The American Beagler Forum

OK,been having trouble with this pen for the last two years.Something is getting the rabbits.I ve catch 25 rabbits, in the last 6 nights and put them in this 6 ac puppy pen.No dogs has been in it.Walk around in there this mor and found two rabbits that something catch lastnight.OK, real bad fog last night and they catch it under low thich place not out in the open.Have to rule out owl, and hawk.I am thinking a tom cat because both rabbits only the sholder,back and guts were eat.Back legs and head still there.Fur everywere like the rabbit gave a good fight.Now my Question is .What was it?I have two pens on the left side and two more on the right side.Don t have this going on in these pens just this pen.It just seen to me this thing would go to them pens and catch them rabbits.Why just this pen?I don t no but real down and out when something catching the rabbits.Oh and walk in there to try and jump a rabbit with no dogs and could not jump one.What do yall think is a good thing to do?I set two cage traps.Thanks for any info.

My dad had that problem once in a chicken coop. Turned out it was a weasel. Not an easy catch either. Good luck. Hope this can help somehow.

Thanks,now that I think about it.Theres alway a small hole in the wire.What he don t eat they RABBITS get out.But I m 53 and never seen a weasel.But I m not going to rule that out.Everthing eles is coming in here that I ve never seen around here.If it ant one thing its another.

When that happens in my pen I always find out there was a cat in there. If they hunt at night, hard to find them in there. I've killed a couple of them, rabbits just as you described maybe not as much eaten every time. Hope you find him.
Bob

You done what i would have done set some live traps with tuna, and hope for the best. I have a electric wire around the top of my pen, but i caught a cat in there one day. He wont bother any more rabbits.

I'm thinking cat also. I have not had a dog in my pen for a couple of months. My father put some sweet potato's in yesterday for the rabbits.. As he walked around a house cat was spotted. They hunt night and day.

TrippleBFarms wrote:You done what i would have done set some live traps with tuna, and hope for the best. I have a electric wire around the top of my pen, but i caught a cat in there one day. He wont bother any more rabbits.

you can get a solor fencer at tsc for 125 dollars that well help prevent things going over top of it

Might not be a bad idea to place a cheap trail camera in the area where you found the half eaten rabbits.
Then you could deal with the predator accordingly.

possibly a mink , they are on the rise

Cat, ferret, weasel, mink

I would assume something small like these listed, a buddy of mine has a pen and a ferret ate just about every rabbit in there before he found it and disposed of it!! Now rabbits doing good!!

I've posted this befor but my elderly friend has about a 5 acre pen that he and I turned over 100 rabbits loose in two springs ago and they were ALL gone in less than a month. He couldn't find hide nor hair of a single one of them. I walked the entire fence line and couldn't find any holes in or under the fence. These were all smokey moutain, missouri cottentail cross with swamp and belgian hare rabbits that he and I raised. Ran good for as long as they lasted.

Trail cam souns like a good idea. Didn't think of that.

sounds like a mink to me.

We have alot of Red tail Hawks here in Vermillion county they will clean out a running ground and theres alot of Bald eagles in are area now but I herd they like fish

Place that trail cam on a rabbit in cage or very specific baits canned tuna, dog food. That should eliminate all flying predators and attract any on the ground possibilities (mink, cats, etc)

I think its a cat.....but I don't know your setup. If it is the tuna is your best bet......caught many house cats this way.