Rabbit plague

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    Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 8:28am
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Awhile back I posted about the plague of rabbits on our property on
the Nth fringe of the city & asked if anyone interested in shooting them.
 
Thursday was very windy & rabbits do not seem to like wind, tending
to stay underground. Nevertheless a father & son duo shot over 30
bunnies in about 1 1/2 hours & there were still a couple to be seen
as they were leaving.
 
Have just been down to the letterbox for the herald & sighted seven.
 
Remains a mystery where they are all coming from .... have never known
the likes of it in over 30 yrs. 
 
Strangely enough the guys shooting are on an acreage only abot 12 kms
away, yet in 15 yrs. they have only seen ONE rabbit ?????????
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Panga Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 8:36am
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Your a carrot farmer aint ya LOLLOL
I ONLY FISH HANDMADE KOJAK CUSTOM RODS.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Marligator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 8:47am
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You think you have got problems, I visited a farm recently to the South East of Te Puke (about 5 miles due north of Lake Rotoehu) and they have litterally thousands on the farm it has the highest concentration of rabbits in the north island (this is according to the regional council). They have guys coming on regularly shooting the rabbits, a couple of years ago an old guy shot around 3,000 in a bit over a week, this lowered the population a bit but within a few months the numbers were back up again. Calici virus was released on the property which reduced numbers significantly but as they breed all year round and the juveniles are immune to the virus the survivors now have natural immunity.
Due to the numbers of rabbits milk production on this farm is way down and almost making the farm non-viable. it has been estimated that $50,000 plus a year would need to be spent to keep the numbers right down.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Busted! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 8:49am
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I would take 50,000 a year to keep the numbers down...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 9:56am
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Originally posted by Panga Panga wrote:

Your a carrot farmer aint ya LOLLOL
 
No I am not ........ however now regret ever having Hugh Hefner
to stay!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Marligator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 10:02am
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Busted, shooting does not keep the numbers down to a satisfactory level, there are several other neighbouring farms with similar rabbit numbers (probably 1000 ha in total), poisoning is the best option but this is very expensive.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 11:58am
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Originally posted by Marligator Marligator wrote:

Busted, shooting does not keep the numbers down to a satisfactory level, there are several other neighbouring farms with similar rabbit numbers (probably 1000 ha in total), poisoning is the best option but this is very expensive.
 
I am poisoning as well ..... but all that seems to acheive is that they
invite all their friends to a pindone party ... get high .... then copulate
frenetically .... increasing the population even further.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Panga Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 12:01pm
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Originally posted by bazza bazza wrote:

Originally posted by Marligator Marligator wrote:

Busted, shooting does not keep the numbers down to a satisfactory level, there are several other neighbouring farms with similar rabbit numbers (probably 1000 ha in total), poisoning is the best option but this is very expensive.
 
I am poisoning as well ..... but all that seems to acheive is that they
invite all their friends to a pindone party ... get high .... then copulate
frenetically .... increasing the population even further.
 
 
I need some of those rabbit drugs, for um, er research
I ONLY FISH HANDMADE KOJAK CUSTOM RODS.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Lethal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 4:41pm
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you ant going to get rid of em Bazza....
i work in Manukau City with a grass verge of about 5mts wide and 200mts long we have roughly 20 rabbits....
they have adapted to factory life quite well considering.....
Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Busted! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 7:24pm
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Who said shooting was an option? I'll start farming the ******* and sell the skins and meat.
 
Don't look a gifthorse in the mouth man, get ag certs and find a buyer and go hard.  It's an almost infinately renewable resource!!!!!!  The meat is almost zero-fat, and the skins can be used in fashion and flytying etc etc.
 
Only down side is if you take poison near them, you're buggered and your only option from then on is to poison because you can't sell for consumption of any sort and most people won't want to handle them for skinning...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 7:28pm
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Originally posted by Lethal Lethal wrote:

you ant going to get rid of em Bazza....
i work in Manukau City with a grass verge of about 5mts wide and 200mts long we have roughly 20 rabbits....
they have adapted to factory life quite well considering.....
 
Yep can well believe that Lethal having seen the rabbit population
that infests the area adjacent to AK airport as close as the parking
areas & they seem to have relatively no fear of humans.
 
Your are completely WRONG tho mate when you say "you ant going
to get rid of em Bazza...."
 
For we are moving in about 2 weeks.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bluecoraldiver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 7:30pm
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You supply the .22 rifle and I'll come help get rid of them. Bunny Chow. Yum !

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 8:56pm
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Originally posted by bluecoraldiver bluecoraldiver wrote:

You supply the .22 rifle and I'll come help get rid of them. Bunny Chow. Yum !
 
Yep .. I can provide a .22 & ammo .... am currently shooting about 3 per
day from the house.
 
Beyond the house, lucky to get a couple before they all run for cover.
 
The guys the other day were using silenced rifles, sub sonic ammo &
tele sights ..... what a difference that makes .... the loudest noise is
the impact of a hit on the target.
 
In fact one was a short barrelled Ruger, rotary mag, semi auto with
a permantely suppressed barrel even with hi vel ammo, altho tends
to jam with the latter.
 
Laid more poison today & 20 mins after doing so came around the
end of the deck to se a tiny bunny munching away on the offerings
in the bait trap.
 
It is a still night tonight, shudder to think how many would show up
if I was to stroll about with my high powered spotlight.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote zeroque Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 9:16am
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I've often wondered why they seem to take off in some areas and not others. By taking off I mean getting the the level talked about ( in their1000's) as opposed to half a dozen or so per hectare. We manage to keep ours down with regular shooting and they are really tasty too. Not so fond of Hare meat though.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Wanda_Ra Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 9:53am
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i live in Cambridge. i shoot the bunnies on our 2 hectares, and plenty of the neighbours,i go about 3-4 times a week and its not often i dont clean up around 15 or so and the odd hare just around here, its madness how many there are.If anyone is within an hours drive or so and wants free bunny cleanup( i dont mind if you supply some low velocity ammo) i will be glad to help keep the bunny numbers down Thumbs Up.I work parttime on a dairy farm and grew up on a farm so im familiar with the issues with stock and gates etc. 
If you think you are too small to make a difference,try sleeping with a mosquito in your tent.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bluecoraldiver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 4:22pm
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Hey bazza, whereabouts are you? Also, if a bunny eats the poison will it die instantly. I don't want to shoot a rabbit that's beein eating poison then put that one in the pot.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 10:05pm
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Originally posted by bluecoraldiver bluecoraldiver wrote:

Hey bazza, whereabouts are you? Also, if a bunny eats the poison will it die instantly. I don't want to shoot a rabbit that's beein eating poison then put that one in the pot.
 
No they do not die instantly ...... pindone depletes vitamin K which is the substance
in our bodies that congeals blood from wounds etc.  Without adequate levels  of
vitamin K animals ( humans incl.) are subject to haemoraging  both external &
internal ....... not a nice thought, admittedly ..... but highly unlikely anyne is going to
encounter an affected rabbit, as they will be far too sick by that stage .. sad but true!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote fozzie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 10:12pm
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When I was a wee slip of a lad growing up down in the "naki, we used to get the rabbit board guys coming through, they used to tell us that for every one rabbit you saw above ground, you could expect twelve under the ground.
And they used to give us heaps of Rabbit board No. 4 lead shotgun shells, that were great on the ducks.Thumbs UpThumbs UpLOL
Dont take life too seriously.....no one gets out alive any way.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Saltiga Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 10:45pm
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where bouts are you bazza? flat mate is right into his hunting and his mates, they will sit out there all night shooting the barstools for you.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote bazza Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 8:23am
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Originally posted by Saltiga Saltiga wrote:

where bouts are you bazza? flat mate is right into his hunting and his mates, they will sit out there all night shooting the barstools for you.
 
Coatesville .... a few minutes from Albany.
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