Trapping a rabbit?

[Bunnykinz]

In our back woods I have been seeing rabbit tracks in the snow. The thing is, we don't normally have wild rabbits like cottontails in our area. A week ago our neighbor saw a white rabbit. We think a domestic rabbit may have been dumped. I have a Have a Heart type trap. Should I try and catch it? If I should what are some good hints?:dunno

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I honestly am not sure about a trap. I know one of our Mods caught one of her's by using a fishing net. Took her like 3 weeks of going out looking for him, but she got him! This time of year where you are isn't good for a domestic bun, hope it's ok....
Let us know if you find out anything..Poor thing.

 

[Flash Gordon]

ive used a net for more buns that i can count..never used a trap..ive heard bad things about em..like are u gonna be right there to grab the trap when it happens?> cuz leaving a bun out in the cold ,not being able to find shelter when cold or run from a wild animal cuz its stuck in a trap ..is prob a bad way to die...is it the kind that wont trap a leg on accident?..cuz if not dont use it...ive got all kinds of suggestions for catching them with a net but u havent seen this bun yet have u?....i guess if u think about it ..this bun wont survive out there...maybe ur trap is the only way ...im glad ur gonna try and do something for the little guy..

 

[Bunnykinz]

Ok....could you possibly give me some hints for trying the net method? I am not sure it will work, since I've never actually *seen* him, but it's worth a try.

 

[Flash Gordon]

its kinda tough to give advice if ur not sure how close u can get with this guy...but basics...2 people ,a long handled net,(ive used smaller handled which is wayyy easier to maneuver but u gotta be close) ..not sure how hungry this guy is but ur best time to catch him is obviously dawn or dusk and when u first feed him ..he will be ravenous they tend to get distracted by food when its first given to them.after hes got his belly full ur not gonna catch him....best thing is oats cuz their small and they have to forage for them .,,which makes them very distracted trying to gobble them up...i use vanilla wafer cookies too ..not the round ones the wafer ones..they LOVE them...u need somebody in front of him tossing oats and net person behind .the rest is pretty obvious..but if u miss ur gonna make him very standoffish for another try....ive done this so many times..and had to get the bun used to me being in his space all over again...it is a very long process at times depending on the bunny...some i could sneak up on no prob and even grab them with my hands...but others have taken me weeks to even be able to get within range of them...u need to meet this bunny first and tell me how he reacts to u being in his space...shoot he might even take food from ur hand ...whatever u do when u catch him and he FREAKS this is the hardest part for me ..DONT LET GO...!!the first thing ur gonna wanna do is release cuz its scary catching a bunny that doesnt wanna be caught...but as soon as u tuck him into ur body wether its in the net or whatever he will calm down instantly.u dont wanna leave him dangling and fighting in the net anyways he will hurt himself..so however u get him hug him to ur body or to the ground quickly...and he will relax...if hes in the net dont remove him from the net until ur in a closed in area (house,car) cuz hell get free quicker then u can even blink..u have no idea how many ive caught and lost......only to find their bodies dead the next day......its gut wrenching ..but when i do catch one of the boogers man oh man its worth all the late nights and sitting in the hot sun all day trying to tempt a bunny into a net...i cry the whole way home when i catch one..its a great cry too..hehe

 

[Flash Gordon]

if u wanna read some of the stories about us catching bunnies check out my blog ..ive kept a couple ive caught cuz well they gave me that "up ears" smile ...u know the one.

 

[Bunnykinz]

Thanks! I will keep observing and go out a couple of times at dawn and dusk to see if I can happen to spot him. Might be kinda hard because according to our neighbor he's white! Maybe I'll scatter some oats out there and keep an eye on the tracks to see if it's him.:nod

 

[Nancy McClelland]

If you catch an episode of "Billie the Exterminator", he uses a "no harm" trap as he releases everything they catch.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

What awesome insight Flash! I love it.
Thanks for your input on that.

 

[tonyshuman]

I think the concern with the no harm traps is that a predator can get at them while they're trapped in there if you can't get them back out quickly. It would be good to check on the trap hourly (from a distance, so the bun doesn't see you) and take it back inside if you can't watch it. I would try at dawn and dusk, and bait the trap with fresh toast (smells good to bunnies)--try not to let the bunny eat much toast as it is not good for them--and carrots, apples, or veggies.

 

[maxysmummy]

hi guys, i'm in a similar predicament.

my friend luisa has found

this little fella in her boyfriends front yard.

on thursday i'm going to go with her to try and catch him and his friends (luisa thinks there are more than one)

i have a few questions for yo

i'm not sure if shes convinced that catching him is the best idea, how can i solidify in her mind we are doing the right thing

and

what sort of kit do we need?

so far i have:
- pet carrier
- towels
- cardboard boxes
- pellets
- hay
and i asked her to get a net

 

[Bunnykinz]

Aw poor thing! Good luck catching him! I am am trying the oats part to see if he is still around. Fresh snow will help with the tracks part!

 

[tonyshuman]

It's great that you want to catch them. If you want a reason, look at the feral rabbit situation at the University of Victoria in BC, Canada. A few pet bunnies were set free there and over the years more have come and the population has boomed from births. The bunnies frequently have diseases and lead very harsh lives. They are being removed from the campus, mostly by the tireless effort of a few volunteers that have gotten sanctuary homes for them. Biggest reasons are to stop a feral population from occurring, prevent disease spread, and keep the bunnies safe from predators (including domestic dogs and cats).

Another note to all: If you can't catch them, the Humane Society, SPCA, or Animal Control often has an obligation to catch any animals "at large" or "running loose" as they can pose a potential harm to themselves and others. If you call them they can catch the animal and take it. Often if you want to keep it they let the "finders" have first crack at adoption, but of course they may not allow it to be adopted back out depending on the animal's health or local laws.

 

[Flash Gordon]

most bunnies that are dumped in the streets will not survive because of starvation,predators,cars,mean uncaring people,.
there is def a prob with an overabundance of them at UVIC but think of all the ones that didnt make it there ,i guarantee they didnt die peacefully...
life on the streets for a bun is horrible...never knowing if there gonna have a meal ...or wether a dog will get them..they dont have proper shelter to hide from predators...
when i started catching them at our local park...i got to know alot of them...i would go everyday and feed them to get them used to my presence....sometimes id go to feed them and find one of my favorite bunnies lifeless body behind a bush...brutally killed. i wont go into detail. ...,but the streets is NOT where a domestic rabbit belongs!
they also dont have the proper coloring to blend in with the foliage,like a wild cottontail does.the bunnies that i would try and catch first at the park were the white ones...cuz even when they hid ...they werent really hidden ,,those were the first that i would find dead or missing..the agouti colored ones seemed to last a little longer...there is not one good reason to leave a domestic rabbit in the wild to fend for himself...not one.

you need a net...and u need junk food to lure them in...read my post up above..ive tried every technique possible..and ive learned so much by trial and error...so hopefully u can get some ideas from my post..

also i never stated on the post above..i had to do all of this catching without anybody knowing...cuz its an historical park and private property,,they called the cops on us for catching them..so i had to HIDE EVERYTHING from the security that patrolled the park all day ....yea buns are hard to catch to begin with ....now i gotta do it with a net tucked under my shirt...do u know how many times i almost had one and here comes Barney Fife ....:twitch:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray: