How to catch rabbits!

[SCCO9803]

Get a pellet gun

[Gus]

I have a pellet gun, I've just never seen one yet. Droppings everywhere though. I actually am very surprised at the amount of droppings I'm finding now that the snow is melting. No wonder why my dog was going so crazy.

Anyone have any success setting live traps? I don't want to set something that will get my dog.

[SCCO9803]

Another suggestion I can offer up, is to put a hose down the hole and crank up the water. When they come running out smack them with a bat. Be careful not to beat them to bad, cause they'll make good eatin'

[rubber duck]

Is it rabbits or rats? Rats love to dig under buildings! A live trap should work for the rabbits try baiting it with a cob of corn, apples, or carrots?

[irvingdog]

Live trap and apples for bait. I get lots of them that way.

[Gus]

I have some rabbits living under my shed creating havock with the floor and the dog. Anyone have any tips for getting rid of them? Open to anything that won't harm the dog.

[SCCO9803]

If they are rats, the hose will again work; and agin be careful not to beat them to badly for they make good eatin'

[Gus]

SCCO, If I get any Rats, I'll be sure to save them for you.

I'm sure they are rabbits though.

Thanks everyone for the tips. I'll let you know how it goes. I'll head out to buy a trap this weekend.

Gus

[SCCO9803]

Thanks Gus,
Why are you acting like you don't like rat meat? It's nothing to be embarrassed about, you and I grew up eating rat meat and we should be proud of our upbringing. Anyway, good luck with the trapping.

[Trouthunter]

When I lived down on park point in duluth a few years ago, there was a rabbit problem there. I remember the city of duluth hired folks from bloomington to catch the rabbits and take them to a shelter to be cleaned up and given to children. I wonder if you could contact PETA or something like that to come and catch and relocate the rabbits. Or just bonk them over the head after you stick a hose down the hole. Or get a fox.

Good luck Gussy.

[Gus]

I can see my friends have nothing better to do than poke fun of my situation (SCCO and TroutHunter). Thanks to everyone with a serious reply.

Gus

[Jackpine Rob]

Why not fence them out? I assume they are crawling under the edge of the structure, so why not get some chicken wire or hardware cloth and seal up the areas they are getting in.
Had a skunk causing disruption in much the same manner once, and I sure didn't want my solution to leave a tell-tale odor. About $5 worth of chicken wire, and the bugger moved on and found a new home. In the case of the skunk, I actually dug the wire down a small distance, and that kept it from digging a new entrance.

[CornPirateKiller]

Use a live trap and bait with apples or oranges. I've actually had better luck with the oranges. Grapes work too. Veggies don't have enough odor to attract them.

If your dog is bigger (lab sized) you could try a 110 conibear trap or even a snare. The dog shouldn't be able to be hurt by either of those if he's big enough.

------------------
Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati (When all else fails, play dead)

[SCCO9803]

Gus,

Any luck catchin' those varmints yet. I bet you're gettin' hungry.

[redhead77]

Get a 22

[bassman222]

If you are looking to kill them set up some snares, your dog shouldn't get into them.

Bassman

[Browning83]

Make a wire snare and put it over the whole...when i was younger we used to get a lot of cotton tails doing that

[The Grebe]

GUS, you have probably long since solved your problem in one way, or another, but if not, a simple snare will do the trick. Find where the rabbits are going under, or through something and hang a snare. It does'nt have to be elaborate, I've snared a bunch of rabbits using picture hanging wire that I bought from the hardware. Used the fur as attractors in fox sets....ate the rabbits. If you can make a slip knot, a wire snare should be no problem, but make sure that the knot is solid, don't just wrap it around a couple of times. It has to be loose enough to slip easily..make the loop about 6 inches or so and hang it about 2 inches off the ground...anchor it solidly.
Little dogs and cats usually don't go under wood piles, sheds, or squeeze through small routes under, or through fences, where the rabbits go, avoid the larger opens.

[Rino]

I've never set up a snare before how is it set off? Also are rabbits good to eat year round?

[The Grebe]

RINO, snares are easy to make, easy to set and they are inexpensive...if you just want to snare afew rabbits. You can get into different types, made of different sized airplane cable, with differnt types of sliding locks on them, they get a little more spendy, but not to bad, if you are into snaring. A snare works the same way and on the same principle as a hangmans noose, only not so elaborate in construction. Refer back to my previous post and it should answer your question on how to make one. As far as eating rabbits year round, I suppose you could? I would suppose that you can eat deer year round, but who would want to!

[Perch Jerker]

USE A SNARE!!!

I've caught LOTS of them in snares. Get PICTURE HANGING WIRE (at local Hdwe store, #2 if I remember correctly) and a nail. Make a V with the end of the wire with 2" on one end of the V and the other end of the wire still on the wire spool. Put the middle of the nail in the crotch of the V and wind the 2" section around the longer wire. Pull the nail out of the loop and cut the wire snare so it is 2.5' long.

Insert the cut end through the loop and you're in business. Make the loop about 4-5" accross and position it in a narrow spot of their run/path about 1.5-2" off the ground. Block the sides of the path with sticks pushed into the ground on either side. Attatch the end of the wire to a solid anchor (railing, 1" stick driven into ground, etc). You'll catch all the rabbits you want.

PJ