The American Beagler Forum

Hey everyone I was wondering how I can hold more rabbits on my property? I have 25 Acers and would love to hold as many rabbits as possible. At the time I have been cutting all trees 2 dia or bigger and making lots of brush piles, I have made 6 bush piles so far in different locations, I also have been using a feeder with rabbit pellets and corn to try bring more rabbits in. So far it seem I may only have maybe 3 or 4 rabbits in my area. I Was thinking about doing a couple of different things one trap rabbit from a different area and relocating them in the back, or two making 12-12 pens and trapping 2 or 3 females and 1 male then breeding them next year and letting the babies go in my back. Any suggestions please and tell me how it worked for you if you tried.

Food, good cover, and a water supply will eventually attract rabbits. I put out salt in the areas I run. It seems to help during the bunnies breeding season and during the winter.

kill the predetors off cats coyotes etc use alot of wood pallets fot piles alco rock piles

clearcut it and keep after the regrowth, plant pines for thermal cover

I have had some experience with this on places where I run dogs. The cover is the No1 Key, this has to be thick cover that is still thick in Mid winter.brush piles yes, but especialy cover with alot of canopy above the rabbits.This type of cover also provides the food source that is needed. If you provide the cover.nature will provide the population explosion. and yes thin out the predators. hope this helps you out

You are on track, the only thing I
would do is put some lime down this winter before the snow so its in the ground for spring growth, ph of 6, brings on clover and according to NJ Wildlife, you can`t hold rabbits unless the ground can grow clover, 1 ton to the acre, its cheap......
GOOD LUCK

One tip I think is important that is from my own experience. I bought 30 acres 5 years ago. It was loaded w/ rabbits. 15 acres of field and 15 acres of cut out. I didn't hunt it because I wanted to keep the population up so I had a good place to run the dogs. BIG MISTAKE!! What happened, as far as I can tell, was the population got so big, the predators, owls, hawks, coyotes, yada yada moved in and camped out. It was like an all you can eat buffet for them. The running gradually got worse and worse. Last year I didn't run one rabbit on my property. They had cleaned them all out.

So, what I'm saying is I think, once the population is up, do some hunting on it to keep the population from getting so big that the area draws the attention of the predators. No matter how much you try to eliminate the predators, there will be others to move in.

Now I was out scouting last saturday for deer sign and noticed a few pretty good rabbit runs. So they are coming back per the natural cycle. But I think hunting to control the population, will keep the cycle from swinging so far to each extreme.

how well will clover work? I was thinking about making 2 or 3 small 20-20 food plots using red or lateno clover.

I planted white clover in 10x20 plots on all my running ground, and spaced them apart about 100 yards. I stacked pallets in different locations also. The places I run are very over grown this year and thick as hair on a dog. I have noticed two things. Alot of rabbits in everyones yards here in town and plenty of rabbits to run on my running ground. Every year I put apple salt blocks out in the winter for the rabbits and put it in the thickest stuff there is. I was told that if you can burn a thicket every five years you will hold and get more rabbits. This old man said rabbits will move right back into a burned area because the grass is better after being burnt. I am trying to talk my uncle in doing this in a small area to see how it works. If I do get to do this I will also plant white clover in burnt area a day or two after burn. This old man said after the burn as soon as it rains the grass will be green and tender. He said you must have cover for the rabbits to use or you will wipe them out doing this. Also do not do this until mid July so baby rabbits will be out of nest if there is a second litter.

Sericea. Unless you get very heavy snows to flatten it, you can't see your feet most of the time. Grows waist high. Judging a cast of hounds in it and you have to have handler call his hound when it's 10 feet from you. Predators can't get through it as fast as the rabbits. OF course, all the above good advice. They have to have something to eat, also need blackberry vines, the thicker the better.

where can I get Sericea seed?

http://www.seedland.com or
http://www.outsidepride.com search the site for "lespedeza"
or about any local seed store.

I couldn't let this one go by without a joke attached.....

How about dressing up like a carrot? I know I know.....BOOOO. LOL

Sorry

what is Sericea and will it grow up north?

Warm season grasses like switch grass could be helpful also. Serieca and switchgrass will both grow in bad soil conditions, and won't require yearly maintenance once established. If you are willing to spend the money on clover seed I would definately recomend ladino clover.