Rabbits!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Hills Hoard

Minister of Fire
Mar 19, 2013
700
Melbourne, Australia
Spotted a rabbit in my back yard today for the first time in 2.5 years of living in our new house. Went to chase it away to see where it came from because we have got quite good fencing all around that section of property and the little bastard ran straight under my wood stack! Spotted him again later and same deal...ran under my wood stack.....not happy because i dont want a system of holes and burrows in my yard.....any tips on getting rid of them? I have a dog too so im not sure about poisoning them...
 
Your rabbits dig holes? We must be talking about different animals here.....lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: nrford
Shoot it if you can. The fewer rabbits down under the better. Cheers!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hills Hoard
this is what they do

burrows.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Michael Golden
Rabbits are non-native pests there as I recall?
 
In Australia they have introduced European rabbits, which dig holes and tunnels. In the US our rabbits don't dig at all. You Aussies should have introduced American rabbits, not English rabbits, or better yet, no rabbits at all. I think rabbits have been a major ecological disaster in Australia.

American rabbits chew the bark of saplings in the winter and have killed a lot of the evergreen trees I have planted. They are a pain, but they're native here and not a big problem compared to the rabbits in Australia.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hills Hoard
That's right, you guys are now "safe" from gun violence.

Crossbow?
 
Air rifle or possibly a slingshot. Not sure of your laws regarding projectiles. As long as you have a safe, positive back-stop, could make for a fun day. Don't know about yours, but American Cottontails are delicious! We hunt rabbits quite a bit here. My son and I will be out this weekend if the weather cooperates. Good luck.
 
I understand your worries. I've seen some footage (recent and back in the day) of hoards of rabbits like a locust swarm. Definitely not a cute little bunny or two. The rabbit population by me fluctuates depending on the fox population. Foxes moved on last year but they will be back and not a moment too soon. One of the little varmints was eating up my perennials :mad:.
 
Pet ferret anyone? In England they put little nets over the holes and then send their ferret down into an adjoining hole. The rabbit bursts out of the hole and into the net. Ferrets really go after rabbits.
 
Get a snare. They are relatively cheap to buy. Just place in at the opening of the hole/entrance, you'll have him in a jiffy. Work good for coons and feral cats too.

Pat
 
Bugs Bunny dug holes.
 
get a box trap like "have a heart" then you can take it someplace and release it away from your house. or, you can get real close with a pellet gun, point blank. are they good eating? cottontails and snowshoe and the like are really yummy.
 
Do you need any type of license for a pellet rifle? I'd do the live trap and then kill it with a pellet gun idea first if possible. That's insane how badly they can damage your land, I've read about it but never seen it. Whatever you do I'd stay away from poison of any sort, too many bad things possible with that.
 
Rabbits are non-native pests there as I recall?


correct, massive pest


Air rifle or possibly a slingshot. Not sure of your laws regarding projectiles. . Don't know about yours, but American Cottontails are delicious! .

Pretty sure sling shots are highly illegal here in oz, but you can buy them in shops...they just call them bait throwers...hahah...air rifle im pretty sure you need a license...laws here are really strict...i know of a person who got charged with fire arm offenses for having a plastic pellet gun...like a cheap toy version of an air soft gun...some people eat rabbits too, but i think the running joke is you get more lead than meat on ours..

Do you need any type of license for a pellet rifle? I'd do the live trap and then kill it with a pellet gun idea first if possible. That's insane how badly they can damage your land, I've read about it but never seen it. Whatever you do I'd stay away from poison of any sort, too many bad things possible with that.


yeah, im worried that my wood pile is going to collapse because of their digging....

i did anticipate rabbits when i put the wood pile there....pretty annoyed..
 
can you trap? Rabbits are really easy to trap and a small conabear is instant death vs. a leg hold trap. Actually anyone outdoorsy enough to procure firewood can easily build a simple snare from materials laying around the house and have fun catching those suckers. Google survival snares and have fun. I have trapped and snared undesirables around here in the past.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hills Hoard
We had those dang things on a NATO in Belgium base where we were once stationed. They had to close a building because the buggers tunneled under it and compromised the foundation.
 
Last edited:
Looks like the work of a tazmanian devil.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrotherBart
Status
Not open for further replies.