Rabbits?

[oager]

Not many around where I am, in north Northants, and even on the sides of roads I drive along. The farms I walk seem to have very few about, and the usual places just don't seem to have many. Of the very few I've shot I've not seen anything that looks like myxy, so not sure what's causing this. Anyone else noticing this?

 

[Fursty Ferret]

Been a bad (or good depending on which way you look at it) year for vhd in rabbits. Some areas have been decimated. Good news as far as im concerned .....it takes the pressure off my rabbit control duties and frees up more stalking time

 

[ben0850]

Our population has been almost wiped out by VHD. Even the well known hotspots on our Arable fields are not suffering. A plus side is an increase in Hare.

 

[old keeper]

Rabbits have virtuaslly gone from round here. In some places almost as bad as in the fifties when myxi first appeared. There's a few young around but VHD 2 will sort them out and only last week there was a myxi rabbit in the road.
All in all it's not looking good.

 

[Overlay]

Just starting to show hereabouts, it looks like they may be a little late, but they have definitely got a first brood off
plenty of bolters showing

phil

 

[VSS]

Rabbit population on my farm has doubled over the last two years - gone up from 3 to 6.
Away from home, land where I usually shoot lots of rabbits has got virtually none.

 

[tarponhead]

Just come back from Cornwall and found the same but put it down to the time of year and cold wet weather when you see less - but fewer visible compared with previous years near me in the Cotswolds as well.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Totally wiped out on all of my permissions, I'v been out a couple of times an not spotted any signs of a single rabbit!
I have to wonder what Charlie will be feeding the cubs on with no rabbits for them?

 

[Archer]

I will post my findings after next weeks' walk but hopefully it will be along the lines of previous years, a slow start going to low double figures shot each week

 

[oager]

True enough about the hares - quite a few about - I was checking zero the other day and a hare was sitting 50 yards the other side of the gongs, shadow boxing at nothing in particular. We don't shoot hares, so I watched it watching me. After a few rounds it was happy that I was shooting consistently and gently loped off.

 

[Hornet 6]

Not seen a rabbit for nearly two years now, none to shoot on 1000 acres of mixed arable, set a side and hay meadows, also 6 lakes in there and plenty of hedges.
Not been a viable quarry now for getting on towards 4 or 5 years, also no rabbit = pretty nearly no foxes on the same land, so bad I'm seriously considering
giving up shooting and selling it all off

Neil.

 

[Cyres]

Never seen so many for years,and saw lots when I was down in Devon a couple of weeks ago. Thermal is a revelation for seeing what your rabbit population is like. Lots on stubble but very difficult to spot on the lamp. No ! shot 9 with me last week, easily spotted with the themal virtually invisible on the lamp, but he has very good eye sight and shoots very well.

D

 

[ileso]

bloody hell, that sounds bad. almost like here where rabbits have become very very rare. thats bretty bad when you live somewhere that was named for being the land of the rabbits.
A few years ago i was visiting my sister and there were a lot of very large ones... i even took pics.

View attachment 81135

 

[Highlandsjohn]

I was asked to clear two small farms,seven miles apart,which were infested by rabbits. Over the course of 18 months I shot about 300 on each farm,give or take. Then both had outbreaks of mixi within a month or so of each other, which took care of the stragglers. I know the disease is spread by flea,but wondered if the stress of constant shooting and disruption made the remainder more susceptible to getting it,or just a coincidence.
That was a few years ago,I still seldom see any on one of them..

 

[Mouse]

I shot my first ever rabbits with my .22 a couple of days ago, so even less around here now!

 

[Gonzo 260]

I shoot foxes and rabbits on roughly 3500 acres in north Northants but haven't shot a rabbit for two years, prior to that I was regularly shooting between 700 and 1000 a year. Nearly wiped out by VHD, they seemed to disappear nearly overnight. No dead ones lying about though, I assume they die in their burrows.

 

[Archer]

Tonight was the first visit of the year to one of the apple farms I shoot and I saw 25 rabbits- mainly full size -, about the same as this time last year, so l expect mid summer I will be busy

 

[Remmy6.5]

Rabbit population on my permissions in Essex has dropped massively over the past 2 years,on one farm where you would usually see dozens you'll be lucky to get a glimpse of one now

 

[unicorn71]

Loads of rabbits on most of my permissions ,no doubt mixi will have a impact but due to the mild winter there seems to be a abundance of half growns and tonight whilst out stalking saw plenty of babies bouncing around. Hares also seem to have done well.

 

[Mauser243]

I shoot foxes and rabbits on roughly 3500 acres in north Northants but haven't shot a rabbit for two years, prior to that I was regularly shooting between 700 and 1000 a year. Nearly wiped out by VHD, they seemed to disappear nearly overnight. No dead ones lying about though, I assume they die in their burrows.

You are correct, they die underground. Not shot the humble rabbit for around 12/15 years now. What remainder that has survived have gone totally nocturnal due to pressure from being targeted from almost everything. Pretty sad to see their demise to be honest. I was sure given time they will bounce back, but from what I've seen it will not be for a very long time.

M