Someone dumped 2 domestic rabbits off on my 5 acres

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Good morning, Pipp...

They'll let me get 6 feet from them, before they hop away, always staying that 6' from me. I figured making the pen/trap 10' long will give me time to shut it.

I need one of those Safari gun nets. :)

I'll give the live trap a whirl & keep close watch on it.

Thanks.
 
Hi, Flash Gordon..

I'll give 'em a whirl. At this point, I'm willing to try anything.

I haven't seen them, yet today. UGH!

The ducks have their babies & they always let me know when something "strange" is out here. So far, today...it's been VERY quiet.

Thanks a bunch.
 
Wish me luck! The township mowed the ditch & the black rabbit was out at the edge of the road eating the "hay". SOOOOOOO...I gathered a bunch up and have it in the live trap, behind the house. That rabbit is sitting 6' from the trap opening...staring at that hay!
 
4pityssake wrote:
Oh, gosh! I've got so many wild rabbits, there's bunny poo all OVER. That must be how the black one found the corn, today.

I've got wild bunnies of all ages out here. Some still in the nest.

Sadly, as I was in my garden today...a baby ran from it's nest & ran right into the pond! :( I got a fish net, hoping it would surface...no luck.

Tomorrow, I'll go gather a slew o' poo and put it in the cage trap I put up. I've left an 18" opening so I can go close it in time...hopefully.

I'm one that cares more for critters than I do most humans. LOL!
Click to expand...

If you can gain their trust, try a handful of Old-Fashioned oatmeal, near the area or in your hand. That was successful in my hubby being able to capture 3 abandoned domestics in 2006. He also made a net, and we purchased a large fishing net to flip over them when one sat nibbling oatmeal. They'll also prefer an escape route so timing is crucial. Hunger will draw them near, too, so bananas and good treats will help. It took two of us to capture the most elusive male one morning around 5 a.m.

Smiling at the bottom comment ^ in your post.

:pray: that the wild animals haven't gotten to them yet.

How irresponsible of people to dump. You're an angel to try and capture them!!
 
Pungent greens. Freshly washed romaine ;) , cilantro, parsley, thin carrots, some sunflower kernels, raisin treats ... all to encourage him to approach ... Start talking to him, in a soothing voice telling him/her he/she's a good bunny and you're trying to help. Give him/her a name and reward him/her with praises.

as for the net thing, carry it with you whenever you observe the two buns so they get used to seeing it. Put it down on the ground, then put the old-fashioned oat flakes in your palm or very near your knees, palm, hands, legs, etc.
 
Reading through Flash Gordon's reply on vanilla creme cookies, you can also try mini or big size Nabisco Teddy (Honey) Grahams. The domestics my husband captured were drawn to shredded wheat biscuits. A chunk of oats and honey granola bars might be worth trying to. When in good care, these treat and snacky carb things won't be given daily.

from flashgordon's post "if all else fails...maybe set up an enclosure for them that a dog or coyote cant get into...put food and bedding and water in there for them and maybe that will give them some kind of escape to run to in case they are in danger...im worried about them...im so glad that ur trying to catch these guys .they really need u right now..,good luck..."

Ditto!!! ^ It'll be dang hard to thwart a vicious or attack/hunting type dog and coyote, fox, etc. Good advice though to think ahead on anything to better their chances.

With the advice and tips from everyone posting here, let's hope they understand you as being a rabbit-compassionate human.
 
This sounds sooo stressful! I would feel so panicked, I'd be soo afraid to leave them alone and go to bed! Good for you for trying to catch them! I hope you catch them soon!
 
I gotta hand it to all of you's...thanks for the suggestions & support.

I don't know where the black rabbit went, but...I know where it DIDN'T go...in the TRAP! DARN it!

I added cut up nanner's to the hay...now, I'm gonna go add some oats.

My neighbor is going into town today (We live 10 miles from town) & she's gonna get some apples & cookies.

The brown one isn't brave enough, yet to come up to the house. It's got one floppy ear. Is it normal for rabbits to shake their heads? I'm SOOOOO concerned they're gonna get loaded with ticks. They spend a lot of time in the woods.

I need to go to the grainery, so I'll ask if they have a handful of pellets or sumpin'.

Thanks, again to you all. I'll keep you's posted.

One more question...If/WHEN I catch them...I've read to never hold their legs for fear they break when they try to get away. How do I pick them up? Like a cat...by the scruff of the neck?
 
ouch ..i dont pick up mine by the scruff...once they are in an enclosure that u can get close to them u need to get down on the ground with them and pet their head while u scoop their butt with other hand and hug them as close to ur body as possible..this is the only way their gonna feel safe is when they are hugged close to u ..if any of their body parts are dangling they are gonna kick and struggle ..u want to wrap them up close ..a blanket might help too..kinda toss it over them while ur petting their head...then wrap them up and bundle them close to u...dont worry it sounds like ur a natural with animals.this will go just fine..just get those little boogers safe,,:)
 
Thanks, Flash Gordon.

I'da picked it up by the scruff. (It doesn't hurt cats, as there's a nerve in there that kinda like knocks 'em out. LOL! Ya just gotta get that scruff held JUST RIGHT.)

I've yet to catch either of them, but...earlier today, I did see the black one chasing a wild rabbit, under the shrubs. UGH! I assume it was a Mother rabbit being chased& the black one must've been too close to her baby. As I speak, I see a Mother rabbit & one of her "just out of the nest" babies...under the shrub.

After that short chase, I looked at the black one thrubinocular's, and it's nose is scratched & bloody. I'm in hopes that it got caught on a branch and not scratched by the rabbit it was chasing.

The wild rabbits really have no actual fear of any of us. They know they're safe. We can walk outside and the rabbits just sit right there, as we talk to them...sometimes, a mere 2 feet from us.

No, I've never attempted to hand feed them. Makes them too easy of a target for "hunters".

btw...I have a nature sounds monitor outside & have the speaker up almost full tilt, right beside me, so I can hear if the trap snaps shut, or any out of the norm noise. It has come in SOOOOO handy, so MANY times. Ducks are a VERY good "watch dog" & especially when they have their babies with them. Needless to say, I know what each of their sounds mean. They have a certain sound when they're trying to fend off intruders. Themale ducks & the females w/o babieshave learned to leave the domestic rabbits alone, but...oh, the carrying on when those rabbits get too close to the Mom's with their babies. LOL! What a sight! The Mom's tell their babies to get in the pond & STAY there, while they gather around one of the rabbits. It's not long & the rabbit is off like a rocket!
 
oh that poor black one has been in a scuffle...i hope hes ok...
i agree with you on the hand feeding thing...people dont realize that they will start trusting the "wrong" person.

what a neat story about the ducks..i had no idea they were like that...i have always luved ducks they are so beautiful...
ive heard of bad things with those traps..like legs getting caught in em....or other body parts that werent out of the way when it slammed shut...
 
Well, my neighbor got an apple and some cookies. :)

On my way back home, I saw "Blackie" sittin' under a shrub, soooo...I broke off some pieces of cookie & tossed 'em at him I even hit him with one. He just sat there, leaned over & gave it a sniff & hopped off. LOL!

I came in the house..cut some apple up...went back out & there he was. SOOOOOOOooo...I tossed him the 4 little pieces of apple...he watched each one land..one landed right in front of his face. He picked one up..nibbled it for a little while & looked at me. I told him: "If you think I'm gonna peel that for ya, ya got another think coming!" He dropped that piece & hopped off & stopped about 25 feet away. I picked up the pieces of apple...got within 10' of him & tossed 'em to him, again. He hopped off. LOL, though really not FUNNY, funny.

Is it normal for a domestic to kick their back legs up in the air at times when they hop? It reminds me of a bucking bronco. BOTH of these rabbits do that.

Well, with all the wild critters out here, I'm not gonna leave the trap baited & in the open. I'll put it in the garage for the night. No sense indrawing anymore critters than is already out here.

I'm callin' it a day. MAYBE, tomorrow I'll catch at least one of 'em.

The brown one has gotten closer to the house, today. It's gettin' braver.

I'll keep ya's posted.

Thanks again to all of you's.

btw...I've used live traps for MANY, many years & so far so good on accidents. There hasn't been a one!

I've even turned skunks loose w/o gettin' sprayed. LOL!

Goodnight all!
 
LOL the kicking is what we call "binkying", and it's a sign of happiness. It sounds like these buns are true troublemakers and know that you're trying to catch them but don't want to be caught! They're saying "nah nah nah, you didn't catch me!" as they run away.
:laugh:
 
those are some happy buns!!that made me giggle too!

i know NOTHING about traps but it sounds like u do...heres to some good luck tomorrow!!
 
Have you contacted the Buckeye HRS for help? I've found them to be a pretty responsive group:

http://www.ohare.org/
 
Goodness...i hope you are able to eventually catch the two bunnies..
 
slavetoabunny wrote:
Have you contacted the Buckeye HRS for help? I've found them to be a pretty responsive group:

http://www.ohare.org/
Click to expand...
Just wanted to ditto this. I contacted the Columbus HRS and a member came to my house to help me bond my rabbits. She only asked for $5 for gas. They were so helpful. I have contacted them several times for assistance with things. All of the volunteers are really nice and really have the rabbits best interest in mind.
 
Got any updates? Also, maybe they would be more likely to go into the trap at night because they'd feel safer in the darkness? Rabbits are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and sunset.
 
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