Seeing any Rabbits ?
- Thread starter Kismet
- Start date
BrownDogsCan2
Well-known member
I went on a short quail hunt yesterday; Kansas. I didn't expect much, well anything. What suprised me was the complete lack of wildlife period. On the way home I recalled one cardinal, a woodpecker, and very few songbirds. Four rabbits, which were very reluctant to leave cover. I normally wouldn't notice. The first rabbit made a short dash from filter strip to creek bottom. I thought to myself, ..... my 12 year old daughter will get a kick out of having rabbit for dinner tomorrow. Next rabbit got up, backtracked, froze 20' from me. I couldn't bring myself to shoot it. When he left he ran through the dogs rather than out in the open. Third rabbit exactly as the second, and I couldn't shoot him. Last rabbit made a short dash from hedgerow to creek bottom, I had decided against rabbit stew at that point.
Right now in Kansas; eastern part of the state. More predators than prey,IMO.
Right now in Kansas; eastern part of the state. More predators than prey,IMO.
I've been surprised, but the rabbit population around me doesn't seem to be what it used to be. I remember hunts 10 years ago around my house where I'd see 3-5 rabbits in ~45 minutes of hunting and take a couple. One time in particular I remember having friends over and taking 9 in ~30 minutes all within about 1/2 acre of habitat.
The last three years, it's about an hour of kicking brush and we're doing well to see 1. Took 3 a few years ago. Last year 1. This year 1 so far.
I do a far amount of promoting rabbit habitat - briars, brushpiles, planting shrubs, etc. I've see some during the summer, but not as many as I think I used to see. I do see more cats than ever before. I also see more red-tailed hawks, coopers hawks and barn owls than I ever remember. There's also fox living locally on neighboring properties these last few years for the first time in a really long time and saw my first badger in the front yard this past summer.
I sometimes think that the habitat enhancement is attracting predators as much as it's hopefully helping the game species.
Perhaps the real problem instead is that my neighbors don't do habitat type stuff - clear/burn brush, mow grass, etc.
I don't feel I can point a finger at the exact cause, but I feel we must be hitting the high cycle of the predator population. Hopefully the rabbit population will swing back in the next 5 years or so.
The last three years, it's about an hour of kicking brush and we're doing well to see 1. Took 3 a few years ago. Last year 1. This year 1 so far.
I do a far amount of promoting rabbit habitat - briars, brushpiles, planting shrubs, etc. I've see some during the summer, but not as many as I think I used to see. I do see more cats than ever before. I also see more red-tailed hawks, coopers hawks and barn owls than I ever remember. There's also fox living locally on neighboring properties these last few years for the first time in a really long time and saw my first badger in the front yard this past summer.
I sometimes think that the habitat enhancement is attracting predators as much as it's hopefully helping the game species.
Perhaps the real problem instead is that my neighbors don't do habitat type stuff - clear/burn brush, mow grass, etc.
I don't feel I can point a finger at the exact cause, but I feel we must be hitting the high cycle of the predator population. Hopefully the rabbit population will swing back in the next 5 years or so.
I've got a pretty good wabbit population around here. But like other critters, wabbit populations are cyclical. One year you may not see hardly any and the next year their running all over the place. I can remember just about 3 or 4 years ago I could walk outside in the evening and count anywhere from 5 to 10 wabbits in our immediate backyard. This year I've seen 3 or so.
mnmthunting
Banned
We have a few inches of snow on the ground now so I'm checking for tracks on my walkabouts. Snowshows are very scarce. Cottontails are only by the old brush and woodpiles, buildings, stackyard. Places a few can survive the predation. MAN is there ever a lot of yotes and fox around. I got to work harder at it.
Bryan Casto
New member
we have a pretty good rabbit population here in wv. Ive takin about 15 this year so and have hunted but a handful of times. dont have any birds though, i would trade birds for rabbits anyday.
birddog456
Member
Out shed hunting in Iowa, also got some venison for the freezer, probably put ten miles on my boots, and I only saw one rabbit. I remember years out there where it was common to see 20 or more rabbits pheasant hunting just in the morning. Was rather annoying with pointing dogs.
Not seeing any here in Illinois,either.
Not seeing any here in Illinois,either.
pheasantaddict
New member
No rabbits in Iowa. Same story as pheasant. We need to change.
onpoint
Active member
Besides rabbits being down to nothing. When I moved here to northern Minnesota 25 years ago. It was nothing to see my driveway and yard covered with Yellow Grosbeaks, Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Yellow Finches, Canadian Jays and a number of other winter birds of the north. I have not seen a one in the last few years. We use to have 40-50 birds at the feeders at a time. Nothing now but a few chickadee's, Nut Hatches, Blue Jays and Crackles.
When you use to gut your deer and drag it out. The Canadian Jays(camp robbers) would even land on the deer well you were dragging it out and grab little chunks of fat off the hind end of the deer. Not a one in a number of years.
Something is up and it's not good IMO. Lots of wildlife way down in numbers.
When you use to gut your deer and drag it out. The Canadian Jays(camp robbers) would even land on the deer well you were dragging it out and grab little chunks of fat off the hind end of the deer. Not a one in a number of years.
Something is up and it's not good IMO. Lots of wildlife way down in numbers.
1pheas4
Moderator
I bumped into one rabbit around here last October while setting up a duck blind. Before that I have to go all the way back to 2009 when I ran into a rabbit while pheasant hunting. No good.
Onpoint, my buddies basically say the same thing about the UP of Michigan. "the woods are dead".
mnmthunting
Banned
We have Cottontails at the ranch building site. I see tracks after a light snowfall. Very seldom see one, the Yotes and foxes have cleaned out the the slow or dumb ones. No rabbit tracks in the woods.
I left 10 acres of standing corn for the wildlife. Deer, Turkeys, pheasant, Blue Jays and a assortment of birds. :thumbsup:
I've got 2 coyotes so far, plenty more out there.
I left 10 acres of standing corn for the wildlife. Deer, Turkeys, pheasant, Blue Jays and a assortment of birds. :thumbsup:
I've got 2 coyotes so far, plenty more out there.
SDJIM
New member
Here is a possible reason--Canadian shale oil--the area they are producing this in a a large Boreal(sp) Forest area and produces a large portion of just the type birds you are talking about, read about it in a magazine article --maybe Nation Geographic but not sure. BTY the number and diversity of birds at my feeders is way down also.
pheasantaddict
New member
The imprint of man is having a drastic effect on the balance of this planet. Pesticides and insecticides are one example of that negative impact. I just watched a film about the honeybee colony collapse disorder and inserted a link below. No insects then no birds. No bees then no fruit. No this, no that, and then pretty soon no humans.
Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Sun-Wha...s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1329104875&sr=1-1
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quail hound
Moderator
Rabbit pops were way down this year. My favorite quail spot usually produces tons of cotton tails, last year my caught 4 healthy bunnies on one hunt, no shots needed. This year I saw only one rabbit in about 5 hunts out there. No change in rabbitat but avian predators seemed to be way up.
Thrasher
Member
Here in Kansas I saw 6 or 7 while pheasant hunting. None while deer hunting. Last year I saw a few.
My dad says the numbers in Oklahoma are way down as well.
Back in Washington State 30 years ago, we used to get 15-20 big snowshoes every year. My brother has not seen one in years.
My dad says the numbers in Oklahoma are way down as well.
Back in Washington State 30 years ago, we used to get 15-20 big snowshoes every year. My brother has not seen one in years.
Michigan Gunner
Member
Change
Yes, numbers are down in the UP of Michigan. Few Snowshoe Hares, few Grouse, few Gray Squirrels. But, Coons & Skunks are up. Geese are up, there were few 40 years ago. We have turkeys now, none in the past. Also, way too many Red Squirrels.........but I have been thinning them out!
Lock and Load!
Yes, numbers are down in the UP of Michigan. Few Snowshoe Hares, few Grouse, few Gray Squirrels. But, Coons & Skunks are up. Geese are up, there were few 40 years ago. We have turkeys now, none in the past. Also, way too many Red Squirrels.........but I have been thinning them out!
Lock and Load!
Toad
Active member
rabbit populations around here are pretty cyclical. Some years you hardly see any, and some years you are constantly tripping over them. It seemed like an in-between year, however I did see more coyotes than usual. So I guess that means that next year should be a down year for rabbits in my stomping grounds.
If anybody was worried about the crow population, I can assure you that they have all moved to Kansas and they are doing fine.
If anybody was worried about the crow population, I can assure you that they have all moved to Kansas and they are doing fine.
rabbit populations around here are pretty cyclical. Some years you hardly see any, and some years you are constantly tripping over them. It seemed like an in-between year, however I did see more coyotes than usual. So I guess that means that next year should be a down year for rabbits in my stomping grounds.
If anybody was worried about the crow population, I can assure you that they have all moved to Kansas and they are doing fine.
The crow thing reminds me of the last great natural plague scare, by the vets, and pharma companies. West Nile Virus. All the horses and all the bluejays, songbirds, and crows were going to succumb to West Nile. Great expense and research was launched, shots given. We seem to have plenty of crows and bluejays now. I was a racehorse guy at the time, never saw a confirmed case. Like Y2K, all our clocks and cars would die at midnight, right, like my car knows what time or day it is! As an aside and to emphasize the point I walked my little one to school this morning and there was a crow eating a dead rabbit up the road.
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