Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: Jolten on May 27, 2020, 09:07:42 PM

Title: Bunnies galore
Post by: Jolten on May 27, 2020, 09:07:42 PM: So someone in my area released a bunch of 4h rabbits. They've bred themselves to the point that at least 2/week are ran over (buglebuster can attest to the amount of rabbits) and there's several cars slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting them. I've reached out to wdfw to inquire if it's legal to hunt them with a pellet gun. As I'm within city limits or if I need to trap and relocate them.

If I'm required to trap them and relocate did anyone want one as an edible pet? Preferably within the Yakima area.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 06:45:01 AM: What makes you think they’re 4-h rabbits?
They’re unclassified wildlife. Please kill them.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: bearpaw on May 28, 2020, 07:47:09 AM: Not protected, but I would contact the city to see what methods are legal to employ within the city limits, you don't want to be pasted on the front page of the newspaper portrayed as a crazy rabbit killer!
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: JJB11B on May 28, 2020, 09:54:03 AM: Joe Exotic plastered pics of Carole Baskins people killing rabbits everywhere! :sry:
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: Jolten on May 28, 2020, 11:53:32 AM: Quote from: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 06:45:01 AM
What makes you think they’re 4-h rabbits?
They’re unclassified wildlife. Please kill them.

Long earred short haired, roughly 5-6 pounds. They started out not afraid of people and walked right up to you or in your house. Always wanted to be scratched.

Wdfw advised they are considered unclassified but to reach out to local authorities on removing. And if trapped your not allowed to release them elsewhere.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 12:02:06 PM: Quote from: Jolten on May 28, 2020, 11:53:32 AM
Quote from: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 06:45:01 AM
What makes you think they’re 4-h rabbits?
They’re unclassified wildlife. Please kill them.

Long earred short haired, roughly 5-6 pounds. They started out not afraid of people and walked right up to you or in your house. Always wanted to be scratched.

Wdfw advised they are considered unclassified but to reach out to local authorities on removing. And if trapped your not allowed to release them elsewhere.

So they're domestic feral rabbits. Someone probably dumped them and they bred, well... like bunnies. Rabbits will breed whenever and can produce a litter almost every 30 days year round.
When you said they were 4-H rabbits, I thought you knew that a 4-H kid dumped them or something. Likely not a 4-H'er. Probably someone bought some pet rabbits and decided they didn't want them.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: Karl Blanchard on May 28, 2020, 12:07:47 PM: :yeah: the amount of people trying to raise chickens, goats, rabbits, etc right now to be more rona self sufficient is staggering. Lots didnt realize animals are work I think and are trying to get out of them. 4-H kids work hard to raise their animals and likely wouldnt just kick em out. Them west valley 4-H'ers though......shady bunch :chuckle:
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: JJB11B on May 28, 2020, 12:12:47 PM: should be able to pick up more layers pretty easy soon! trying to round out my own self sufficient food stuff. Garden is nice this year, its amazing the difference a year makes. I've got 2 pastures cleaned up nicely and just need to fence off the 3 new trees in my front pasture and string hot wire for goats and steers.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: CP on May 28, 2020, 01:44:45 PM
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: Jolten on May 28, 2020, 02:14:34 PM: They're all about this size. Not sure of breed, I've only ever heard them called 4h rabbits.

@Karl I hear the west valley ones are from a coke driver
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 02:42:00 PM: 10-4

Most 4-H kids I know would never dump their rabbits...Most of them would eat them before they dump them. More than likely the ones you're seeing are mutt rabbits because they've bred with the first rabbit they see that has a heartbeat and is of the opposite sex.
They should be killed/culled. They're disease spreaders and they'll continue to mass produce left and right and you'll have a bazillion of them in no time. They'd probably be good eating, but not as good as the rabbits that the 4-h kids are raising.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: gaddy on May 28, 2020, 03:52:55 PM: Sounds like what happened in Woodland park late 60's, early 70's. Rabbits of every kind, color, every where. Alot of them weren't shy.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 04:25:02 PM: Quote from: gaddy on May 28, 2020, 03:52:55 PM
Sounds like what happened in Woodland park late 60's, early 70's. Rabbits of every kind, color, every where. Alot of them weren't shy.

It happens all over the place. Last spring/early summer a virus went through a lot of the San Juans and Whidbey Island killing lots of the ferals. It killed a few of the owned rabbits out there as well. Cancelled some shows and 4-H events because of it. Same thing happened up on Vancouver Island 2 years ago. It's now happening down in the southwest part of the country but this time it's affecting the wild cottontails and jackrabbits too. That's going to be bad long term. The strain we had here was manageable because it wasn't affecting the wild cottontails. WSDA put a quarantine on the islands and it worked, at least for now. They were actually checking on the ferry docks to make sure no domestic rabbits were coming or leaving the San Juans or Whidbey. I heard it killed all the feral domestic(European) rabbits at Fort Casey.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: Encore 280 on May 28, 2020, 06:33:23 PM: The title sounded like the name of a character in a James Bond flick so I had to check it out. :chuckle: Then I remembered it wasn't Bunny. :sry:
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: MeatMissile on June 30, 2020, 02:16:12 AM: Coyote bait! Trap and take a drive to the country. Should keep the focus off you.
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: Jingles on June 30, 2020, 04:53:08 AM: Picture almost looks like it is Flemish Giant breed however size can be deceiving due to the size of the person holding the rabbit
Title: Re: Bunnies galore
Post by: Special T on June 30, 2020, 06:10:11 AM: Quote from: jackelope on May 28, 2020, 04:25:02 PM
Quote from: gaddy on May 28, 2020, 03:52:55 PM
Sounds like what happened in Woodland park late 60's, early 70's. Rabbits of every kind, color, every where. Alot of them weren't shy.

It happens all over the place. Last spring/early summer a virus went through a lot of the San Juans and Whidbey Island killing lots of the ferals. It killed a few of the owned rabbits out there as well. Cancelled some shows and 4-H events because of it. Same thing happened up on Vancouver Island 2 years ago. It's now happening down in the southwest part of the country but this time it's affecting the wild cottontails and jackrabbits too. That's going to be bad long term. The strain we had here was manageable because it wasn't affecting the wild cottontails. WSDA put a quarantine on the islands and it worked, at least for now. They were actually checking on the ferry docks to make sure no domestic rabbits were coming or leaving the San Juans or Whidbey. I heard it killed all the feral domestic(European) rabbits at Fort Casey.
Bet that will put a crimp onnyhe Fox population out on San Juan...

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