PREDATORS

tnbeagleman · Post by **tnbeagleman** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 10:43 pm

#1 by far MAN!! Bush hogs and mowing machines and lawn mowers and Vehicles. I have two barn cats that stay around the house and barn and they rarely kill rabbits ,but I tore up two nests bush hoggingin an area where the cats are around every day. # 2 is probably Crows what the bush hog doesn't get the crows sure will, they fly around watching us mow hay and bush hog and catch every thing running that they can get including: quail, rats and rabbits # 3 is and may be #2 Skunks they are death to all the kittens they can find. Then probably cats , coyotes, hawks but lose of habitat is the worst enemy to most game. I ran Yesterday in an area where 18 acres spread out on both sides of a creek has been put in a conservation program and I have been hunting this area for years and the rabbit population there this winter is about three fold of last year because of all that cover . Wow what a difference!! I have been making brush piles today in an area of a neighbors farm that I have permission to do so on. You every thought about asking the land owner if he will let you thin out an area in the edge of his woods for free if he will let you build a few brush piles. You may be surprised how fast he will agree, but he may think you a nut for doing it. If we would all do alittle to improve habitat it would help. I have been know to repile brush when hunting on private property the farmer had it piled, but a lot of it would decay and not give much cover just pile it closer and make it smaller and the land owner will not mind at all.

bluehound1 · Post by **bluehound1** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 7:32 pm

Thanks for the input everone. Keep voting

Ky Scott · Post by **Ky Scott** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 4:14 pm

Around here it is definately cats! You see them every were. I think they come from all the barn cats that were in this area. There used to be a dairy farm at every farm house.

Boomer · Post by **Boomer** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 4:02 pm

I'll take any of those over fire ants! Nothing like stumbling on some baby bunnies or even kittens that have those little nasty little things coming-and-going in-and-out of their mouths and nostrils and having to put them out of their misery.

People I talked to in Texas years ago said fire ants have more to do with the dwindling numbers of quail and some other game than anything else.

B.Trull · Post by **B.Trull** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 9:33 pm

Cats , feral or stray or tame are bad. period. They have no spot in the natural food chain. I have a " 5" tally and actually got 2 with 1 shot this year. Yes, it was verified; that being said I have had hawks circle and take rabbits my hounds have been running several times, but I think overall good heavy cover, adequate holes and food have more to do with wild rabbits populations than over predatation.

swing · Post by **swing** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:29 pm

Here is a picture of a couple of coyotes I took care of last nite.

http://www.swingsbeagles.com/
Trent

bluehound1 · Post by **bluehound1** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:59 pm

Now thats what I'm talking about

Kill them all

Coyotes are worthless. They ain't good for nothing. What was you using for bait. Hey buy the way. How can I get a hold of David and Scott Surber. I think they are the ones someone told me about who own Logan Elm Blue Skim. You can e-mail me if you want.

bluehound1@aol.com

tommyt · Post by **tommyt** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:23 am

Here in Ohio it is the Division of WILDLIFE. They need to let us get rid of some hawks and owls. I THINK AT ONE TIME THERE WAS a bounty on them. As far as cats are concerned just be quiet about it and take care of them. Here Kitty KITTY. We have to buy dog tags but,cats are free to roam. Evry one who brings in 10 cat tails should get there hunting license free.

LR Patch · Post by **LR Patch** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:27 am

Cats were bad around here till the coyotes moved in now you rarely see
a stray or house cat while hunting.I can't say which is the hadrest on
the rabbits here it is really alot of everthing.Rabbits are prayed on by most everything catas,yotes,owls,hawks,crows,skunk,several others
not to mention loss of habitat.Also like other states our wildlife dept.
caters to "the big money" big game and Turkey.So I think it's each of these thing and not just one. Now I'm so depressed guess I'll sell out
and start playing golf!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tnbeagleman · Post by **tnbeagleman** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:35 pm

Oh boy I'm laughing here . jumpdog on a golf course!!!

beaglebill · Post by **beaglebill** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 7:19 pm

Yes Mason the DNR continues to say that reasons for less rabbits would be that we have less habitat. Well no joke , we have urban sprawl everywhere but what about the place that we have great habitat that last year we had rabbits this year theres none. We have a local fellow that he and his son killed over 300 hundred a year for the last 2 years this year hes having a hard time finding rabbits. I wonder why..duuuuhh... For those of us who like a good chase i have asked DNR to lower the kill limit. The last officer i talked to said well i doubt if anyone ever kills 5 . They just dont give a da##.

trackman · Post by **trackman** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:29 pm

I go with cats. Cats are the worst here. They are vicious creatures.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:26 am

number one rabbit killer nationwide is fescue. if people would do away with fescue the the predatation could double and there would still be plenty of rabbits

WELLS WOODS · Post by **WELLS WOODS** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:49 am

I would say owls and bobcats probably kill a lot of rabbits, but hunters that kill more than they need are worse than any predator. Most guys around here shoot every rabbit they see and then drive around trying to give them away to someone.

tnbeagleman · Post by **tnbeagleman** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:52 pm

If I did away with the fescue where I live there would be no grass left . 90% of all grass within twenty or thirty mile radius is fescue. and I ran 20 different rabbits in a fescue field News Year Day. Yes I have heard that and read it in books but fescue is basically all the grass that I've ever saw for pasture here. It gets to hot for bluegrass and to cold for the warm season grasses.

The American Beagler Forum

PREDATORS

Which predator is the hardest on the rabbit population?

preditors

Cats

predators

Cats