I think there are about 3 of them in a tiny hole near my hop plants. I doubt they'll eat the hops. The mother is in the area and has not abandoned them. What should I do?
Found some baby rabbits in my back yard. What should I do?
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MSweat
Well-Known Member
Mmm...rabbit stew.
2 pounds rabbit
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato puree, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups Guinness
2 cups largely diced carrots
Sprig of fresh thyme
2 pounds rabbit
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato puree, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups Guinness
2 cups largely diced carrots
Sprig of fresh thyme
Do not touch them (unless you are trying to get rid of them). If you touch the nest, the mother will abondon them. We had this happen multiple times, and based on advice from a local vet, ended up having to keep the babies in a box and feed them formula with a syringe until they could eat solids.
OP
OP
I already touched the nest yesterday but the mother has come back and reset the "camouflage".
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Could always find your local PETA TreeHuggers.
I had this happen once. I was cutting out a massive overgrowth of honey suckle using an old beat up lawnmower. Heard a chunk and then saw blood. I had apparently orphaned a nest of baby rabbits that day. 6 or 8 of them IIRC.
Found a county animal shelter and dropped them off.
I had this happen once. I was cutting out a massive overgrowth of honey suckle using an old beat up lawnmower. Heard a chunk and then saw blood. I had apparently orphaned a nest of baby rabbits that day. 6 or 8 of them IIRC.
Found a county animal shelter and dropped them off.
OP
OP
So far it's 2 for rabbit stew and 2 for leaving them alone. Ah, democracy.
A baby rabbit would be a PITA to clean, and you won't get much meat off of it! Now, the momma...........
I'd just leave them alone, unless you have an issue with them eating your garden. Rabbits eat our blueberry bushes, so we let our dog chase them out of the yard. Of course, then they just come back when the dog goes in the house.
I had a bunch of babies behind some potted tomato plants a couple of years ago. Man they were cute buggers.
Rabbit stew sounds really good tho.
Rabbit stew sounds really good tho.
put up a sign out front:
Rabbits for sale
Meat or Pets?
Rabbits for sale
Meat or Pets?
OP
OP
I dunno, the little pukes that live in the house behind ours shot an arrow into our yard a couple years back. This could be fun.
certaut
Well-Known Member
dip 'em in orange paint and use them for muskie bait
tallybrewer
Well-Known Member
dry "hop"? *grin*
I (or my dogs) uncover anywhere from 2-3 rabbit nests every year. Babies are disposed of. Shovel, pellet gun, or suffocation all work. I always cringe a little but we don't even have neighborhood cats in our neighborhood to take care of them and a couple of neighbors are not responsible about keeping their decks sealed up so they can't make homes for a bagillion rabbits and chipmonks.
Hence pellet gun target practice on momma and a shovel for the babies.
I voted for stew, before I understood they were VERY young. You'll want to let them grow up a bit before you slaughter them. Mmmm... I'm making myself hungry right now!
Actually, I leave our rabbits alone. We don't have enough to cause a problem, and so long as they don't eat my hops, they get to live. With our cats, I'm feeling lucky to get to see a rabbit once in a while. I once found a half a young rabbit in our flower garden years back. Mice ain't the only thing our old cat used to munch on!
Actually, I leave our rabbits alone. We don't have enough to cause a problem, and so long as they don't eat my hops, they get to live. With our cats, I'm feeling lucky to get to see a rabbit once in a while. I once found a half a young rabbit in our flower garden years back. Mice ain't the only thing our old cat used to munch on!
OP
OP
Well, HBT has spoken: the rabbits will be left alone. Maybe I'll name them, and feed them homebrew spent grains.
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LOL'd at that one. I voted for the shooting but that's really not me. I'd leave them alone until they were old enough and then I'd trap and relocate them. We had them in our yard and they were eating everything and crapping everywhere.
FromZwolle
I don't want to be cremated, I want to be malted.
know anyone with a snake?
arturo7
Well-Known Member
put them in a cage
let them grow to be full size
then make rabbit stew
let them grow to be full size
then make rabbit stew
This
count_dookie
Well-Known Member
take them in, raise them until they are fat and delicious and then snap their little rabbit necks and make tacos. The best tacos I've ever had were rabbit tacos. But sense that is not an option I'll vote stew
williamnave
Well-Known Member
+1 Rabbit Stew. Just in time for Easter. Mmmmm, mmmmm good.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Depending on how big they get, let them grow up to decent size and then decide if they are still cute enough to let live. But if your hops don't do so well, hunt those buggers down and start finding ways to cook them up. If you don't know how to clean them, I'm sure you have a friend (or know someone) that does know how to.
I vote for high powered pellet gun to dispatch them. Something with a decent scope/sighting aid to make it easier on both you and them. Who knows, maybe killing one that way will scare the rest off your land, never to return...
We had a rabbit get into our yard when I was growing up. Big sucker too. We saw it only because it was being chased by our cat. Keep in mind, the cat was smaller than the rabbit... About a minute later (if that) the cat was being chased by the rabbit... Unfortunately it all happened so fast we were not able to have rabbit for dinner. The cat made a clean get-away though.
BTW, the rabbit skeet shoot could be interesting (to say the least)... Were you planning on flinging them while they were still alive??
I vote for high powered pellet gun to dispatch them. Something with a decent scope/sighting aid to make it easier on both you and them. Who knows, maybe killing one that way will scare the rest off your land, never to return...
We had a rabbit get into our yard when I was growing up. Big sucker too. We saw it only because it was being chased by our cat. Keep in mind, the cat was smaller than the rabbit... About a minute later (if that) the cat was being chased by the rabbit... Unfortunately it all happened so fast we were not able to have rabbit for dinner. The cat made a clean get-away though.
BTW, the rabbit skeet shoot could be interesting (to say the least)... Were you planning on flinging them while they were still alive??
quadbikerjosh
Well-Known Member
im not so sure bout the rabbit stew. what kinda rabbit? if its jackrabbit forget it. not enough meat even when its full grown. plus they carry a **** load of worms n bugs. dam jackrabits crap all over my lawn and leave dead spots everywhere. ill sit on my porch with a .22 riffle n an iced corny, and with the negbors permission, ill pick em off n toss em down the hill for the cyotes......god im a hick.....
but the cotton tails, their alright. they keep off my lawn and dont eat my tomatoes, therfore they live!
but the cotton tails, their alright. they keep off my lawn and dont eat my tomatoes, therfore they live!
Post it on youtube!
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GoldMiner
Well-Known Member
Fill the hole.
You're kidding right? You shoot them and don't go eat them?? They are SUPER easy to clean and a soak overnight in salt water will kill anything bad in them (especially after you COOK them!)
God, I haven't had rabbit since I was a kid (except that one time in KY on a cave rescue course, when they served rabbit stew!) and I'm really missing it right about now. I miss hunting them with the dog.
Cottons, Jacks, they both eat good!
FromZwolle
I don't want to be cremated, I want to be malted.
i've always wanted to try rabbit, but i wouldn't eat any of the fluffy rats that live in my neighborhood.
I vote Capture, Raise, Eat.
The last time I found a nest we had just moved in, had a couple friends down and had just started a fire in the ring that was already in the yard. My 4 and 7 year olds pointed out that the fire sounded funny and was moving, yep three baby rabbits, apparently the mother thought that an old fire pit was a good spot.
The last time I found a nest we had just moved in, had a couple friends down and had just started a fire in the ring that was already in the yard. My 4 and 7 year olds pointed out that the fire sounded funny and was moving, yep three baby rabbits, apparently the mother thought that an old fire pit was a good spot.
quadbikerjosh
Well-Known Member
You're kidding right? You shoot them and don't go eat them?? They are SUPER easy to clean and a soak overnight in salt water will kill anything bad in them (especially after you COOK them!)
God, I haven't had rabbit since I was a kid (except that one time in KY on a cave rescue course, when they served rabbit stew!) and I'm really missing it right about now. I miss hunting them with the dog.
Cottons, Jacks, they both eat good!
eh not the jackrabbits. there reallyt isnt anything to cook.
You're kidding right? You shoot them and don't go eat them?? They are SUPER easy to clean and a soak overnight in salt water will kill anything bad in them (especially after you COOK them!)
God, I haven't had rabbit since I was a kid (except that one time in KY on a cave rescue course, when they served rabbit stew!) and I'm really missing it right about now. I miss hunting them with the dog.
Cottons, Jacks, they both eat good!
Its been forever since I had rabbit as well.
The thrill of the hunt, followed by the awesomeness of watching my dad step on their necks and pull on the hind legs (POP!) and then eating em a few days later. Maybe I'll take the .22 out with me when I'm hunting morels this year.
There is a sign in my town that says just this. I know the guy too, he is serious.
EoinMag
Well-Known Member
+1 to this.
OP
OP
Well, they've hopped off. The situation has resolved itself.
Weird. We ate rabbit all the time when I was young. Like any wild game you have to cook them thoroughly of course. The only thing we ever noticed was fleas.
One time we hunted a few down at a friend's house because his relative from downstate had never had it. Their daughter, 15, was city born and raised and was freaking out a bit about the rabbits being hunted.
So as we're cleaning them in the barn, I was twisting the head on one and it popped off (actually made a popping sound!) and flew across the floor and landed at her feet! She took off screaming and crying for the haywagon. We could not stop laughing! I feel bad for her now, but at the time my friend made up for it by making out with her in the basement... :cross:
EoinMag
Well-Known Member
Up until now there was no phrase which would encapsulate this scenario above, we have Charlie Sheen now to thank for the phrase "Bi-winning" you win here, you win there, I believe it aptly fits this situation.
Thank you Charlie you do indeed have tiger blood and the DNA of an Adonis.
Yeah. And I got stuck trying to pry his large, drama-loving EMO (didn't have that term back then, but that's sort of what she was) cousin off at the same time. What a batsht crazy little chick she was. I feel sorry for her future/past boyfriends.
