population explosion of rabbits

[Matt]

has anyone else noticed the massive population explosion of rabbits this year ?
in 20 years feild sports iv only ever known this manny on the ground twice before . i know its a regenal thing but i have lived in the same area for the last 28 years and warrens that have been dormant for some years are alive with young again . even the mixxy has not had much afect on the number i know it will be at it worst latter in the autom but so far so good.
last night we had a drive to our new cottage and there was rabbits every 10 feet or so litrely carpetting th feilds and road verges.
so it looks like its gonna be a good year for the harris hawkers and goshawkers.
this new place of ours has a massive warren in the garden so not far to go for a spot of ferreting.
all the best matt

[ColdZero]

...

[BrianM]

i am afraid on my ground we are hitting a myxi year as rabbits a very very few and far between, we seem to have this every few seasons where we have loads and loads then a crash as myxi rears it head again,, i might have to exchange one of my birds for a redtail to hit the squirrels

[Saker-Clive]

We've had stacks around here for years; even the mixy and VHD hasn't reduced them that significantly. One place where I fly/train the birds, is heaving with them at the mo. When I take the dog out we regularly see anything upto 50 at a time. (this is common land and regularly walked). We've noticed a lot more new warrens appearing on our shoots as well :lol:

[Wightwings]

so all er mate :cry: in fact i tell a lie me and the missus stood looking into the feild at the back of our grden last night agog at the sight of a lone rabbit horray........ :D pity the vermin man for the farm will gas it if he spots it tho........ :evil: :cry: boooo

[Ben C]

I cannot wait, I cannot wait. I have named the ones that come onto my lawn!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO, I gonna slip the hawk from me bedroom window while I am frying the onions and rosemary :) :) There so big I've got saddles for em.....I CANNOT WAIT :) :) :)

[Saker-Clive]

You can always come out to play with me WW :lol:

[Ben C]

Eeeer lads this is a public forum.

[Wightwings]

oo er..........pmsl...........will certainly be takin you up at that at some stage Clive ive seen the rabbit you have access too..........it obscene mate..........

[Saker-Clive]

rabbits, fox, pheasant and partridge.........plus all the skanky pigeon and crows..........................:razz:

[Matt]

so its gona be a good year then you think lads. i cant wait to get going again its be ages sins i have been out with a hawk . and the country we are moving to is prime for harris/gos . so its looking good .
all the best matt

[Ben C]

I am off to the golf course tonight at the behest of the comitee to clear a few from number 9 hole!!! (with nets) In return for permission when the season starts to fly my hawk there, thats gonna be good for slipping off the fist across the flat green eh lads!! :) :)

[Saker-Clive]

I got 5 local courses and 1 600 acre farm :lol:

[Ben C]

What are the comitees like on your courses SS. Lucy's dads on the greens comitee so thats how we got it, number 9 bunker is collapsing and people want the bunnies removed.........but not HURT!!!!!!!!! The blue rinse brigade. So any tips on how to appese the dodgy vegemite nut roast quaffers?????

[Saker-Clive]

They don't want the rabbits on the courses, churning up the greens etc. Some of the 'old duffers' think that they can preach to us, telling us that it's illegal to hunt on the course.....blah.....blah!!! but when the lady golfers get to see the birds up close and I let them stroke or hold them, they go back telling everyone how marvellous it is to see the birds working and flying :lol: :razz: :cool:

[Saker-Clive]

I don't let anyone see us doing the biz though; knowing what we do and seeing it happen are two entirely different things. It's the same when we shoot; golfers have pointed out rabbits and said 'don't worry about us, just shoot it;' but I always wait for them to get a good 100 yards away.

[Wightwings]

tell them they can have the skins to make nice fluffy club head covers. :shock: :shock: :twisted:

[Saker-Clive]

Just push the heads straight on :twisted:

[Ben C]

:)

[Ben C]

Nope not the place for us unfortunately. Will do it over for the rabbits but net em. The place is covered in PEOPLE PLAYING GOLF........not what I call hunting alone in the countryside. I can envisage a whole heap of *****. Ah well the best laid plans of mice and men and all that :) :) :)

[Saker-Clive]

If you are flying through the winter months, there shouldn't be too many golfers about; if your flying now, get out early in the morning, 04:30 until about 08:00 when they start playing...........................

[Ben C]

Yep, thats what I said to lucy.......still not sure, a bit too sanitised for me. A power cable and a road running along it didn't help. :) :)

[HawkMan]

I think its best waiting on the nine hole just as they are teeing off ive seen loads of bunnies on ours some have even took up golf there selfs ,lol

[Saker-Clive]

On 2 of my courses, I've got the A27, 300 yards away........

[Ben C]

Four!!!!! :) :) :)

[HawkMan]

I cant wai till the hunting season takes off ,ive been shooting lately and the bunnies are everywhere ?
If anyones got any good recipes let me know some lads
Thanks
Bunny woods

[GDN]

i'm keeping fingers crossed that i get an increase in the rabbit population on my ground. last season the whole area was hit badly by mixy.

Been getting mixed reports this season. Some saying things are looking good others saying down. I guess it is wait and see.

Doesn' help when the whole area has been hit by mixy and the few warrens that have rabbits in them (you can't get because of power cables) and then somebody comes along and ferrets the whole lot

[HawkMan]

Ferrets rule ,ive just bought 2 m8 ,and once this season starts ill never be in the house lets hope i can help with the explosion ,pmsl

[Saker-Clive]

Old-English Rabbit Pie

This is a really delicious pie, good for a dinner party – and if you can get hold of a wild rabbit for it so much the better.

Serves 4-6

For the suet crust pastry:

12 oz (350 g) self-raising flour

6 oz (175 g) shredded suet

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly milled black pepper


For the filling:

1 rabbit, approximately 3 lb (1.35 kg), cut into joints

2 medium onions, chopped fairly small

8 oz (225 g) unsmoked streaky bacon, in one piece

1 medium cooking apple, peeled and sliced

4 oz (110 g) pitted prunes (weighed after the stones have been removed), chopped

1/2 pint (275 ml) dry cider

3/4 pint (425 ml) stock or water

1/2 whole nutmeg, grated

1 bay leaf

11/2 oz (40 g) plain flour

1/2 oz (40 g) butter

salt and freshly milled black pepper


* Click on an ingredient to find out more

You will also need a 21/2 pint (1.5 litre) pie dish.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

Wash the rabbit joints first of all, and place them (apart from the ribs, which don't carry much meat) in a large saucepan. Tuck in the onion and apple among the meat. Now remove the rind from the bacon, chop the meat up into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes and add that to the saucepan along with the bayleaf, a little salt and some freshly milled pepper. Pour in the cider and the stock, bring to simmering point, skim off any bits of scum, then put a lid on and leave to simmer gently for about an hour or until tender.

When it's cooked, remove the rabbit pieces together with the bacon, apple and onion (with a draining spoon) and transfer them to the pie dish, sprinkling in the chopped prunes as well. Now mix the flour and butter to a smooth paste, then add this mixture to the stock in the saucepan, adding it in tiny (peanut-size) pieces, stir them round over a medium heat to melt and thicken the sauce. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and when the sauce reaches simmering point pour it over the rabbit.

Now make up the suet crust pastry. Mix the flour, salt, pepper and suet together, then add enough cold water to form a fairly soft, elastic dough that leaves the bowl cleanly. Roll the dough out to a shape 1 inch (2.5 cm) wider than the top of the pie dish, and cut a 1 inch (2.5 cm) strip all round. Dampen the edge of the dish and press this strip around the rim of the dish. Now dampen the rim of the pastry, and place the pastry lid in position on top, pressing well all round to seal the edges, which can be decorated with fluting if you like. Make a small hole for steam to escape, then bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

[Matt]

jeesus . big post ss
on the golf coarse thing if they want the rabbits removed then thats the only thing you can do is net up and take um alive .
if they are being complicated about this how is any good for falconry full stop ? this is not me slagging you off ben its just the world we live in.
you should ask them what they want to do with the bloody things once you have them in the nets as its an offence to releace pest species after capture....
i would talk to the head green keeper about lamping with the hawk and gunn . its a situation where its pest controll not sport and eradication is the only option . there is alot of legal red tape around this sort of pest controll these days and the law is in favor of the eradication of pest species . allso on golf coiurses health and safty is at the highest level in turms of the members safty . after out lining all these points and they still will not let you kill the bunnys i would not persue it as a future hunting ground as you will be facing the blame when the enevitable happens and 5 old ladys watch you harris crushing a screeming bunnys head as they tea off at the 9th.
allso if they are thatb type of club it will cause bad feeling about you and your bird and in turn falconry as a sport and past time .
again im not slagging you ben it those ******s that have no idea of the curcle of live and wild life managment....
all the best matt

[Ben C]

Matt.....It fine because my girlfriends dad is the head of the greens comittee so what he says goes. And he says he wants them gone so ****** the old biddies. They already have a bloke who shoots them, he took a few the other night.

My idea was to fly cody across the greens at the rabbit, but as I said last night. The place is too sanitised, with too many people and too many little niggly problems. So netting and humane treatment, delivery to the chef round the back and a pint for me troubles :) :)

[Ben C]

Saker that's a classic mate, YUM YUM. Here's one I invented myself which you can have.

Rabbit Kebabs

1 Rabbit diced sliced and minced very finely.
2 eggs.
A handful of breadcrumbs.
4 cloves of garlic.
Salt (to taste).
Pepper (to taste).
Onion (finely chopped, the finer the better).
Rosemary (to taste a couple of tufts is fine)
2 Oxo cubes (crushed)
Soaked wooden kebab sticks (soak the bit you will hold with water to stop it burning on the barby)

Mix all the ingredients together and bind them with the breadcrumbs until a sticky but mallable texture is reached.
Scoop a bit out and fry it to try the taste, any problems add a bit more of what you like. Garlic, Rosmary, Salt etc etc
Squeeze and firm the mix around the top of the kebab sticks. About 1 cm thick and halfway down the stick.
Grill on the Bar-B-Que and eat with VERY COLD LAGER, and a mint and yoghurt dip.

[Matt]

kill um kill um allllllllllllll...... :twisted:

[HawkMan]

Thanks for the recipe SS ill be trying it out soon m8 ,nice one m8 Old-English Rabbit Pie

This is a really delicious pie, good for a dinner party – and if you can get hold of a wild rabbit for it so much the better.

Serves 4-6

For the suet crust pastry:

12 oz (350 g) self-raising flour

6 oz (175 g) shredded suet

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly milled black pepper


For the filling:

1 rabbit, approximately 3 lb (1.35 kg), cut into joints

2 medium onions, chopped fairly small

8 oz (225 g) unsmoked streaky bacon, in one piece

1 medium cooking apple, peeled and sliced

4 oz (110 g) pitted prunes (weighed after the stones have been removed), chopped

1/2 pint (275 ml) dry cider

3/4 pint (425 ml) stock or water

1/2 whole nutmeg, grated

1 bay leaf

11/2 oz (40 g) plain flour

1/2 oz (40 g) butter

salt and freshly milled black pepper


* Click on an ingredient to find out more

You will also need a 21/2 pint (1.5 litre) pie dish.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

Wash the rabbit joints first of all, and place them (apart from the ribs, which don't carry much meat) in a large saucepan. Tuck in the onion and apple among the meat. Now remove the rind from the bacon, chop the meat up into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes and add that to the saucepan along with the bayleaf, a little salt and some freshly milled pepper. Pour in the cider and the stock, bring to simmering point, skim off any bits of scum, then put a lid on and leave to simmer gently for about an hour or until tender.

When it's cooked, remove the rabbit pieces together with the bacon, apple and onion (with a draining spoon) and transfer them to the pie dish, sprinkling in the chopped prunes as well. Now mix the flour and butter to a smooth paste, then add this mixture to the stock in the saucepan, adding it in tiny (peanut-size) pieces, stir them round over a medium heat to melt and thicken the sauce. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and when the sauce reaches simmering point pour it over the rabbit.

Now make up the suet crust pastry. Mix the flour, salt, pepper and suet together, then add enough cold water to form a fairly soft, elastic dough that leaves the bowl cleanly. Roll the dough out to a shape 1 inch (2.5 cm) wider than the top of the pie dish, and cut a 1 inch (2.5 cm) strip all round. Dampen the edge of the dish and press this strip around the rim of the dish. Now dampen the rim of the pastry, and place the pastry lid in position on top, pressing well all round to seal the edges, which can be decorated with fluting if you like. Make a small hole for steam to escape, then bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

[Bones]

If anyones got any good recipes let me know

Whys that johnny you ran out off hedgehogs and pigeon's to put in yer pies?you PIKEY

[HawkMan]

The prodicle child returns (give him gifts ) lol
Where have you been hiding ,has the social been round your end and left now ,
So how you doing m8 nice to see you on here again ?
I got 2 hobs of the skip rat wileman on tuesday ,made up with them m8 just cant wait till the hunting season kicks off .
All the best bones

[Bones]

The prodicle child returns (give him gifts ) lol
Where have you been hiding ,has the social been round your end and left now ,
So how you doing m8 nice to see you on here again ?
I got 2 hobs of the skip rat wileman on tuesday ,made up with them m8 just cant wait till the hunting season kicks off .
All the best bones
Nice too see you still care pmsl :wink:
And when yer ready for some lessons on how to fly a bird let me know :wink: lol
Im fine by the way all just been pondering on what to do with myself you know now i got loads of spare time (no birdy's) :oops:
Thanks again yer PIKEY and ill pass yer regards on to wileman lol
PAUL

[CBrown69]

you're all spoiled, you know!! If we see a rabbit here there are at least 3 gunmen after it and if they miss after 6 shots there is a small chance we falconers see that rabbit again... :(
do you get the feeling?
Maybe we should start feeding viagra to our rabbit population...

[Smyril]

Stood outside this evening and counted over 40 rabbits just in front of the house. Almost embarrassing with two HHs and an RT watching them.

[CBrown69]

if tomorrow morning you see someone camping in front of your house, it's me and me hawk! :D And I won't be leaving before the end of the hunting seaon!!! :!:

[Smyril]

I'll put the kettle on! :lol:

[Gaz]

I'll put the kettle on
must be a big"un :!: ..post a pic dude :finga:

[Smyril]

Just as soon as I get a wide angle lens for the camera!

[Mary Quite Contrary]

The prodicle child returns (give him gifts ) lol
Where have you been hiding ,has the social been round your end and left now ,
So how you doing m8 nice to see you on here again ?
I got 2 hobs of the skip rat wileman on tuesday ,made up with them m8 just cant wait till the hunting season kicks off .
All the best bones


Wont your Hobs be ripping each others throat out when they mature!

Are you getting them castrated

[HawkMan]

Is this true chuffpeice .
Ian did,nt tell me this when i got them ,i thought it would be better getting 2 as to keep company and longer hours out with the ferrets .
Ian has,nt had ferrets long so he must be a bit of an amature ???????
Thanks
Johnny

[Jiff]

you could use long nets at night, or ferret them and put em straight in a rucksack and make out you're going to release them else where.

[BrianM]

aye bring them up here to me ,, my ground looks like its going to be barren this year

[Moses]

brian its no far from ye mate, if u go just before perth u know the signs for auchterarder and all , so many rabbits up their bud u see em all the time when your driving

one of the scots lads here stays near it if u check the fife thread maybe he can speak to the local farmer for ye so u can go and hunt some wabbits :D

[Newbie FHH]

Just a thought but is this explosion stemming back to foot & mouth do you think when no-one was allowed on land to do anything about it? Especially in our area we have loads of rabbits (on common ground) and also there seems to have been a surge in rooks/crows or whatever they are.