Rabbits ???

[Zogman]

We live in town right next to the English Coulee. The wife feeds the birds which is somewhat enjoyable. We have a growing number of Cottontail rabbits that come and eat the leavings from around the bird feeders. This was sort of cute in the beginning when there was just a couple. Now it is getting out of control. Last count there were 4 large, very large adults and 6 smaller ones.

Has anyone had any success in live trapping? If so I would like a few details.

THX for any and all responses.

[LBrandt]

Take some corn and sunflower seeds wet them down then put on trigger so they have to work to get them off. That way the wind will not blow them away. LB

[Retired Educator]

Make sure you have your furbearer's permit before you trap.

I have rabbits come into my corn during the dark. Squirrels are pretty thick during the daylight. Of course they do seem to like when I dump some corn every few days. Also have a few Blue Jays, They are not a very sociable bird. Not sure they even like each other. Make for some entertainment on cold days.

[1lessdog]

You don't need a furbearers lic to shoot rabbits. Any nongame animals doesn't require a license to shoot Prairie Dog, Gophers and Skunks

[NDbowman]

I've heard them cottontails are tasty.

[BrokenBackJack]

Cottontails are very tasty.
We used to go out on Saturdays in the winter when I was in school back in the day, and walk farmsteads for cottontails. It was a group of guys in my class. When we got done for the day, we would clean them up and have a rabbit fry that night or on Sunday.
Man my mouth waters just thinking about this again.
We never shot more than we would eat and always left a few at each farmstead for "seed".
Did this for many years back then.

[guywhofishes]

way easier to poison them
(lead)

that said - they’re trappable - put food one end - block off the other - and force them to go through the trap’s length to get to it.

- - - Updated - - -

if I recall - I had good luck with alfalfa cubes

now I just bean em w the pellet gun

[Auggie]

Sounds like you're in town so BB gun at first light might be the way to go. I had rabbit-garden issues and tried have-a-heart trap. Didn't catch any, but they left my garden alone. However, a few birds including a pheasant found their way in the trap. So I ended up not having them set while at the lake. Then the muleys found my blossoming peppers, peas, and tomatoes.

[BDub]

Subsonic 22lr's are quiet and deadly.

[zoops]

Get a cat.

[wslayer]

Snares, if no other pets around. Would love to do that back by my trees near the garden, but my small dog is back there sniffing for them all the time.

[257Bob]

CB Shorts work well out to about 50 feet. Live trapping with cracked corn bait works too, just don't neglect checking the trap every morning.
Took out 9 last summer but that didn't save the garden. And now the wascal wabbits are tearing up the shrubberys around the house.

[1bigfokker]

Recruit Elmer Fudd.

[Captain Ahab]

I'd knob on the head with a pellet gun and serve up some KFR(Kentucky Fried Rabbit) or perhaps some hasenpfeffer.

[Lycanthrope]

Ive shot them with BB, subsonics and trapped them. Since a neighbor cat started prowling my back yard, the problem is mostly resolved. Snaring is easy and effective if you have a fence and you can figure out where they are entering/exiting your yard. They follow trails and are easy to pattern.

[tikkalover]

[Retired Educator]

Hunted cottontail rabbits when younger and they are very good eating as would be the squirrels. The ones in my yard are more pets than table-fare at this point so not interested it trapping or hunting as they don't create a problem. Have deer come into the food I put out before Christmas and then the move with a herd that winters a couple miles away. Have a camera set up and that also provides some interesting sites. Currently provide about a gallon or two of corn or beans once or twice a week and all the critters are getting pretty chunky.

[KDM]

With where you live there is an endless supply of those puffy little balls of fur. Exclusion might be your only option as trapping, shooting, and snaring will be an ongoing endeavor as once you take out a couple, a couple more seem to always show up. All you may have to do is put up a chicken wire fence around your bird feeder to keep the bunnies from getting the food. They will be forced to look elsewhere, even though they can see and smell the bird seed. Either way, good luck. Hope you can find a solution.

[257Bob]

No good, he's been after one bunny for years without success. That coyote might do the job though.

[svnmag]

https://nodakangler.com/forums/threa...-A-Pest-a-Meal