Really? I’m very fond of rabbit stew but I’m guessing part of that is because I haven’t had it in ages. Then there is the flavor enhancing of ‘this dish thought it was going to eat my orchard’.
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We are decimating the rabbits. Cut the grass short which allows all their predators to easily find them. My dogs are very good at their work now and they never get tired of trying to catch them. In the evening they go out 3 or 4 times on patrol after dark.
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Bumping this thread after my own recent problems. Anyone have any good fencing solutions? My tree guards (which are 2 feet tall) did not work. Thinking of building 3’x3’ (or 4’x4’) screens with chicken wire and making little enclosures around each tree. Thoughts?
I’ve also seen those pre-fabricated fences (although those can get pricey). Anyone had success with those?
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3.5 feet of chicken wires around my trees works great.
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Yes and your here in rabbit country where the rabbits check our trees daily. One low hanging apple branch gets outside a guard after snow and its gone.
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Do they ever get under it? I was thinking of attaching it to a 2’x6’ piece of wood and digging a trench so there’s no way to get under the bottom portion.
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I dug 2 inches of dirt deep and placed that chicken wires ring in it and covered with the dirt. Pretty solid. So far nothing got in yet.
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I really wish i would have went 3.5 feet. I did 32 inch window screen. Its been enough until this year, the snow is piling up though so I did a check of my orchard tonight and out of almost 30 trees over 20 have damage, snow is over a ft deep so the little suckers can reach over my gaurds. This is after having friends come over and hunt them, we killed over 30 of them last weekend. I have 2 asain pears and a bartlet that are 50 to 70% girdled. 4 year old trees so hopefully they can grow out of it. I wish i didnt let my first trees branch at 3ft and pruned them up to 4ft. If i took the limbs off now it might be too much for the tree.
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Sorry to hear that. I lost 60% of my trees (completely girdled) last week and I was so upset at those shits I barely slept. I am installing 40 inch fencing now around each tree, like this: https://a.co/d/eko9dKE (we can’t have chicken wire so I have to consider looks). But, May go even higher after your comment.
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I am also fencing my entire orchard with black plastic coated wire mesh. So, hopefully between the two that’ll keep them out.
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Yea its pretty stressful when you wait so long for something to start fruiting and something starts the waiting process over. I probably should have it all figured out when it comes to protecting trees by now being 4 growing seasons in, but still get caught off gaurd. First year i went with 4ft tall 2x4 inch wire cages for rabbits and deer, only to find the rabbits push their way through the 2x4 inch wire when they got hungry enough… Last couple years i also had the 32 inch gaurds inside that which solved my problem until this year with all the snow.
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Someone has decided to let their jet black pet rabbit free range the neighborhood and it seems to prefer our yard. Mr Bunny may become part of a disappearing act…
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I’ve had two cottontails that keep returning to my yard every night. They have done their damage already, but I grow tired of their urine and droppings everywhere. I finally connected with someone for some aggressive trapping and I’ve had some success and going for more!
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Success with my live trap again last night… for bait some celery greens and carrots.
Rabbits going down… Spinach coming up.
TNHunter
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It was low light in this photo because this rabbit is mostly nocturnal to avoid my dogs as much as possible. .
In this photo a security light exposes this cottontail
This photo is blurry because it catches a rabbit on a dead run. Notice the unique way they run with the back legs way up as they bound forward landing on front legs only.
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Cottontail love autumn olive so i cut them some brush and leave them some. The next snow is already starting. When it snows the cottontail is my enemy because that is when he goes in search of something to eat and my trees are on his menu. It comes down to what a rabbits favorite food is which is apples, elms, autumn olive, cherry etc. Not pears.
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This is about 30 minutes later the rabbits are moving already as the accumulation begins. Thankfully it is to warm to be devastating so more than half of what is falling is coming as rain.
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Smart.
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This is a few minutes ago and as you can see im using night shot. There is no doubt they will be all over those branches by morning. Will take photos to show you.
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Looks like mud in the foreground, is that shadow or something?
Hope you weather the storm without incident.
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