Bunnys in winter

[megga]

As i have only been hunting since last year (around june july) would you hunt the rabbits in the winter/snow or do you leave them? If they find it harder to feed in winter, i want to preserve my "stock" for some good summer hunting, but if there ok all year round, well i blat them as and when.

[Ravenhill]

Male & Female can breed together 4 times a year, each time having around 7 young, each of those young can then breed themselves at around 1 month old.. Hence the saying (Breed like Rabbits) from 2 = 7 from 7+2=9, 4 of which female for examlple = 4x7young= 28x4times a year =112, 112 half of which were famale and had 7 young at 1 month old x the 4x a year =(Endless... u see what im getting at... Now i will eb honest and say that i couldnt tell you if they have a season for breeding or not but Easter(April) having a Rabbit Associated with it might give an idea as to maby when it starts. So winter might not be the best time for them?.. **** Knows...
But i take my hat off for you for Asking, as most hunt hunt hunt till there all gone.

[ths]

Ive noticed the drop off when it gets really cold, seems they don't like coming outside at night lol

[hobson]

Rabbits in the UK generally breed Feb/Mar through to Sep/Oct, probably because this is when the weather is nicer and the food more plentiful, so survival rates will be high.

Normal gestation is about 30 days. The average size of the litter varies but is usually between 4 and 12 babies, a kit (baby rabbit) can be weaned at about 4 to 5 weeks of age. This means in one season a single female rabbit can produce as many as 800 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The problem is that this time of year most of them are adults from summer, so have developed much better survival skills, and are far more wary and suspicious, not only that, but the young who are out in spring/summer need to feed more in order to grow, so they're out longer and later, whereas adults can stay in their burrows for days if they want, only popping up now and again.

Best advice i can give for shooting this time of year is have excellent fieldcraft skills and lot of patience!

And be careful shooting too early in the breeding season, try not to shoot the mothers, because then the kits can run into the burrow and die of starvation without mum to look after them.

[Rarebit]

How do you spot mothers bearing in mind I shot at night with night vision so not the magnification of dayscope. I have shot milky does and not know until after but then worry that the kits will probably die. Obviously depleting the numbers but also do not like to think of the kits starving. I suppose it is nearly impossible so maybe a daft question.

[hobson]

There are no daft questions! I know people who've been hunting for fifty years, and they still learn!

Don't worry too much about it this time of year as there won't be many (if any) young about, their breeding starts about feb/march, you'll know the mothers as the young will surround her, she'll be the big fat looking one in the middle.
Most of the ones you'll see out feeding will be the females, the bucks tend to stay closer to home and observe, they act as watchers, and will stamp their feet if they see a danger to alert the others, So spotting the females while lamping shouldn't be too difficult, though as the nights draw out you'll have better light anyway.
As the kits get a bit older they'll start to get further away from her and you'll see them playing and jumping about. I try to focus on taking the young before the adults, as they're more tender, so better eating, but taking the young will have little effect on stock as you still have the adults to breed.

It will also depend on why you're shooting, for me personally it's about keeping the numbers down and keeping them controlled, not eradicating them, so I eat, give away or feed the dogs what I shoot, and I never shoot more than I can use, so it's all about conservation as much as control. But for some, farmers may just want them completely gone.

Hope that helps

[Jimsiss]

Was up at my uncles the other week and there was a very small rabbit running through his garden so I guess the warm end to 2011 has had them breeding later.

[Pinpoint]

It will also depend on why you're shooting, for me personally it's about keeping the numbers down and keeping them controlled, not eradicating them, so I eat, give away or feed the dogs what I shoot, and I never shoot more than I can use, so it's all about conservation as much as control. But for some, farmers may just want them completely gone.

Thats it. On my new permission the land owner wants them gone. Of course I don't want them completely gone but it's a case of doing what I need to do or he will find someone else. On my other permission the land owners not too bothered as long as the numbers arent becoming an issue so its a case of keeping the balance. The best way of doing that is by observing their numbers. Simple but logical.

[Rarebit]

Thanks hobson,
I live in a cottage with loads of only grass land around and can shot at dozens of different warrens so numbers should not become a problem. I only shot rabbit and eat all I shot. We have a rabbit curry or rabbit casserole once or twice a week. A mate shots pheasant so they will go in as well on occassion.

Useful comments so thanks again.
Nick

[hobson]

Was up at my uncles the other week and there was a very small rabbit running through his garden so I guess the warm end to 2011 has had them breeding later.

I've been told by a couple of local ferreters that their breeding end of last year and beginning of this year has been a bit funny, they've had does with young in them already (January) because of the mild winter (up until recently!) and because of the mild weather end of last year I suspect they'll have bred later too.

I've also found that the people who want them gone altogether get that mentality because the numbers have been allowed to get too high, so the damage they can do is considerable, whereas if the numbers are kept down especially through April-September, they can't do as much damage.

Personally I think every animal has a right to live so don't agree with wiping them out, and if they're kept on top of they don't present much of a problem, not to mention they're an environmentally friendly, free and sustainable food source! So managing them is always better in my opinion, I suppose it's like coppicing a tree, you cut some down to use, which then encourages more growth, it's good for the tree and you get a nice steady supply of material!