The New Huntmastersbbs!: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease

This is topic Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in forum Predator forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://www.huntmastersbbs.com/cgi-bin/cgi-ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001679

Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on May 04, 2020, 04:53 AM:

As if years of drought haven't been enough, now we seem to have a really bad rabbit virus here in the South West.
Took a scouting / roving shooting / hike yesterday and found a bunch of dead jacks & a dead cottontail.
Does not bode well for future predator populations.

[Frown]

Posted by tedo (Member # 4320) on May 04, 2020, 07:31 AM:

I have noticed a lack of Jack Rabbits around the local area, use to count on seeing 20-30 in the evening riding around in the Jeep, of late its been maybe 5-6. Still seeing lots of cottontails.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on May 05, 2020, 06:35 AM:

Jacks have a great personality. We need more, not less!

I remember one time, summertime, way over 100 degrees and I got out to open a gate. As I pushed it open, on the far side of the railroad tie upright; a big jack was sitting in the shade made by the post. Truck drove through and I went to close the gate, walking back towards where he was. He of course saw me, was alert, but in no hurry to abandon his cool location, just a couple feet away from me.

I set up a stand one time and had set my caller the standard 50 feet away and after a while, I turned it on. There was a big patch of Prickly Pear Cactus off to my right and I saw some movement. A big white Antelope Jack was crawling out of his warren and was using the "leaves" of the cactus as steps on a ladder and he got at least 4 feet off the ground and was stretching and peering over the top to get a better look at whatever was making all that noise. He stayed there for a while but I don't remember what he did next because I had a coyote rolling in from another quadrant.

But, the point is, most times you see a jack, they are just running away and you don't see them moving around, normal, like most other critters. Who knows? Maybe he did this every day; climbing to the top of his "lookout"? They are just like us, more or less, but curious.

I don't know? This talk of walking around and stumbling over dead rabbits. I have alway wondered why I have never found a dead coyote, died of natural causes while wandering around in the weeds. Where do they go to peacefully pass away? I only know what they look like on the side of the road.

That's another thing! I've personally never mowed down a coyote as it crossed the road with his head up his ass. But, I did kill one intentionally, the was running down the pavement, in front of me. I just ate him up, thump! thump! when I stopped and backed up, he wasn't dead....yet. Kinda mean, huh? [Smile]

Good hunting. El Bee

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.0