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Post by span870 on Dec 28, 2021 13:28:54 GMT -5
Every time I see a new post notification in the small game section I get a bit excited thinking it's maybe someone else that chases bunnies but it's always squirrel. Doesn't anyone hunt them anymore or keep beagles? I'm out now in the pouring rain without a gun just listening and exercising them.
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Post by bowonlykindofguy1 on Dec 28, 2021 14:04:20 GMT -5
I do a little bunny blasting with my pops. We run one beagle and hunt small parcels now that he is 73 and tires out quickly.
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Post by span870 on Dec 28, 2021 14:20:12 GMT -5
I'm down to 9 beagles at the moment. I'll run on anything as long as it's not close to roads and don't worry about crossing property lines. Usually run no more than 4 at a time. I have two real fast dogs I'll run as a pair usually. I have a real nice place, couple hundred acres I run on. Problem is some other guys started hunting it and you can't buy a rabbit anymore. Seems many don't get, same with deer, that you can't shoot everything and expect a supply. Used to jump 20+ a day and now struggle to find one and it's all crp land. Tends to be why I run by myself a lot and don't share my spots with anyone
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Post by esshup on Dec 28, 2021 14:57:40 GMT -5
span870, I know this won't help the place where they shoot everything in sight, but I think I remember reading that if you wanted to increase the rabbit population in an area, throw a bunch of those smaller salt donuts in the heavy cover for the rabbits. (to keep the deer away from them)
Any truth to that?
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Post by jman46151 on Dec 28, 2021 15:33:10 GMT -5
I chase after them at my in-laws without a dog a few times a year. Good exercise but I'm lucky to get a shot at one or two.
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Post by parrothead on Dec 28, 2021 16:28:27 GMT -5
I have an older guy i take on my place he loves to eat them. We only go if there is some snow on ground. If not they are to hard to see since its so thick and i am the dog. We didnt get to go last year he had knee replacement
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Post by drfleck on Dec 28, 2021 18:10:16 GMT -5
Funny I was thinking of starting this thread today. I went out by myself a couple nights ago. Only had 45 minutes to hunt but managed one. I was pretty excited to get one on the first try of the year. My wife cooked it for Christmas dinner.
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Post by span870 on Dec 28, 2021 18:23:41 GMT -5
span870, I know this won't help the place where they shoot everything in sight, but I think I remember reading that if you wanted to increase the rabbit population in an area, throw a bunch of those smaller salt donuts in the heavy cover for the rabbits. (to keep the deer away from them) Any truth to that? Absolutely. A plus is if you put the sulfer/salt blocks out. It helps keep the ticks off them and gives the pregnant doe minerals when birthing
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Post by esshup on Dec 28, 2021 23:59:17 GMT -5
span870, I know this won't help the place where they shoot everything in sight, but I think I remember reading that if you wanted to increase the rabbit population in an area, throw a bunch of those smaller salt donuts in the heavy cover for the rabbits. (to keep the deer away from them) Any truth to that? Absolutely. A plus is if you put the sulfer/salt blocks out. It helps keep the ticks off them and gives the pregnant doe minerals when birthing Thanks. I'll toss some out next month over at the neighbors. They have a bunch of blackberries and multiflora rose growing and the bunnies love it. It's only a patch that is about 1/2 acre, but every little bit will help.
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Post by span870 on Dec 29, 2021 6:30:29 GMT -5
Absolutely. A plus is if you put the sulfer/salt blocks out. It helps keep the ticks off them and gives the pregnant doe minerals when birthing Thanks. I'll toss some out next month over at the neighbors. They have a bunch of blackberries and multiflora rose growing and the bunnies love it. It's only a patch that is about 1/2 acre, but every little bit will help. The absolute best thing anyone can do for rabbits and some don't like to hear it, is get rid of feral cats. Top predator in many areas. I don't advocate any harsh means, big proponent of relocating them whether humane society of friendly farmer that will let them be his problem. Keep as many fox around of you have them. Fox love a good cat fight. I know a guy bought 60 acres and didn't have a single rabbit to see. Killed every coyote he could find and still no rabbits. Noticed feral cats everywhere. Couple of years decided not to shoot a single coyote. Noticed at the same time that more coyotes came in, less feral cat sightings and rabbit numbers climbed that he now has enough to take a bunch every year. He told me he'll never shoot another coyote on his property again. Nature has an amazing way of balancing herself with predator/prey coordination. Areas I hunt have a high amount of bobcats,coyotes, and fox. The areas I run that have the most rabbits have a low number of feral cats. Only issue I run into as stated before is the areas that get hunted that guys think rabbit are infinite and you can't hurt the population. Well they breed like rabbits. But they can't breed if they are dead.
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Post by jman46151 on Dec 29, 2021 10:26:29 GMT -5
span870, I know this won't help the place where they shoot everything in sight, but I think I remember reading that if you wanted to increase the rabbit population in an area, throw a bunch of those smaller salt donuts in the heavy cover for the rabbits. (to keep the deer away from them) Any truth to that? What are these "salt donuts" you speak of? Mineral wheels?
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Post by span870 on Dec 29, 2021 11:00:47 GMT -5
span870, I know this won't help the place where they shoot everything in sight, but I think I remember reading that if you wanted to increase the rabbit population in an area, throw a bunch of those smaller salt donuts in the heavy cover for the rabbits. (to keep the deer away from them) Any truth to that? What are these "salt donuts" you speak of? Mineral wheels? Just a small piece of salt. Cheaper to buy a big block and break it up. Salt though has minimum benefits. Better is a suffer block or better yet mineral block. About the size of an apple thrown into thick cover
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Post by jman46151 on Dec 29, 2021 11:09:13 GMT -5
What are these "salt donuts" you speak of? Mineral wheels? Just a small piece of salt. Cheaper to buy a big block and break it up. Salt though has minimum benefits. Better is a suffer block or better yet mineral block. About the size of an apple thrown into thick cover Looks like TSC has a sulfur block I can pick up on my way home today. Rabbit numbers have been down at my inlaws for the past couple of years so any help would be great. I don't think there's too many feral cats around but there is a bobcat or two.
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Post by firstwd on Dec 29, 2021 12:18:32 GMT -5
We are seeing more rabbits than ever since the logging 2 winters ago. Then again we also had a higher than usual number of does fawn on the place and turkey nesting last spring. Our coyote numbers leveled out a few years ago but fox have been non-existent for quite some time. We still struggle with the ditch lion issue. If it's not visitors from neighboring houses (all a minimum of 1/2 mile away) it's then endless number of people dropping them off at the neighbors barn.
As for hunting rabbits, I would love to. It seems I just don't have the free time when conditions are good for a hunt. I haven't had my own beagles for close to 30 years so the hunting is a lot of stomping.
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Post by span870 on Dec 29, 2021 18:01:29 GMT -5
Just a small piece of salt. Cheaper to buy a big block and break it up. Salt though has minimum benefits. Better is a suffer block or better yet mineral block. About the size of an apple thrown into thick cover Looks like TSC has a sulfur block I can pick up on my way home today. Rabbit numbers have been down at my inlaws for the past couple of years so any help would be great. I don't think there's too many feral cats around but there is a bobcat or two. Bobcats are minimal to rabbit population. Take one here and there to eat. Feral cats kill em just to kill. Get rid of feral cats and you'll have rabbits and long as the habitat is there
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Post by span870 on Dec 29, 2021 18:02:16 GMT -5
We are seeing more rabbits than ever since the logging 2 winters ago. Then again we also had a higher than usual number of does fawn on the place and turkey nesting last spring. Our coyote numbers leveled out a few years ago but fox have been non-existent for quite some time. We still struggle with the ditch lion issue. If it's not visitors from neighboring houses (all a minimum of 1/2 mile away) it's then endless number of people dropping them off at the neighbors barn. As for hunting rabbits, I would love to. It seems I just don't have the free time when conditions are good for a hunt. I haven't had my own beagles for close to 30 years so the hunting is a lot of stomping. Get ahold of me sometime. I'll take ya out
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Post by Woody Williams on Dec 29, 2021 18:05:13 GMT -5
Did someone say bobcats? Northern Warrick County .
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Post by span870 on Dec 29, 2021 19:43:25 GMT -5
Did someone say bobcats? Northern Warrick County . Well won't be any deer left in the county by morning
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Post by welder on Dec 29, 2021 22:12:55 GMT -5
While coyotes absolutely do kill rabbits, I have always thought the list is something like this: 1. FERAL CATS! 2. Birds of prey 3. Coons 4. Roundup/brush killer 5. Habitat loss
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Post by span870 on Dec 30, 2021 7:02:10 GMT -5
While coyotes absolutely do kill rabbits, I have always thought the list is something like this: 1. FERAL CATS! 2. Birds of prey 3. Coons 4. Roundup/brush killer 5. Habitat loss I'd move habitat up to 2 but you hit the nail on the head. The birds of prey is an interesting one. When I built my running pen over the years I noticed crows flying slow around it real low, hovering and then dropping to the ground. Never could figure out what was going on until one day I was in the barn and watched one. I ran out there real quick and it was on a rabbits nest eating the babies. They would hover until they found the mama and drop down to chase her off and then eat away. We don't allow crows around here anymore.
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