WILD RABBITS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3083, 14 May 1881, Page 2

WILD RABBITS.

[To the Editor of the Daily Tblbobash.J Sib,—l was a settler at Wairarapa. I had as nice a place as any man would wish to have. I had to give it up on account of the wild rabbits, and lost' all I had, the labour of many years. lam not the only one who has suffered, nor by very many the only one who will suffer. In my opinion wild rabbits are increasing instead of decreasing. I see by your paper the Wainui settlers have asked for something to be done, and quite time too. I rode up tbe coast, on the other side of Ohanga river; the place ia crowded with wild rabbits, and Ohanga is but eighteen miles from Wainui, a very short distance for rabbits no travel, and if not checked must soon be here, as they get across rivers without any difficulty. I know this, a rabbit will beat a dog crossing a river, for I have seen them cross faster than any dog could. As I have said I held a place of my own in Wairarapa ; in three years after wild rabbits came upon me and I lost all I had, full £400, and now I am an unsettled man. I could mention many by name who have had good comfortable homes, but who have not been able to fight against these wretches, and are in as bad a state as I am, ruined men. To say that rabbits find work for a lot of men is folly. For ten men employed rabbit ki'liog twenty could be found better employment in improving a place. Improvements bring some return ; wild rabbits bring desolation; it is not what they eat, but what they soil. I say this, Mr Editor, if the Hawke's Bay settlers don't take steps to keep wild rabbits away as long as they can (and eighteen miles is no distance) they will bitterly regret their careleesness, and curse their folly. Rabbits can I think be kept down if taken in [time ; but if left to become numerous along the coast they will bring ruin to Hawke's Bay as they have done to Wairarapa. Myself and mate have caught as many as 350 in a day with do°s and no gun; our average was 200 a day. As to poisoning, rabbits don't care for poisoned grain as long as they have good grass, so when it comes to poisoning good-bye to keeping sheep or growing grain. Now this is clear; no large or email holder can stand this, as it is said four rabbits eat as much as one and I bave taken as many as twenty-five out of a single burrow. Others bave taken more, but this is what I have done. What I here state 1 am prepared to repeat to any one. I have had a talk with some of the Porangahau settlers expressing surprise at nothing being done to save themselves from the inroad of these animals. Some tell me the Rabbit Commissioners have from rabbit assessments £700 in hand; if so, why don't they do something ? Of what use keeping the money until rabbits are in the place, and the Wainui settlers ruined ? When rabbits get numerous dogs soon sicken hunting them. {Hoping you will find room for this,—l am, &c, John Dbiscoll. Porangahau, May, 12, 1881.