The American Beagler Forum

Does anyone put any type of feed out for the rabbits in the winter? I was thinking about putting out a few bails of clover and such? Thanks

I always toss out ears of corn ...mostly toss them under briar thickets and into brush piles and thickets where i see lots of prints in the snow. The game commission discourages feeding any wild animals because...now just listen...they said it helps the animals become dependent on people and it allows predators to CONCENTRATE their efforts into just those feeding zones. AND my response was ...why not eliminate some of these predators and give the wild life a chance to survive. Its late in the season but seeing more HAWKS in a day then rabbits is pretty darn bad...and yet they are protected...My pap used to shoot them for a bounty now they fine you BAD if you get caught shooting one....so dont get caught!!!!
but I think a bushel of corn costs 6 or 8 bucks and I am sure squirrels and others feed on it but seems to help and i am sure clover or hay would feed some rabbits and deer . If you can do it why not??

You answered your own question. I agrre with the Game commission. I have seen where people have done this and seen a lot of loose fur in those areas. You can thin down the predators, but as long as they are there they will also find the easy food which is to them the rabbits eating in the same spot everyday. So what it does is feed the preditors. Its counterproductive.....IMO

Apples in the briars is what I do and corn too. The predators around my pen need to watch the steel traps and the 17! Kerry

I have found that busting up salt blocks and throwing them in the briars seems to help the population.

I feed the rabbits and a guy told me all i was doing was gathering them up making it easy for the preditors

Here is my question...if i toss a couple ears of hard corn under the briar bushes where I see rabbits eating on the briar stems and root branches what difference does it make?? they are eating there any ways and it would be easier to eat the corn rather than eat the branches and bark...the key is to cut back on the predators...we protected them in the late 70s because of DDT and other chemicals and now PETA and the other tree huggers keep them on the protected list..hell they are everywhere if you just look in the trees ...or on sign posts...or along any highway ....toooo many birds of prey spell doom for the bunnies

rabbitsmoker wrote:I feed the rabbits and a guy told me all i was doing was gathering them up making it easy for the preditors

This is my point. When the eat the natural food they dont eat in the same place all the time.

get some wooden pallets stack them on top of each other like 2 or 3 together at different places throw the corn up under the pallets it will protect them from preadtors n also provide a place to hide when a fox or yote gets after them the salt idea is a good idea right now is the time to start putting it out

I take an 8" plastic drain pipe about 4ft long.
screw a plastic funnel to the bottom.
cut an inch off of the funnel spout.
find a tree in the thickest location of your property.

take a pallet and cut an opening in the top, so that the drain pipe will fit inside.
Wire the pipe to the tree and stick the pipe into the pallet.
pile more pallets, brush, logs, steel roofing, etc....on the original pallet.
put a 5 gallon pail over the end of the pipe.

Works pretty good....i feed "whole corn".

To distract/discourage avian predators:
I take aluminum pie plates and nail them to the top of any wood posts.
Also hang them from various locations.
They flop in the wind and distract the hawks and owls.

I battle deer more than anything! They keep trying to get my corn. lol

good luck,
LPB

Lone Pine Beagles wrote:I take an 8" plastic drain pipe about 4ft long.
screw a plastic funnel to the bottom.
cut an inch off of the funnel spout.
find a tree in the thickest location of your property.

take a pallet and cut an opening in the top, so that the drain pipe will fit inside.
Wire the pipe to the tree and stick the pipe into the pallet.
pile more pallets, brush, logs, steel roofing, etc....on the original pallet.
put a 5 gallon pail over the end of the pipe.

Works pretty good....i feed "whole corn".

To distract/discourage avian predators:
I take aluminum pie plates and nail them to the top of any wood posts.
Also hang them from various locations.
They flop in the wind and distract the hawks and owls.

I battle deer more than anything! They keep trying to get my corn. lol

good luck,
LPB

That's a great idea.

i use hog panels and make a box approx. 4'x4'x4' high. put a metal roof with some overhang. 1 big salt block in the middle and feed oats/corn/alfalfa or marsh hay. poplar tops for hare. hare and rabbit go through the squares into the feeder. deer and turkeys stay out. put in thick cover and lean some cover against the feeder and they have some protection from predators while feeding. they work great for me and the hare/rabbits use them all the time. i'll take a few pics next time i go out back.

yeah....the hog pannels would keep the deer out.

I also like my pallet idea to keep the blue jays out.
They eat alot of corn.

No squirrels anymore.
I put a hot wire on the top of my enclosure fence.
Keeps the porkies and coyotes out.
BUT....every squirrel in the woods got fried!
They seem to like climping the t-posts and grabbing the wire!

LPB

I have a half of a 55 gallon drum with 4 inch pvc pipe all bolted to a pallet with holes cut on both ends,I put whole corn,salt blocks and alfalfa cubes in these and the work well.

In reference to (they eat the bark) I asked the question after seeing where the Hare ate bark off juniper bush on Drummond Island and I have seen it here as every one has seen it in their hunting areas. Keith Soloman Bighead kennel in Roxborro NC got on the net and found out, Harverd, Perdue or some College had done a study on why rabbits eat bark at the base of saplings and such. Their findings was the minute layer or membrane under the bark furnished potassium.