Important Survey in Kentucky

[chris1971]

https://www.research.net/s/Public_Input ... bit_Season.

This is a survey that all of the Kentucky guys need to look at. It will affect the rabbit season for next year.

[jimmy creek]

I just filled mine out.

[kybluesman]

me too.

[BEAGLEBLUES]

I just filled out mine also, my only concern is that informational part about the longer season, and lower bag limits. Lets see what happens now.

[lebro]

we as houndsmen need to be more vocal and willing to listen and help. this is just a small thing you can do. call your local game biologist and talk to them let them know you are concerned about rabbits.

[baj]

Just filled out my survey also. Its about time they started thinking about the rabbit population here in ky. In some areas here in the north eastern part it would be almost impossible for a hunter to limit out or even come close most days. Probably in some areas there are still lots of rabbits but may not always be if something isn't done soon.

[chris1971]

Baj I have been lucky to hunt a lot of places in the state this year with the same results you are seeing. Our biggest problem here in the western part of the state is that that with rising corn and grain prices the ground that use to be considered not worth tilling is now. I had around a 1/2 acre pond behind my house on my neighors property that she would let us runs dogs on to help train our pups. Now granted it was small but had maybe 5-6 rabbits at all times. The farmer that works her ground came in this fall and filled it in so they can plant it. Now the not so good ground now is valuable and we are losing all the habitat for our rabbits. You combine that with the drougt last year and man we are struggling. I wish there could be a way for the state to work with private land owners and help them with a program that would incourage them to plant native grasses on field edges. My good friend Steve with Cypress Lake Kennel is having a state biologist come out and help him with a plan for habitat improvment. There are a lot of programs that will help you with the cost if you have the land. Fingers crossed they dont do anything to hurt the population which I know is not their intent.

[Steve CLK]

As rabbit hunters we all know the importance of simply there being game to hunt. The state of Kentucky, according to what i have read not necessarily seen, has been working towards improving small game habitat for several years, but has especially targeted it within the last five. Now, with that being said, last year when we would go hunting we would jump several rabbits each time out. This hunting season was a totally different story here in Western Kentucky. I am blaming it on the severe drought we had last summer that killed all of the vegitation and allowed the hawks and coyotes to easily find the rabbits and quail. In addition, like Chris stated the farmers in our area are totally destroying fence rows and anything that they think they can get an additional bushel of grain off of. I do not necessarily blame them for this, it is their source of income. But I think there is a fine line with farming producable ground and farming anything that you can get a tractor and planter over. Our family owns several acres and yes it is farmed, but, as the care taker of these farms I have to be very stern, with the farmer, to prevent him from destroying the habitat. Not only for the small game but for the deer and the turkeys as well. The point I would like to make is that we all have to be involved in some shape or form to protect our natural resources. The survey that Chris posted on here yesterday was sent to me by a guy who does not really hunt anything, but he is an avid outdoorsman. If it was not for him I would probably not even seen or heard of the survey. The way he found out about it was he signed up to receive email notices and mailings from the Kentucky Conservation Coalition. From what little I seen yesterday, I am glad there is an organization out there that notifies the general public of these type matters. You can go to www.kycoalition.org and sign up to receive the free notifications. They are associated with serveral organizations. Also, if you did not know the Department of Fish & Wildlife has programs out there to reestablish the very much needed habitat for small game. Contact your local wildlife biologist for information.

[jason38]

I hunted a lot this year and they are more rabbits now then they ever been I thank the season should start in October and end in feb most people will only hunt a few times any ways they open coon season longer in kentucky why not rabbit

[Chris Shoopman]

I wish they would close season in southern ky for a few years, a dead rabbit can not be ran ! I like to hunt and gun them but the Proublem we have in my town is People hunt the same spot ever weekend and just kill them all !

[scottlefevers]

I wish they would close season in southern ky for a few years, a dead rabbit can not be ran ! I like to hunt and gun them but the Proublem we have in my town is People hunt the same spot ever weekend and just kill them all !

same way here guys hunt them every day till they are gone most of them only try to do this for some kinda bragging rights there bad to leave the skins hanging on telephone poles or around fences on the strips

[jason38]

I killed more than my share of rabbits this year I have privet farm lands I hunt on and I hunt in the public lands I killed rabbis ever where I went and they are defiantly not a rabbit shortage in eastern kentucky I go out two times a week and run and solo my young hounds and they have no problem finding a rabbit same areas where 300 and some rabbits where killed this season I do raise rabbits and turn them lose a round my house and the farm I own if I can't kill a rabbit I don't have any use in owning a beagle dog I bought beagles to have fun and to put meet on the table not to feed and run 9 months out of the year and only kill rabbits 3 months out of the year kentucky open coon season a extra month it's not going to hurt to open rabbit season a extra month

[875x]

I filled mine out too i belive I said I would like the shorter season and lower bag limits. Seems certain areas have some rabbits in them I have see a lot of areas have few and cant stand the pressure.
I rember I guess 20 years ago the small game bolgist wanted to open it in october and he sure did get jumped on I thought it was a good ideal. I dont understand why people want to hunt when they are starting to mate.
I see people post a bunch of rabbits and as long as they take a legal limit I dont have a problem with it but in this times of ever shrinking assets be in animal population or running grounds I think the wise choice it to conserve.

[jason38]

Shorter season and smaller bag limits the only thang that's going to help is feeding the coyote foxes owls minks hawks and so on

[bunnytracks]

filled out one today, what we see, that the predators are the main reason for fallen amounts, we have an overabundance of coyottes, bob cats along with other types of wild cats, protected hawks and owls.