New breed of rabbit's in Lethbridge

[bruceba]

I took my dog's for a run in the river bottom at Pavan Park and found these two rabbits. I figured maybe animal control would come down and remove them before the whole river bottom was covered in black and white crossed cottentails. I was told, "This is animal control department and we deal with cat's and dog's only." They told me to call F&W. I inquired there and they don't handle rabbits either. I didn't expect them to but I hadn't call there for a little while and just checked in. Now I guess I'll sit back and watch the transformation over the next couple years because I was told by Animal Control I couldn't take care of it myself.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/b6extreme/rabbit003.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/b6extreme/rabbit002.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/b6extreme/rabbit001.jpg

[alacringa]

1 word: Canmore. Some department needs to take care of it.

[GunnerySgtJackson]

Some officials need to get their thumb out and do their job or else you are going to have a big problem with them. On top of every thing else throw in the bunny huggers to protect them.:(

[Big Daddy Badger]

Looks like someone figured out the cute bunnies they bought take more care than they were willing to give and...set em free.
That can be a real problem...just look at the python problems in Florida now and the Snakehead problem in some waterways down east.

The good news is...It probably won't take too long for some hawk, owl, fox or coyote to spot these little guys and invite them to lunch. I'll bet they're gone by 1st snow.

[C Taylor]

As a kid we haddomestic rabbits running all around the farm for a couple years until a lynx come in and wiped them out within a couple weeks.

[Redfrog]

What's that noise? OH! It's opportunity knocking :)

What a perfect time to start a rabbit protection or other program. Rabbit poop for short.:)
Put it on the internet and collect donations.
Rabbit tours. Rabbit calendars, Rabbit donairs. scratch that.
Lola could be the spokesperson.
Skies the limit boys. Take the money and buy some land, you'll need it. Stock with pheasants and everyone wins.:sHa_shakeshout:

[bruceba]

Redfrog I'm a step ahead of you. I've applied for a special guiding permit to host spot and stalk sling shot hunts. The concession permit for a rabbit burger stand has all ready been granted. I'm in the process of building some portable ground blinds and several low level tree stands at key intersecting rabbit trails should the powers to be grant me more flexablilty in my guiding. From what I gather baiting is not going to be allowed.:)

[Redfrog]

Excellent. I've eaten a lot of bunny burgers and they were delicious.

There are always some posts on here from beagle owners who are looking for a place to run their hounds. What about a C/R bunny hunt?

[bruceba]

The biggest hurdle I'm facing in my plan is we are still within City limits. I've heard through the grapevine that PETA is applying for Intervener statis to stop me before this mushrooms out of control. The money I've invested for recipes from some of the top chefs in Europe with set me back substanialy if this doesn't go through.

[Redfrog]

I think PETA is stretched skinny with their "Save the gay whales" in Pigeon Lake. Besides when winter comes they'll head to warmer climes.

I hope you have some recipes from Holland. that first rabbit, the black and white one is a Dutch Dwarf. OH Oh I hope I can say Dwarf here.:)

[greylynx]

What's that noise? OH! It's opportunity knocking :)

What a perfect time to start a rabbit protection or other program. Rabbit poop for short.:)
Put it on the internet and collect donations.
Rabbit tours. Rabbit calendars, Rabbit donairs. scratch that.
Lola could be the spokesperson.
Skies the limit boys. Take the money and buy some land, you'll need it. Stock with pheasants and everyone wins.:sHa_shakeshout:



Whoa Ho HO!!!

Now your talkin Redfrog.

I love where our AO mascot Lola is to be the spokesperson

Lets think of setting up the Redfrogi Foundation and Institute just like Sukpuki did.

That means getting government grants, Big honkin government grants.

Redfrog will be a hit on the CBC and shoe in for Ontario viewer.

I can see Redfrog now with that CBC floozy Wendy Meszly sitting on his knee, a jealous Peter Mansbridge scowling at you from a distance.

And when you get all that government money don't forget to pass some cash along to your ahem friends. Like old Greylynx.:)

[Redfrog]

"I can see you now with that CBC floozy Wendy Meszly sitting on your knee"
Is she the one who looks like a pixie? and acts like a terrier? If it's the one I'm thinking of I better head out to the pasture to find that huge mushroom from the other day so she has a place to stay.:)

[walking buffalo]

I think PETA is stretched skinny with their "Save the gay whales" in Pigeon Lake. Besides when winter comes they'll head to warmer climes.

I hope you have some recipes from Holland. that first rabbit, the black and white one is a Dutch Dwarf. OH Oh I hope I can say Dwarf here.:)

Take note of this fact Bruce. From years of urban rabbit hunting experience, I can tell you that drier exhaust vents are a great location to place a blind in the winter.




With further thought,

I am strongly opposed to Bruce's application for hunting rights. :mad3:

I'm rather shocked he would even consider it. :snapoutofit:

Outfitters must not have exclusive rights to a public resource.

And the concept of selling the meat from these "wild" rabbits....WTF!!!???:angry3:

[Redfrog]

WB we have to take positive decisive action now or the next thing people will be saying they are like the wild horses in the Rockies.:thinking-006:
How's that for opening a can

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMaxGM1HyreOCbDCeQsUpgjF0JTEJEG ZkwoEFrTV1-GuDrQbAXHA

[Digger1]

There's a feral herd of dark grey dwarf bunnies hopping thru our construction sites in Calgary. No wonder the coyotes are taking their teeth to town.

[redneck posse]

uummmmm wild horse and bunny stew whens lunch redfrog

[Redfrog]

I have to be honest here. I like rabbit, cooked several different ways, but I would not eat a horse. Just sentimental I guess. I have a dozen deadbeat horses and I can't see myself eating any one of them. My labs on the other hand love horse meat and I'll grind up any one I can find for them:)

[walking buffalo]

WB we have to take positive decisive action now or the next thing people will be saying they are like the wild horses in the Rockies.:thinking-006:
How's that for opening a can

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMaxGM1HyreOCbDCeQsUpgjF0JTEJEG ZkwoEFrTV1-GuDrQbAXHA

I hope my last post was taken in the same context as Bruce's application. :)


Without question, these little bugs are a problem that needs to be eliminated completely and immediately.

[Redfrog]

What's the down side of having these bunnies in a park. I mean other than they breed like rabbits. There are some natural predators around to keep them in check.

[avb3]

I hear they taste like chicken.

[Redfrog]

I hear they taste like chicken.

Actually they do. My wife is very picky when it comes to eating meat. She eats no pork [had a pet pig at one time] a little beef, elk, moose and chicken.

My buddy raised rabbits and I was helping him butcher one day. He sent some rabbit home with me. I cooked it up as i do all the cooking at my house. Kids and mom scorfed ot all down and then began to wonder about the odd shaped drums. when they searched the garbage for the supermarket wrapper they knew they had been had. They really like it but had trouble with the visuals.

People are strange. :thinking-006:

[Erik]

Bring out the Hounds!

[thumper]

Welcome to Canmore's nightmare.
About 1/3 of the town wants our out-of-control feral rabbit population left alone - because they're cute and we should all get along with nature while respecting other life forms, another 1/3 wants them trapped and destroyed, and another 1/3 wants them trapped, sterilized, 'rehabbed' and then sent to live out their bunny days in a rabbit refuge (location to be determined).
Go figure!

[pickrel pat]

Welcome to Canmore's nightmare.
About 1/3 of the town wants our out-of-control feral rabbit population left alone - because they're cute and we should all get along with nature while respecting other life forms, another 1/3 wants them trapped and destroyed, and another 1/3 wants them trapped, sterilized, 'rehabbed' and then sent to live out their bunny days in a rabbit refuge (location to be determined).
Go figure!which 1/3 are you? you didnt say...... thumper.... lol.

[Kanonfodder]

Maybe we should change Sheeps name to Bunnyhunter..pretty sure he resides in Canmore...

[pickrel pat]

Maybe we should change Sheeps name to Bunnyhunter..pretty sure he resides in Canmore...or cochrane?

[Redfrog]

What's the down side of having these bunnies in a park. I mean other than they breed like rabbits. There are some natural predators around to keep them in check.

Any input???:thinking-006:

[walking buffalo]

What's the down side of having these bunnies in a park. I mean other than they breed like rabbits. There are some natural predators around to keep them in check.




Canmore or Uvic are good examples of the problem.

In some cases there may be environmental issues with excessive native plant depradation (Uvic) or attracting predators into the urban area (Uvic and Canmore). Despite having wolves, bears, cougars, lynx and coyotes in Canmore, the bunnies are doing Very well.

The largest conservation concern will be the community's Taxpayer dollars.

Canmore will have spent a hundred thousand dollars before finalizing it's bunny plan. Then another hundred G's will be spent.

[FishingMOM]

Any input???:thinking-006:

They are destructive.

Welcome to Canmore's nightmare.
About 1/3 of the town wants our out-of-control feral rabbit population left alone - because they're cute and we should all get along with nature while respecting other life forms, another 1/3 wants them trapped and destroyed, and another 1/3 wants them trapped, sterilized, 'rehabbed' and then sent to live out their bunny days in a rabbit refuge (location to be determined).
Go figure!

Canmore's rabbit-cull plan faces crucial vote
CBC News Posted: Jul 5, 2011 5:25 PM MT Last Updated: Jul 5, 2011 8:22 PM MT

Rabbit cull planned for Canmore
Canmore residents asked about wiping out bunnies
An internationally panned plan to capture and kill thousands of feral rabbits in Canmore, Alta., goes to a vote Tuesday night at the town's council.

The town of 12,000 residents has been overrun by leporine interlopers. Civic officials say there are now 2,000 of them, up from 1,000 four years ago and an original population of a dozen that were released into the wild by a resident in the mid-1980s.

Canmore's rabbits are drawing predators like coyotes and cougars into the town, officials and residents say. (CBC)
Municipal personnel first surveyed people about the problem in 2007 and then set aside $50,000 in funding last year for a cull. They're worried the critters are attracting more and more predators into the town, about 80 kilometres west of Calgary.

"Before when it was only an isolated area, it wasn't as big a wildlife concern. But now with the rabbits moving through the town, and more coyotes starting to come into town to get to these animals, it just doesn't make any sense for us to continue the way that we're doing," Mayor Ron Casey said. Cougars have also been spotted in the town, he has said.

Canmore's feral rabbit management plan calls for the animals to be trapped, euthanized at another location and then sent to wildlife rehabilitation centres to be used as food.

But there are several hurdles before that can be put in place. The town council has to alter several bylaws, including a ban on trapping animals, and put out a tender for a trapper.

The plan is also facing opposition from residents, who have amassed several hundred petition signatures in opposition to the cull. A separate online petition has 350 names worldwide so far. And Casey said the town has received about 5,200 emails from the community in reaction to the proposal, with "about two-thirds against the program."

Still, many residents say the rabbits are a problem and need to be dealt with.

"There have been reports of incidents where coyotes have been coming into the yard to get a rabbit in the yard, and the kids have been in the yard and there's even been reports of a coyote nipping children," Annalise Acorn told CBC News in December.

An alternative method that Casey said he's open to is trapping the rabbits, sterilizing them and then moving them into a sanctuary.

Either way, the rabbits will be around for at least a few months more. After Tuesday's vote on various parts of the rabbit management plan, council will have to vote again to hire a trapper. It will likely take until November, Casey said, until the first bunny is bagged.

[Redfrog]

So there weren't cougars and coyotes in Canmore before the rabbits?

[thumper]

And the brave Canmore council decided to ..... study the problem some more!

[NSRfishing]

i live north edmonton around 66 st 133 ave and the coyotes keep the rabbits population down i have seen coyotes several time walking to the river early morning i like to get to the river before sunrise

http://www.edmontonurbancoyotes.ca/

[mudbug]

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb338/mudbug2010/first%20album/ChickenandLola2011036.jpg

Lola says they're both males so unless something really weird happens they won't take over Lethbridge :thinking-006:
But then again :evilgrin:


http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb338/mudbug2010/first%20album/ChickenandLola2011023.jpg

If she has to once she's done her after bath nap from a hard day of huntin yotes she'll come down and take care of business :)

[mudbug]

The Lola foundation sounds like it has potential :thinking-006:

[greylynx]

I cant' blame Lola for taking a bath after coyote hunting.

That coyote smell seems to linger on.


As for the Lola Foundation, I can see the dedications on PBS right now, just like the Rockerfeller Foundation, and the Parker Foundation.

Sesame street will praise Lola infinitum.

[Kanonfodder]

or cochrane?

Son of a B....... I have been stalking TJ in the wrong friggn city? :angry3:

[rhuntley12]

uummmmm wild horse and bunny stew whens lunch redfrog

Had a feral stallion chasing us a around over the weekend, was a young one. Was limping pretty bad. Friend told the conservation officers that were hanging around. They pretty much said it's forestries problem but got the feeling forestry doesn't want to get involved. Guessing same with bunnies, no one wants to deal with it.

Said get a permit to rope it or let nature take it's course, which is what I said before too. Atleast they said "FERAL horse" many times.;)

[Loki610]

Found your rabbit, he's still alive and well
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j426/loki610/August%202011/P8090009.jpg
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j426/loki610/August%202011/P8090008.jpg
and this grouchy looking fello too
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j426/loki610/August%202011/P8090006.jpg

[bruceba]

I talked to several different parks guys and they understand the potential for a serious problem. The just of it is nobody will step up to the plate and take the "rabbit by the ears" so to speak. There are a couple brown and white ones down there also but they are really shy. Almost ran one over luckily I spotted it at the last moment.:) To many people frequent the park to do much about it.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/b6extreme/fox010.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/b6extreme/fox013.jpg