How to get rid of Rabbits...

[Lanshark]

Elmer Fudd

 

[elizke]

Elmer Fudd

 

[Owlpost23]

We have a pair of mated great horned owls in our trees-they keep the critter population at a minimum.

 

[golfgal]

My guess is that the dog is pooping where the rabbits went and not the other way around. We have a LOT of rabbits in our yard but with all the snow, the dog can only get so far in the back yard and the rabbits know that. Short of trapping or killing the rabbits in some way there isn't a whole lot you can do unless you want to clean up the dead rabbits from getting a cat or a coyote. Our dog does chase them in the good weather and had killed several young ones that DH takes care of afterwards.

 

[cheshireqt]

Have you ever had them in your yard before? If you've never had them in spring and summer, be careful to watch for nests when mowing. I didn't know what a rabbit nest looked like (kind of like dirt with some weeds bunched up...they nest underground). I thought the dog was digging.

The vibration or sound must have spooked them and the all ran up out of the nest. I let go of the bar as soon as I saw one, but 1 didn't make it. That was enough, I cried for days and couldn't get that image out of my head. Now I mow waaaaayyyy around any dirt patch in my yard. They were tiny too, about the size of a Twinkie.

So if you can't get rid of them, just be mindful. Do you have any bushes, brush or thatch/vine areas? They like to nest in that in the winter.

I really wish I did not read that Hit a squirrel once with the car and thought about it for days. Can't imagine how you felt.

 

[cglaura]

So glad you posted this. I'll be sure to keep a look-out! Little twinkies running around - I'm so sorry you hit one. That must have been terrible!

I think mine mostly burrow in the mulch under the pine trees.

I wonder about moth balls?

I really wish I did not read that Hit a squirrel once with the car and thought about it for days. Can't imagine how you felt.

I was really worried that the survivors would be abandoned, I put them in a basket and tipped it over. I tried putting them back in the hole, and the kept running out. They stayed in here though for some reason:

But, the mommy found them, fed them, then took them away somewhere. I watched out the window as she got each one, fed, then disappeared, then came back and did it over. I took this out my front window, that is why the color is weird:

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OP: If they are eating any of your plants, you can sprinkle garlic or black pepper around, that kept them off of mine. But they still are in the yard (no fence), so I still watch out.
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[dzorn]

Well it is possible the bunnies are eating some of the dog poop. It has grain in it. If food is hard to find that could be it.

Denise in MI