Nickb
Well-Known Member
Yep a single drop of RHD and they will vanish. Cherish them whilst we still have them.
Drop off in rabbit numbers.
- Thread starter Triggermortis
- Start date
Best stretch I had about 12 years ago was 600 or so in about 4 weeks..and 70 in about 3 hours...those days are long gone round us...I can maybe manage double figures if I go round 3 or 4 farms.
Nickb
Well-Known Member
I remember going to the Borders in the 80s 90s and taking them for granted, literally thousands and thousands.
Shot 213 one night and stopped as got boring , next night shot 185.
Used to love working the gorse shooting them over the terriers , great fun.
Didn't matter how many we killed the numbers were the same the next year until RHD.....shame really.
Shot 213 one night and stopped as got boring , next night shot 185.
Used to love working the gorse shooting them over the terriers , great fun.
Didn't matter how many we killed the numbers were the same the next year until RHD.....shame really.
Hereabouts, they come and go. Mixy arrives every year, and VHD hammers them regularly. On my patch, there are usually a few spots where numbers increase substantially for a year or so, then disease reduces them to just a handful; fortunately, there's always enough for my requirements!
I think it is more likely that the disease has spread from France, via the usual vectors to be honest.
Definitely, I don't take it for granted
they remain high in numbers Your going to need a longer gate to hang them on if you shoot more
Rabbit numbers can go from thousands to nil and then come back , it only takes one buck and one doe . Land that held rabbits after a decade ago can go to zero . I have a few around the house this year but I will likely leave them for the raptors.
Rake Aboot
Well-Known Member
Strangely, I shot a site last week where last year I regularly shot 100 at a time , 300 over a weekend type place
Numbers were significantly down in one or two areas . I suspected something had hit them but had not transferred the 300 mtrs along the road to the next population.
Numbers were significantly down in one or two areas . I suspected something had hit them but had not transferred the 300 mtrs along the road to the next population.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
I distinctly remember rabbit breeders peed off with the government decision to allow Chinese imports of rabbits due to possible viral importation. They were right.
It was a deliberate act in my opinion.
shakey jake
Well-Known Member
Just been asked to shoot some for a vet, first domestic rabbit job this year, might have one big rabbit clearance this winter.
Im not suprised people import diseases to kill rabbits off, they are an awful pest
Im not suprised people import diseases to kill rabbits off, they are an awful pest
I believe the most harmful virus strain in the UK is RHDV2, which first appeared in France about 15 years ago and has been in the UK for 10 years. I agree with you that the original RHD was first observed in China, but it's basically been transmitted far and wide for the last 40 odd years - indeed the V2 strain appears to have made it back to China (potentially through imported rabbit products). I don't think this disease needs that much help to spread to be honest.
Nickb
Well-Known Member
Still dont deserve to die from disease.
There’s a prevalent theory that it was the train companies and/or Network Rail - they were desperate to stop the damage to the embankments.
CookM
Well-Known Member
I did from the 70s to 02 when l moved West.
Ferreted and shot hundreds.
A couple of big colonies around old quarries on organic ground,but sparse elsewhere.
Was North of Winchy.
Parents live on a (non working) farm on the Lancs/N Yorks border and we rarely see rabbits these days.
There seems to be a massive increase in the number of hare around the past few years and they’ve had stoats at their back door a couple of times.
Around where I am the rabbit population seems practically non existent.
There seems to be a massive increase in the number of hare around the past few years and they’ve had stoats at their back door a couple of times.
Around where I am the rabbit population seems practically non existent.
reiver
Well-Known Member
We used to shoot over 200 a night before vhd wiped everything out apart from on the fell .
Not bothered shooting a rabbit in about 8-10 years . Lots more Hares around than rabbits !!
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