hammo