Cage trap bait for rabbits?

[jamie18thmo]

Hi All,
I'm trying to eradicate rabbits from an area as part of my work with the NZ Department of Conservation.
I used to catch them in cage traps in the UK with slices of carrot, but so far I can't get them interested in anything down here!
I've read that salt is a good attractant, but haven't managed to chip a bit off a salt lick yet, to try it out.
Anyone out there got any advice?
Cheers,
Jamie

 

[Chris G]

Brussells Pate. Well it works for mice!

 

[stotRE]

Hi All,
I'm trying to eradicate rabbits from an area as part of my work with the NZ Department of Conservation.
I used to catch them in cage traps in the UK with slices of carrot, but so far I can't get them interested in anything down here!
I've read that salt is a good attractant, but haven't managed to chip a bit off a salt lick yet, to try it out.
Anyone out there got any advice?
Cheers,
Jamie

I would use nets and a ferret,traps are only effective if placed in a rabbit run and when i have used traps in the past i found it a bit hit and miss.

Nets and a ferret on the other hand are very effective at catching a large amount of rabbits

 

[British Red]

I would suggest long nets for rapid hunting or snares if you want to run a trapline.

All of that said to answer your question, anything in my fliiping veg patch!

See what they eat locally and try to mimic it is of course the best advice

Red

 

[pothunter]

A long forgotten method told to me by an old countryman many years ago and guaranteed to work buy him is as follows:

Take a house brick, the variety with a V in the top, place a generous amount of black pepper in the V and cover with fresh lettuce. Along comes Mr. Wabbit and as he enjoys the lettuce he will also get a nose full of pepper causing him to sneeze, upon doing so he will hit his head on the brick rendering him unconscious leaving you to collect up lots of rabbits.

We have a local wood where friends and myself took barrow loads of bricks, we were very young at the time.

Alternatively long netting as Red suggested.

Pothunter.

 

[jamie18thmo]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I've got certain restrictions in the methods I can use here. The eradication is within a mammal proof fence (even mouse proof!) which contains populations of critically endangered skinks (lizards), so taking a ferret in there isn't an option. Knowbody seems to do ferreting down here anyway. Too worried about TB I think.
We've removed most of the bunnies by one way or another and I'm now after the last few individuals and it's difficult getting a handle on exactly where they hang out. They seem quite different to UK rabbits that I've dealt with, probably because of the terrain and climate here and the cover they're using.
Dogs aren't allowed in the area for a while due to a recent poison operation, so I'm limited to gin traps (and a few other types) and sniping, but I'd like to persevere with the cage traps (to show the Kiwi's they do work, as they did when I did this sort of thing for English Nature in the UK).
I may try snares and/or long nets if I get a chance.
Thanks Chaps.
I'll keep you posted.
Cheers,
Jamie

 

[pothunter]

You could try long net and stinking them out or smoke its the only method I can think of that will allow you to get them above ground.

If poison has already been used in the area how about gasing.

 

[spamel]

When did you move down south? I didn't realise you'd been gone for a while, but seeing your post has made me realise I haven't seen you round for a while.

 

[moko]

I posted the same question a about year ago. Got loads of funny replies. One guy suggested using a personal attack alarm, shuv it down a hole making sure all but a couple of netted holes are blocked off and.........well Ive never tried it but it might work!

good luck

 

[redneck]

scent glands of a female rabbit, rub them on the inside of the trap, works only for males unfortunately but does get a bit of interest!

 

[Dingo]

try some dark choclate, i know it works well on 'Rodents' . get yourself down pack 'n' save or the warehouse aah mate where everyone gets a 'bargin'

loved it down there, wish i was back there especially with summer on the way.

enjoy yourself and have a good tramp round.

where abouts on the south island are you.?????

 

[jamie18thmo]

Hi All,
For those that asked:
I've been down here about 6 months now. Worked for a pest control company, chasing possums around the mountains and now work for the Department of Conservation in Coastal Otago, which is on the lower East coast of the South Island. It's all tussock and tors around here, with mountains in the distance. It's pretty awsome countryside and I've been settling in and haven't been on the forum much lately, but it's nice to be back!
Back to the rabbits:
I've finally managed to get one in a gin trap and one in a cage trap (woohoo!) but unfortunately the one in the cage trap (baited with a bit of cauliflower) was in the garden at the base here, not in the target area.
I've done some gassing using magtoxin but the problem with that method is that the skinks and the bunnies both like to live in amongst the rocks and I can't risk gassing any skinks! I think the alarm down the hole might freak the skinks out too, so I'd better not try that one! As the the choc, I think I'd end up eating it myself .
I'm toying with the idea of using a judas bunny in a very secure run, in the target area, to see if it attracts any other bunnies in the area out to say "hello" (assuming I can catch another one in a cage trap first ). Do you reckon this might work?
I'm trying a bit of sniping with our suppressed Remington 700 in .204 Ruger. A bit of an unusual calibre for rabbits, but we want to be sure that any hit anywhere from it should be a fatal hit, unlike a .22 or .22 Magnum.
It's definitely a "slowly, slowly, catchy monkey" job this, or should that be rabbit .
Keep the ideas and info coming chaps. All good stuff!
Cheers,
Jamie

 

[pothunter]

OK a bit of a long shot but how about an enclosure with pop-holes funneling in using good fresh hay as bait and a couple of live decoys either lose inside or again in large cages.

In my area their are many small holdings and Ive never seen rabbits show any interest in cut veg, having said that possibly carrot tops.

Interested to know how you get on with your Ruger .204, would you recommend it for Muntjac?

Good luck Pothunter.

 

[jamie18thmo]

Hi Pothunter/All,

Here's our Remington 700 setup with synthetic stock and stainles action and fluted stainless barrel, bipod, sound suppressor, and Leupold 4.5-14x50 scope in .204 Ruger calibre. It's a very nice bit of kit. I reckon it would be a good for Muntjac. The .204 Ruger is a small, fast, hard-hitting round that should be plenty capable of knocking down a muntjac at reasonable ranges without doing too much damage (if you know what I mean!). We use a ballistic (plastic) tip variety of ammo from Hornady.
I think my mate at work here came across the calibre from a US website, where people were talking of using it on Coyotes. We use it mostly for wildcats (one of the main predators of the skinks!).

[img=http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/1958/img0546sv4.th.jpg]

Cheers,
J