Rabbit control
Piecemeal control will not work with the redoubtable rabbit, says Ed Cook
The European rabbit is in the top 10 of invasive species around the world. This is quite an achievement for such an innocent-looking creature. Despite this, they remain vastly underestimated.
I have pretty much dedicated my life to controlling rabbits in a wide range of environments across the UK and beyond. I have a lot of admiration for the creature; it’s had everything thrown at it, from a variety of control methods to man-made diseases, yet it still comes back for more. It has contributed to the demise of other species and re-landscaped countless swathes of land. I have said this before, but based on first-hand experience I cannot help but think they would be the only species to survive a nuclear bomb – other than cockroaches, of course. equations, but a control programme has to have a goal and be able to evolve as the rabbits respond to control methods. If you are starting with a high population of rabbits and want to get the population down to, say, 5% over winter, this isn’t going to be achieved cost effectively by the employment of only one method. For instance, if you rely on shooting as the sole control method, yes, the population can be reduced and perhaps greatly if you are consistent with the shooting, but the chances are they will soon become either lamp-shy or be incredibly jumpy to movement at night. This will almost certainly be the case, even with the muffled sound of moderated rimfire at night. The same goes for ferreting. If one was to ferret a hedge one week and then another on the other side of the field three weeks later, some of the rabbits would have moved into the vacated burrows. Basically, the rabbit is likely to counteract its loss in numbers.
Needless to say, other factors take their toll, including quality of food and disease.
Variety
The best way to control large numbers of rabbits is to utilise a variety of control methods. Fencing with drop-boxes is a great way to resolve rabbit issues along boundaries
“The rabbit is always likely to counteract its loss in numbers”
or areas awkward to control via other means. This method can get rid of the source of the problem in many instances. Ferreting can then be carried out systematically on a daily basis until the control area has been thoroughly worked. Once completed, shooting at night with both a quad and shotgun with lamp or the use of a .17hmr, night vision and thermal-imaging equipment will soon remove stragglers. Places that are awkward to ferret can be controlled with snares, cage traps or drop-nets.
The use of dogs and hawks can also be effective. One thing is for sure: if any combination of these methods is not carried out correctly and consistently, the rabbit will be safe in the knowledge that many of his compatriots will come to his funeral.