A Need For Conservation?

[Frenchie]

Some of the permission that I have has been devoid of rabbits for about three years now. It is a hill farm in Lancashire, most of which consists of moorlands. Firstly I have to stress that the lack of rabbits is not down to over shooting nor is it caused by Lamping with Lurchers (Although I do know that several of the locals used to lamp the land). The cause was down to a particularly virulent strain of "Mixy" which all but wiped out every single rabbit within a good few miles miles. Just recently however I have noticed several rabbits (Looking very healthy) close to the farm and have commented about them to the farmer (who does not grow crops, the land is used for grazing cattle and horses). The farmer straight away asked me why I am not flying my FHH at them.
The way that I see it is that as there has been a complete void of rabbits I am best to leave these few "newcommers" to breed a little in order to give me a little better sport next season. Surely controll is much better than total anhialation as I do not believe that any of us has the right to completely wipe out any species.
I am not wishing to start a "raging debate" on the conservation of rabbits but I would welcome other peoples thoughts on the " (Controlled)Conservation" of rabbits in order to provide better sport for the next season.
Please offer your thoughts on this matter.

[RyanP]

If someone went along and shot those rabbits next season they'll be wondering why there are no rabbits on the land

[Frenchie]

This is the point that I am questioning, finding a "happy balance" between nature, farmers and sport.

[RyanP]

This is the point that I am questioning, finding a "happy balance" between nature, farmers and sport.

Maybe there cud be a rabbit season like there is 4 phesants

[Frenchie]

I'm not too sure about the practicallities of that but I for one do not think of it as sporting to kill any species except Rats (by shooting or humane trapping) during the normally accepted breeding season, especially game which has it's own closed season.

[Baywing]

Hi Frenchie
I'm totally with you on this. I used to hawk in Riverwood near me and mixxy nearly wiped them all out - I've given it a miss for a couple of years now and they are coming back in small numbers. Luckily the famer isn't an arable farmer so it doesn't matter too much to him, but I have no intention or wiping them out. Of course we have a responsibility for conservation - and it has affected my sport - I have had to travel a lot further to hunt, but it will be worth it to be able to hunt again in Riverwood in perhaps a year. In the same way that we have a duty to dispatch quarry humanely - we also have to respect them in all other ways.
Baywing

[Bazzer]

Frenchie, I can sympathise with you and Baywing on this issue...but never let any farmer know that you think this way!
If a farmer sees one rabbit on his land...he has a rabbit problem!
If a farmer sees two rabbits on his land...he has a very serious rabbit problem!
If a farmer sees three rabbits on his land...he has an epidemic!

Just walk round the land toting a ferret box and tell him that you and your squadron of Harris Hawks are on to it! Then pull out a rabbit that you brought with you and wink at the farmer as you fling it into the van. He'll sleep nights and the few rabbits on your land will do what rabbits do best.
Good hawking next season Frenchie.
Regards Bazzer

[Kill The Pig]

Frenchie, I can sympathise with you and Baywing on this issue...but never let any farmer know that you think this way!
If a farmer sees one rabbit on his land...he has a rabbit problem!
If a farmer sees two rabbits on his land...he has a very serious rabbit problem!
If a farmer sees three rabbits on his land...he has an epidemic!

Just walk round the land toting a ferret box and tell him that you and your squadron of Harris Hawks are on to it! Then pull out a rabbit that you brought with you and wink at the farmer as you fling it into the van. He'll sleep nights and the few rabbits on your land will do what rabbits do best.
Good hawking next season Frenchie.
Regards Bazzer
good post:lol:

[Harris]

I would think that the ban on fox hunting has had an effect on rabbit populations in some areas. a few of the farms I shoot over have more fox than rabbit these days. I know other methods have been employed to deal with foxes but they certainly seem to be on the increase where I shoot and I'm sure a young rabbit is a fairly easy meal for them.

[JonUK]

I think conservation would be disasterous for our rabbit population. With Mixy and Viral Hemorrhagic Disease rampant, falconers should keep numbers low.

Why? If populations expand, the rabbits will interact with other local populations and pass on diseases.

There's pleny of areas within the British Isle where hunting is band, these will probably be devoid of rabbits more so than hunted lands. My local area is under-mananged with regards to hunting (i.e, there is none!) and there are hardly any rabbits left. Falconers must not forget they are a vital part of the food chain, local ecology and a crucial part of conservation - something the press, and the uneducated seem to want to overlook.

[OutHawkn]

I dont know that this would apply to your situation or not but probably so. A university over here did some reasearch on rabbit populations and found that normal hunting activity didnt affect the rabbit popluations at all in a particular area. The most common contributaing factor was food and shelter. If rabbits had enough of both they would breed well enough to keep up with normal hunting pressure. If not enough food and shelter were available they couldnt reproduce enough to even maintain thier current popluation without hunting....

[JonUK]

I dont know that this would apply to your situation or not but probably so. A university over here did some reasearch on rabbit populations and found that normal hunting activity didnt affect the rabbit popluations at all in a particular area. The most common contributaing factor was food and shelter. If rabbits had enough of both they would breed well enough to keep up with normal hunting pressure. If not enough food and shelter were available they couldnt reproduce enough to even maintain thier current popluation without hunting....


Hi Bill, I live on what's called the South Downs. It's miles of green green grass, a prime rabbit location no doubt. I drove at 6am this morning, and usually there's loads of rabbits along the road, I saw none. I'm a bit concerned as I intend to get my bird this year (I can finally say that!) and it's slim pickings!

[OutHawkn]

Hi Bill, I live on what's called the South Downs. It's miles of green green grass, a prime rabbit location no doubt. I drove at 6am this morning, and usually there's loads of rabbits along the road, I saw none. I'm a bit concerned as I intend to get my bird this year (I can finally say that!) and it's slim pickings!

How about shelter? Or maybe to much predation? Either way I know what you mean. Its slim pickings where I live...I have to HUNT for every slip I get...

[JonUK]

How about shelter? Or maybe to much predation? Either way I know what you mean. Its slim pickings where I live...I have to HUNT for every slip I get...

Yes, plenty of hedgerows, and fallow fields, the local council is even having to cut the grass verges in winter! :lol:

[Frenchie]

JonUK has pointed out the exact concern that I have. While I realise that everything (Including Falconry) takes its place in the food chain and that nature has its own way of dealing with situations of overpopulation or underpopulation I have a concern that if I "take out" the few rabbits that are on this farm all I will be doing is lessening my chances of sport for future seasons.
However, no matter what I believe or wether I am right or wrong with my concerns and beliefs the reasom that I started this thread was to listen to and look at others points of view. Let's face it, no matter what you believe is right there are always two sides to a coin!

[OutHawkn]

JonUK has pointed out the exact concern that I have. While I realise that everything (Including Falconry) takes its place in the food chain and that nature has its own way of dealing with situations of overpopulation or underpopulation I have a concern that if I "take out" the few rabbits that are on this farm all I will be doing is lessening my chances of sport for future seasons.
However, no matter what I believe or wether I am right or wrong with my concerns and beliefs the reasom that I started this thread was to listen to and look at others points of view. Let's face it, no matter what you believe is right there are always two sides to a coin!

Our rabbit populations are on a ten year cycle. Every ten years the poluation crashes. Do you guys have that over there? Could it be that the low cycle is the problem?

[JonUK]

Our rabbit populations are on a ten year cycle. Every ten years the poluation crashes. Do you guys have that over there? Could it be that the low cycle is the problem?

I've no idea about that, it seems that they have been permenant sight on the roadside verges for as many years as I can remember (41) but I've only ever hunted fish & humans before! :D

[Kat67]

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