RABBIT DESTRUCTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 6

RABBIT DESTRUCTION

Sir,—“ Munroe’s Gully-ite ” say» he has read my letters, and I have not gjyen one hint as to how to catch rabbits. Possibly he did not notice the one where I said “ there is only one known way to eliminate the rabbit pest; that is, by poison and the preservation of the natural enemy; also digging out burrows and destroying cover.” He goes on to say a letter submitted by " Facts ” was the best submitted from a rabbiter’s pom. of view. With that statement I certainly agree, as he, being a rabbiter, is only concerned about his living, and to better that he requires an ever-increasing supply of rabbits. As an illustration that cannot be disputed, look at the ground in the Evans Flat district, where professional rabbiters have been employed, using traps and killing every stoat and ferret they could get their hands on. Compare this with the ground over the Big Hill, where the use of strychnine poison and the preservation of the natural enemy has been in operation. The best time to kill rabbits is between May and September, not in the breeding season, as advocated by people with no experience. At the commencement of the frost in May, start baiting with carrots or turnips; if the ground is grassed a furrow will be necessary; if eaten bare, no furrow' will be needed. Follow Uie same route each day. A lot of failures with strychnine are brought about by insufficient baiting—” don’t spare the bait.’’ When the bait is all cleaned up every morning—in some cases it will probably take about three weeks—then it is time for the poison. Select a frosty, night if at all possible. Care should be taken, as loz of strychnine will poison about 3500 rabbits, and if too much is applied the rabbit will not take the oait ( consequently another failure. In the winter, digging out burrows after a good poison is recommended. A small pack of dogs will be necessary. Take the gullies separately, dig all burrows containing rabbits, if possible, if not possible, securely dig in the entrance ana seal them up. The pack should contain about two terriers, and, say. three other dogs. All dogs must be kept well In hand Carcasses of rabbits should be left lying about as this encourages the natural enemy to stay in the area, and in the spring the rabbits that have been missed the ferret will dejfl with the nest and the stoat wdth the "doe. This should apply to ordinary farm land in first and second class; in Central Otago and other districts of that nature strychnine poison and the natural enemy are the only known remedy. The lifting of the protection on these animals and the marketing of tons of their skins has obviously proved disastrous in this area; consequently the alarming increase in the rabbit population. The sooner trapping is prohibited the better. It has been in operation now for over 60 years, and to my knowledge cannot claim one success. There is a strange phenomena that nobody seems to -be able to explain in reference to the rabbit, and I think should lend an opening for extensive scientific investigation. In certain’ areas -at different times over anything from a few hundred acres to probably a whole district containing thousands of acres, the rabbit will almost completely disappear for a number of years. You will probably see a few adult rabbits, but no young; then suddenly they will reappear stronger than before. The foregoing is the result ’of over 50 years’ expedience and careful observation in different parts of Otago and Southland. In Otago before the advent of the stoat any stack of grain left to the spring would be almost ruined with rats. I have seen over 70 adult rats killed in one stack; not so since the introduction of the stoat—l am, etc., R. C. Read. • Lawrence.