Where have all the bunnies gone

Has anyone noticed a big decline in numbers? We had a huge rabbit problem, baiting didn’t work so we started shooting them for pet food and to give the kids something to do. Still couldn’t keep on top of them. They started vanishing over summer, presumably to hot and because of the drought but they haven’t come back. Our farm is surrounded by highway and they burrow along the roadside fences and paddocks. Obviously glad to not have such a big problem but it gave the kids something to do and I find it a little strange they have vanished.

Off making chocolate for Easter, food manufacturing deemed an essential service.

They moved here? Iv been in town for about 6 years and only saw the first rabbit this spring....up to 6 now :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Gapped axe

Off making chocolate for Easter, food manufacturing deemed an essential service.

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Of course, I didn’t even think of that

Has your council poisoned? I went to take my son to some public land that used to be crawling with rabbits a while back....only saw one , should have checked as the area had been poisoned.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

They moved here? Iv been in town for about 6 years and only saw the first rabbit this spring....up to 6 now :thumbsup:

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We were getting 10-20 each time we went out, lucky to get 1 now. And the only one we’ve seen is going in and out from under the house driving the dog mad.

They might have all moved to Central. Thousands of the wee buggers here.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Has your council poisoned? I went to take my son to some public land that used to be crawling with rabbits a while back....only saw one , should have checked as the area had been poisoned.

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The paddocks near some railway tracks and they’ve been doing some work on the tracks, the rabbit holes are all along the fence line so possibly but I’d think they would have let us know

I wouldnt have thought the drought would bother them much? after all they love Australia and central otago

It occurred to me that we may start appreciating the bunny rabbit again in the near future.

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Originally Posted by MB

It occurred to me that we may start appreciating the bunny rabbit again in the near future.

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For close to home hunting or food variety? They do go good in the slow cooker.

Seen 5 rabbits on my back lawn this morning,but the neighbors 3 doors up got 3 young boys.So I cant go shooting rabbits out the back window any more.:o

They must of all migrated to the manawatu , hundreds of the little bastards here.
I go out shooting with my air rifle (still waiting for my piece of plastic) and I get about 5 or 6.
They get pretty cunning though , know the range you can shoot out too etc.

Hmmmm maybe someone has laid some poison down, other than the council who I would have thought would have let us know.

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Originally Posted by Joe_90

For close to home hunting or food variety? They do go good in the slow cooker.

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I haven’t been brave enough to eat them, I would have thought it’s a bit risky with things like the virus they released to take them out? Iv heard they are pretty good though.

A couple of cats in the area can clean up the rabbit population in a couple of weeks,had about 10rabbits living under the neighbors horse shed a while ago,spoke to him recently and mentioned I hadn’t seen them in a while,he said an old tomcat had moved into the barn and cleaned them out.

What the Fcuk, I’ve got a new farm with heaps, I could walk there for exercise, but the rifle over my shoulder on a main road maybe misconstrued? I went through my first check point Charlie this am, my paperwork and passport passed with an A+++

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Originally Posted by Joe_90

For close to home hunting or food variety?

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Both, but I meant as a source of protein should things get really bad. You don't need vast amounts of land or be able to walk up a mountain to shoot a rabbit.

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Originally Posted by Chelsea

I haven’t been brave enough to eat them, I would have thought it’s a bit risky with things like the virus they released to take them out? Iv heard they are pretty good though.

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I will keep the back legs from time to time while out night shooting. Only if the animal looks in good condition and isn't an old buck.
I never really thought too much about the virus risk to be honest.

We are over run with the little shits in the Mackenzie, will be back on their case once we can get back to work. Been on stations this year that were literally moving with bunnies and that's during the day time. One of the best meats out there, once a staple meet in NZ. I grew up on it and still eat bunnies regularly though I probably rate Hare slightly higher for interesting flavor though bunnies are sweater.
Get someone to show you how to paunch a rabbit which is easy and quick and nockup a slow cook stew - you'll be impressed.

Around this time of year the Calici virus can come back and bowl over the rabbits. It is known to reoccur naturally after it's original release. Back in the late nineties when it was illegally released in BOP it had a dramatic effect killing over 90% of the rabbits on my 20 Km countline I monitored twice a year. What we did see was un explained rabbits being killed in autumn most years following the first release.
That could be a possible explanation of where the rabbits have gone.

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Originally Posted by Mooseman

Around this time of year the Calici virus can come back and bowl over the rabbits. It is known to reoccur naturally after it's original release. Back in the late nineties when it was illegally released in BOP it had a dramatic effect killing over 90% of the rabbits on my 20 Km countline I monitored twice a year. What we did see was un explained rabbits being killed in autumn most years following the first release.
That could be a possible explanation of where the rabbits have gone.

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I did wonder about this. Rabbits were nice and healthy before they vanished. I thinks there’s far too many to have disappeared for no reason. Might go for a walk today and check the areas out.

The indication that calici has reactivated is that you'll be seeing mainly young ones. The virus kills the older ones - a bit like Covid...

New born rabbits are immune to virus and disease until about 6 weeks old ( from memory) @6x47 is right you should see more young around than older rabbits. That being said we did a lot of blood sampling during and after the releases ( we had to head shoot rabbits and extract about 3-4 mil of blood from the still beating heart and this was sent away for testing for anti bodies to the virus, each sample into a separate vial and new syringe and needle each rabbit) We found that quite a large portion of older rabbits had the anti bodies so they were immune for life.

Been out every night this week and shot a couple of rabbits a day.Went out yesterday and shot two rabbits. Saw heaps .
Even my front lawn has rabbit droppings.

Went for a look around today and nothing at all. Heaps of huge freshly dug holes we’re going to need to fill before the cows go in but not a rabbit in site. I’m stumped. Thinking maybe a couple Hawkes are wiping them out.

Bunnies all underground partying ... humans have the virus and not them!

It will be RCD. Every autumn it goes through like the wind and takes out the bulk of the rabbits. About five years ago the rabbits disappeared in one day WTF ?
I found seven laying dead in the grass within 100 mtrs of my driveway. Thought next door must have put pellets out, but no it was the virus.
It doesn't seem to be able to spread / survive in cold areas like the Mckenzie but wipes them out in Nth Canty
If the liver is free of white spots they are good to eat

As said above. Heaps in the Manawatu. I have been shooting rabbits regularly on the same farm. Have shot nearly 400 since just before xmas. Shot 11 from one position then 15 minutes later 9 in another small gully without moving. Shot 107 one day about 3 weeks ago. Then 59 a week later. Haven't had time to shoot other properties yet as trying to get numbers down on this place. Heaps of pregnant does so population explosion again before long .