Tony, my container tree’s are fence protected, not much troubles from deer. raccoons, possum,squirls different story.
now you have just GOT to get us some pics of this! 
i hunted my cousins 90 acres in central MO last year. they don’t hunt so the deer were easy pickings. we harvested 8 and hauled them back to maine frozen in my freezer in the truck.
I’m looking at the Bluejay in that photo. They are such pretty birds but man are they mean!!! I have personally witnessed them going to another birds nest and just kicking the eggs out! Not even sure why, but I know for a fact they do this. They also fly into other birds, chase smaller birds out of bird feeders, and make the loudest scream of almost any bird I know exept maybe hawks. And if you get near their nests they won’t just swoop TOWARD you like some birds will do, blue jays will absolutely hit you on the head mid-flight. No doubt about it, blue jays are the mean bullies of the backyards where I live!
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They are just like humans, they kill, steal, you name it, they even start wars if individual killings are not enough. Nature does some crazy things.
It’s all part of.
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Need to get the jays to attack the deer
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@thecityman
This is not the bunny that was in my yard- I only have a camera phone and it was too distant for a good shot. But, here is what it looked like. Some of the pics online have the growths on their necks, out of their eyes, all over the head. The one I saw just had it between the ears. We shot it with a pellet gun, which didn’t kill it. I haven’t seen it since though, I’m hoping it doesn’t come back.
The virus is called shope papilloma virus, Google has told me.
Another one just because
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hmmm… I don’t know if I should thank you for those photos or not! hahaha. No, I am glad you posted them because I was having a really hard time imagining what you described, and (unfortunately! ha) now I get it. WOW that is so strange and pretty gross. You know, for a thread that started off as basically an encouragement for folks to eat the various critters found in our orchards/gardens, this one sure took a strange turn! hahaha. We’ve had photos and discussions of various parasites and worms and now this! I fear this discussion has done more to scare people out of eating small game than it has to encourage it!!! oh well, hopefully people will keep in mind that all these are pretty rare conditions and are easily spotted. SO I still advocate consumption of most small game (I had squirrel dumplings just this weekend and they were AMAZING) but to each his/her own! Thanks again for the unusual pics, @Katie_didnt_Z4b
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I know, I was thinking that as I posted! I hope it’s not too discouraging. Theres bunnies all over around here and this is the first one I have ever seen with this problem. I saw it today again, in fact, hopping through the yard. It looks worse off than it did before. I feel bad for it, but, nature does what nature does. I’ll be checking any bunnies we catch in the future for any of these lovely issues we have discussed, but if they’re healthy looking I’ll still be eating them, myself.
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never seen that on the snowshoe hares up here. poor rabbits! id shoot it just to end its misery then compost it! 
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I tried to shoot it but apparently the bb gun was too wimpy 
it made the rabbit jump but that’s it!! Now that theres deep snow I’ll try the trap again with some fresh greens…it hasnt been interested in the carrots I put in before
poor thing probably can’t eat anymore.
The one I have here has a growth on the top of the head and now onto the left ear. The one ear droops down and theres a single horn type growth on the very top of the head. It looks kind of sad and pathetic but it is still able to eat for now.
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Have you seen it since you shot it? I, too, have an air pellet gun that I sometimes use because it is quieter. Usually, when I shoot a rabbit with it I can actually hear the pellet hit, then see the rabbit jump, then run off looking fine. But usually he goes off and dies- I find him (or what’s left after coyotes are done) in a few days. Anyway, just something to consider. You may have already put him out of his misery.
Yep I saw it today, it’s been a while since I shot it. It was hopping on out of the yard. Probably looking for grub as all the clover is covered with snow now.
i prefer the .22 with subsonic bullets. more powerful than a pellet gun but doesn’t emit the crack a super sonic .22 bullet will make. my neighbors have never complained when I’m shooting squirrels out of my pines.
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I had no idea they made those, thanks for mentioning. I have a 12 gauge I will probably try this out with.
They’re called cb 22 shorts. I get them at the sporting goods store like Bass Pro. I couldn’t find them at the Meijer’s or Walmarts. My Remington pellet gun is louder than that. I use the cb’s to kill woodchucks.
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they also make .22 long rifle subsonic rounds. same case length so it will chamber in all .22’s , just less powder. about the same velocity as a .22 short.
Any idea if they pack enough punch to cycle a semi-auto properly? Might have try these in my 10-22