Can I poison rabbits?

Can you shoot them with a pellet gun? I've killed (and eaten) rabbits with pellets before. Course they're out of season now and if you kill momma, babies until they're weaned are going to die as well. Can you get your neighbor to fix the pipe to stop the problem? That's where I'd start. By the way...you may think nothing else is going to eat them so you're not worried about poisoning them, but poisons will affect turkey vultures,hawks, all things that depend on them as food. I would encourage you to find alternatives to poisoning...

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"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow the fields of those who don't."-Thomas Jefferson

I'm still trying to figure out the neighbors pipe. Did I miss it?

Me too, Ed

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" It's better to ride even if you get thrown, than to wind up just wishin' ya had."

Chris Ledoux

[QUOTE=mountainwmn;5146559]\They ate my fruit trees,QUOTE]
How big are these rabbits?
No poison!
There has to be someone nearby glad to catch these critters and eat them!

Illegal in Michigan.

Put them in the freezer.
If you don't like rabbit, give it to a food pantry.
Poison just wastes the rabbit.

Editted to add-

Would you release a chicken killing raccoon or oppossum "just down the road"? I wouldn't...

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Roger

Let me say this, I presumed that common sense would NOT be abandoned based on my comment. Did I really NEED to say "Do NOT dump a rabbit in your neighbors garden?" Should I have to point that out?

When I go down the road, there is 1200 acres of wilderness. I realize this isn't true for everyone, so a simple "It is too populated in my area to dump them down the road" would have sufficed. No attack was necessary. How childish!

Don't preach about being responsible when you advocate KILLING animals over taking apt measures to guard against them... namely fence. That's what I use, and people a hundred years before me, and it works like a charm.

A responsible farmer works WITH nature, not against it.

Reminds me of the thread some time ago: "How can I kill the possum that keeps getting through the hole into my barn?". People jumped in about how to kill the possum. Finally, someone said "close the hole in the barn". Get it?

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snares but be careful of any other animals..I wouldn't use them here now with our cats

i also wouldn't poison them

use chicken wire or other things around your tender plants..I wrap my baby trees with plastic tape in the winter, they don't bother them in the summer here..they don't bother my berries,

also a cat or dog should help, my cats eat rabbits and catch them full grown

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Brenda Groth
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

Used to be feral pigs would come in and wipe out my garden at the farm. Now I just trap and eat the pigs and get vegetables from my neighbor who likes sausage.

If you don't want to eat them, can you put a rabbit proof fence around your garden?

I am not sure where the bolded line (attributed to me) came from, but it is NOT part of my quote-

I need to fence around my gardens because deer and rabbits have destroyed my peas. I have cats, so trapping the rabbits (with conibears) is not an option.

As for "preaching about being responsible". If this is aimed at me (and since my quote was used, I am assuming you are), there are some animals (raccoons and oppossum for two examples) that kill just to kill, regardless of fencing or holes. I lost a buck rabbit to a raccoon after the coon ripped a hole in the pen.

I was also making a point that it is illegal to trap a raccoon, oppossum, rabbit or skunk (or any other small animal) and relocate them. You get caught, you get a ticket and fine. Snares are also illegal in Michigan.

I also advocated (if this tact was taken) that if you don't like rabbit, give it away. Someone could use it.

I don't even used poison on ants around here, we try to control them with non-toxic (to humans and pets) controls.

And if you considered my post (with a misquote in it also) an attack, I don't know what to say. I guess if one disagrees, it is now an "attack"

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Roger

Illegal in Michigan to take or kill a rabbit in any way except by gun, crossbow, bow and arrow, slingshot--and then only in open season between Sept 15 thru March 31. If not on own property, must also have a license. Also illegal in certain heavily populated counties to hunt in any form. In all counties, must be 150 yards from any occupied building to hunt or discharge firearm when hunting. Fine and jail time if caught.........

Rabbit fencing is pretty reasonable to purchase and reuse every year.

But as the religious pacificist said, "Sir, I don't mean to harm you, but Thou art between me and my target.".....................

Your choice to break the law or not.

geo

Yes, it is illegal to do anything with them except in hunting season, and even then still illegal to kill an animal you have live trapped. I cant give away meat I can't get. You are also not allowed to let your dog run loose, and I don't have one. As bad as the damage is, fencing is going to be expensive, and beyond my ability since you have to did it down, because they will dig under it. I did get a fake owl, but I don't think they even noticed it.

Hope this helps. I put electric fence around my garden. 3 strands. 1 strand about 3 inches above the ground (for rabbits), 1 strand about 6 inches (for coon, etc.) and the last strand about 24-30 (for deer). Have not had a problem. A small fencer from TSC is around $20 and the wire is not that costly.

The olny downside is you have to keep the grass under the fence clipped (weedeater) down, so it doesn't short the fence out.

Tom