Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Astro and Zsa Zsa finally caught a rabbit today. It was partially blind in one eye from mixo, so I am glad they got it. They didn't harm it at all. It's not what my dogs are bred for, they are designed just to find it, retrieve it and give it to you untouched. I am the one who is supposed to do the killing for them. But this Rabbit, was at a distinct disadvantage. The poor thing could not see properly out of his left eye, so the dogs had an easier time getting hold of it.

Zsa Zsa arrived at the rabbit first and grabbed it by the back of the neck and started heading towards me with it. It wriggled in her mouth and gave her a surprise, so she dropped it. Astro was Johnny on the spot and scooped it up and started heading back to me. The rabbit wriggled again and Astro dropped it, only to quickly pick it back up and bring it to me. He dropped it at my feet and the rabbit got up and tried to take off again, only to have Zsa Zsa pin it to the ground for me. Once I put my hand on it, she let it go. I then ended it's life swiftly and as painlessly as possible with the tools at my disposal. It avoided a long slow death from Mixo anyways. I am not big on killing anything, did too much of it as a kid on a farm. But, sometimes, it is the right thing to do. No different I guess to not throwing carp back into the river.

Strika wrote:I then ended it's life swiftly and as painlessly as possible with the tools at my disposal.

Bare hands?

Wasn't anything else around unfortunately. Not even a post??? Lucky I grew up on a farm, otherwise I would have had to drive to the vet to get it done But all in all, it's not something which I gain anything but disgust for. I really detest having to do it. But, the alternative for the Rabbit is much worse. Plus, the realities are, every wild bunny caught should be eradicated.

DUCK SEASON

Strika wrote:I really detest having to do it. But, the alternative for the Rabbit is much worse.

I know a guy who catches rabbits with ferrets. He eats the rabbits and uses their pelts for all sorts of things. He's a big guy and makes the stretch and pop look very, very easy. Glad I'm not a rabbit!

Strika wrote: the realities are, every wild bunny caught should be eradicated.

I know this will sound stupid but having rabbits are keeping other small native animals alive. The rabbits are a source of food for feral animals (foxes, dogs and cats). The research has shown that when you remove the rabbit population native animals are increasingly killed, having said that it would be ideal to have all feral animals eradicated

Glad you found the rabbit and not I. Not sure I could do it with the bare hands, when my dogs got a chook and literally licked it to near death it took me two goes with an axe to kill it. Somehow I don't think I would have made it as a hitman

Naked Twin wrote:

Strika wrote: the realities are, every wild bunny caught should be eradicated.

I know this will sound stupid but having rabbits are keeping other small native animals alive. The rabbits are a source of food for feral animals (foxes, dogs and cats). The research has shown that when you remove the rabbit population native animals are increasingly killed, having said that it would be ideal to have all feral animals eradicated

Glad you found the rabbit and not I. Not sure I could do it with the bare hands, when my dogs got a chook and literally licked it to near death it took me two goes with an axe to kill it. Somehow I don't think I would have made it as a hitman

The beauty about research is that you can just about find anything to back your statement. Other research claims that the rabbit is too fast and it is far easier for foxes, dogs and cats to catch native slower animals. The native carnivores also can not compete with teh foxes etc and can't catch rabbits so they too suffer. The eradication of rabbits would not make too much difference to the native population.

+1

rabbits do a whole lot of damage via destruction of habitat via digging as well.

ZXR750 wrote:

Naked Twin wrote:

Strika wrote: the realities are, every wild bunny caught should be eradicated.

I know this will sound stupid but having rabbits are keeping other small native animals alive. The rabbits are a source of food for feral animals (foxes, dogs and cats). The research has shown that when you remove the rabbit population native animals are increasingly killed, having said that it would be ideal to have all feral animals eradicated

Glad you found the rabbit and not I. Not sure I could do it with the bare hands, when my dogs got a chook and literally licked it to near death it took me two goes with an axe to kill it. Somehow I don't think I would have made it as a hitman

The beauty about research is that you can just about find anything to back your statement. Other research claims that the rabbit is too fast and it is far easier for foxes, dogs and cats to catch native slower animals. The native carnivores also can not compete with teh foxes etc and can't catch rabbits so they too suffer. The eradication of rabbits would not make too much difference to the native population.

Well you can take that up with the wife who has a degree in science majoring in zoology. It would be ideal to have all non native animals eradicated