over run with rabbits

[LegginMF12]

Any tips or ideas on cutting the rabbit population around my house or at least keeping them out of my yard?
I live in the the high desert. We have cotton tails and jack rabbits. This year the rabbits seem out of control, mostly cotton tails. To me it is bad when your coming home at 11:00 clock at night, pull up to your gate and see 10- 20 rabbits scatter. The jack rabbits don't really come into the yard. My neighbors across the road and down two empty lots have seed out 24/7 for the quail and I always see a ton of rabbits there. The squirrels I don't mind as they are stupid and in the dog gets them on a daily basis. He, however has yet to catch a rabbit. I know here in So. Cal. there is an actual cotton tail season so I don't think I can just sit on the porch and pop them with the rifle (not to mention I am sure somebody would call the cops). The jack rabbit can be shot at any time, no season on them. I do not want to put out poison as I worry the coyotes will get it. Less coyotes = more rabbits. I have begun to line the bottom of my fence on my entire property with Cholla (on the outside of the fence). I figure this is a good use for all of the Cholla's as I do not want them in the yard. So how in the heck to I cut my rabbit population down? I am tired of feeding them.

 

[War Chicken]

Air rifle at night with a night vision scope is how they do it in England.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I agree....get an air rifle and shoot 'em (quietly). Good thing is "they taste like chicken"

 

[Oregon Blues]

I simply fence them out of the areas where I don't want them. If they can't get in, they don't damage my plants. They can be useful. They trim down the brush and grass around the property so I don't have to cut it.

Ditto about the coyotes. They keep the rabbits and stray cats under control. But I fence the coyotes out so they don't eat my birds or dogs.

I really like the jack rabbits and I sure wouldn't ever do anything to harm them.

 

[LegginMF12]

Yard full o' rocks :

I agree....get an air rifle and shoot 'em (quietly). Good thing is "they taste like chicken"

MMMMMMMMHHHH, fried rabbit with gravy

. The big guy has kinda turned me off of eating the wild one. Something about you can only eat them when it's cooler because of the worm load they carry. I'm like "So what, the worms go south for the winter"? I see them occasionally at the grocery store but they are around $11.00.​

 

[thekid]

Go to a local beagle club and say " I have a rabbit problem I could trap some if you provide the traps" and dont forget to ask if they will pay for the rabbits. My beagle club pays 8 bucks a rabbit and the more expensive and bigger beagle clubs pay way more.

 

[LegginMF12]

Quote:
No Beagle Club or any kind of dog hunting club in my area.

 

[mythkat]

A 22, then skin them, split them down the middle, and throw them in the chicken run. Free protien.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I don't even use a .22

http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/148.pdf

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Quote:
MMMMMMMMHHHH, fried rabbit with gravy

. The big guy has kinda turned me off of eating the wild one. Something about you can only eat them when it's cooler because of the worm load they carry. I'm like "So what, the worms go south for the winter"? I see them occasionally at the grocery store but they are around $11.00.

The worm thing is an old wives tail. What they “do/can” get in the summer is a Werb. It’s a mill worm/grub looking thing that gets under the skin by the neck and lives off the fat. It is not harmful to the rabbit and will fall out when the rabbit is skinned.

Soooooo pop them suckers with the air gun and enjoy your rabbit and gravy.

Box traps are pretty easy to make too.