OK FB you have an interesting idea for a new thread but where do we start. Shall we start by assuming we already have the land and that it is of respectable size, what ever that may mean. Now we need to deside what we want or need. Does the land it's self need improvement such as hazards to our birds removed, A hawk in pursuit of a rabbit can have a nasty altercation with an old barb wire fence. I would guess the next thing is game I am perhaps missing a thing or two but I'm sure someone will help fill in the cracks. Anyway now do we need to enhance what is there or do we need to add anything, what do we need to add. Shall we plan corn or other crops to draw in game, plan more trees to promote squirrels secure old buildings to encourage pigeons( I know there are other inherant problems with pigeons) plant blak berries to encourage rabbits (I can hear that one" Um,,,I thought we were making a place to hunt not a place where rabbits can hide indefinitely) . Hey I'm brain storming trying to determine what we can cover in this thread. Next would be do we intend to put anygame down, pheasant, partridge, domestic rabbits? We have a lot of chooses. Let the ideas begin.
Nothing but more trees for squirrels.... Weasel(slightly biased)
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
Around here I have heard a lot of talk about making "rabbit reefs" for apprentices and such... The idea is to bury pvc pipes in the ground. I havent seen anything like it, but is sounds interesting...
There is an elderly gentleman in our area who has ten acres fenced in for rabbit habitat. He uses the area to train rabbit dogs. Kind of a hobby for him. I have often dreamed of having forty acres, planting hedge rows and grasses and transplanting some wild caught rabbits to live there. The young could be transplanted elsewhere when the population gets out of hand. I have several acres of oak-hickory forrest in the Ozarks, so i've done my part for the squirrels. Right now, the big push with the Missouri Conservation Department is to rebuild quail habitat. I'm not sure what they plan to do about reintroduction, but they are trying to get farmers and other land owners in targeted areas to set aside land. Rabbits and squirrels are getting lip service for the time being due to the aging of the hunting population. Younger hunters aren't getting to "cut their teeth" on small game, so they aren't moving up to other, bigger things. The plan is that sometime in the "future" the state will start to work with them to. Deer, turkey and Ducks brought in the big bucks so they got the attention. Now quail. If i want to hawk rabbits, it's probably up to me... all by my lonesome. I'd like to here more about these "rabbit reefs" you mentioned.
Last Edit: Oct 25, 2004 15:05:31 GMT -5 by Bob Dale
It sounds like a logical idea. But how do you think that rabbits would adapt to the PVC? I don't think they would take to it very well. I mean their used to dirt and roots right? I would still hunt there if they ever made one. I would still like to hear more though.
"You're a smart kid Johny, you really are, but as long as I'm around you'll only be second best." The Godfather
I was in a field at the NAFA meet in Amarillo when someone kicked a 4" PVC pipe laying on the ground. A rabbit shot out of each end....... ;D
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
Since rabbits use holes dug by others, it makes sense that they would hide in pvc. I find them in culverts, old car fenders and everywhere else. I may try some 4" or 6" pvc at my cabin and see what happens. With my luck i'll attract a family of skunks
I have heard of something simalair to the reef idea in a rabbit breeding book I had barrowed from the library. They made like a large pool idea. put in a large mound of dirt leaving a high wall all the way around. Again stuck pvc pipe in to the ground and intrduce rabbits. I've also heard where the mound was made of hay bales. So I don't see why if the rabbits are in the area that they wouldn't move into such an area.
Post by Avatar of Shibby on Nov 8, 2004 22:49:13 GMT -5
My family has some land (as in Family I mean it's both my grandfather's and Uncles land), and I was wondering if it would be good for hunting there's 80 acres all together it's wide open with the biggest field being around 60 acres, there's supose to be some woods some were, but I've never had time to really check them out (most of the time the pond gets me distracted, or I jsut don't have time to go exploring). There are rabbits all around (neither that or I chased the same one five times in a day around the back field) There's bob-wire fencing but not very much this use to be for raising quarter horses, so expept for aroudn the barn it's all open area, there's a little bit of old farm equipment but it's up close to the barn. My cousins say the guy that owns the property behind there land is nice, so that could add another 50 acres but I have no clue what that terain is like. The biggest problem I see are my cousins, there not on the pacient or bright side of things, so I'm afraid they'd freak out any hawk that you tried hunting with, if my uncle is there he'd prolly keep um in check tho.
sounds like a good start I you can get rid of the barbwire or place some kind of raling or it so that a bird won't hit it while chasing rabbits. I think it's time you check those trees and see whats over there. Oh and talk to that neighbor. The more the marrier.(land that is)
Post by Avatar of Shibby on Nov 8, 2004 23:04:50 GMT -5
there's a HUGE field but it's a lil close to the highway, O and like the only bob wire that's familar to me is that on the back of the property next the nabor I was talking about, I think I'll be heading out there as soon as I can to map it all out, and get some specs on the land and talk to the guy that owns the back property
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."