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whaas_5a

A gardener's dilemma

whaas_5a
9 years ago

Rabbits are by far my worst enemy in fall and winter. I use my lab on regular basis to chase them out of the yard and it works fairly well.

Today I came across a nest of them in a mulch bed. First instinct was to eradicate them but then I thought I don't have the right to eliminate wildlife for my own personal gratification.

Well, which ever ones survive and stick around, I'll just continue to use fences and my lab.

Comments (13)

  • Iris GW
    9 years ago

    I have the same problem with deer and this time of year I come across the hidden fawns. Could not bring myself to do anything to them either.

  • poaky1
    9 years ago

    I have an area where my Quercus Meuhlenbergi, that's the uphill limestone one, I believe. I always confuse it with the Q. Michauxi, well, the dry one of the 2, I have Goutweed (Ageapodum Pod****agrum) a tall groundcover. I'll find a picture {{gwi:379323}} In this stuff there is a bunny nest each year for the last few years.

  • Acadiafun
    9 years ago

    They have a hard time surviving so it is good you did not kill them. I am glad to find another person on this forum who respects wildlife.

  • poaky1
    9 years ago

    I must add that the Mother Bunny doesn't always choose the best areas for her babies to nest in though. I have seen 2 bad areas. One was when I lived in an area close to downtown Uniontown, back in the early 90's. Our dogs tore them up, they were in our dog fenced in area. Then once we moved into the country, they made a nest in the fenced in dog yard. Finally now they have made their nest in the area where the tall white and green groundcover is. There are many Bunns and other critters doing fine here.

  • gardener365
    9 years ago

    Good job you guys.

    A month ago I saw my neighbors dog looking down toward the ground adjacent to a bed I had just mulched with cocoa shells. I assumed it was the chocolate aroma that she was interested in. In short time she ran towards home. Minutes later I saw my dog and a fawn much smaller than she (Labrador size) running back and forth and bumping into one another and playing. This went on for more than two hours. I ran to get my camera but they were gone when I came back. Hours later I saw my dog panting and standing in tall prairie grass and after a minute the fawn stood up and they ran into some thick native dogwood and they were gone again. I got video of about 1 second where the fawn may be seen.

    I was lucky to have witnessed something like that, as it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

    Dax

  • calliope
    9 years ago

    There are two of them who come into my vegetable garden at dawn and again at dusk. Too young to have a fear of humans. I KNEW when I saw them munching on the clover around the garden plot that they'll get more brazen. I could have easily took it out with my hoe as it sat there looking at me. Just paint a big S on my forehead for sucker. I know I'll curse it before the the season is over. No more outside cats, who used to keep the population down, since there is more traffic on the road and I don't want to keep picking up pancake cat corpses and I have retired so don't need g'house mousers anymore. Despite the packets of poop the hounds down the road leave near our back doorstep sometime each night, if it weren't for them, we'd prolly look like Alice in Wonderland. Getting soft in my old age.

  • lkz5ia
    9 years ago

    Easy cat food for my cats when that happens.

  • krnuttle
    9 years ago

    Last spring I looked out our back door, and say a doe with two fawns. The fawns were quite young, only about 15" high, so could hide behind the newly planted azaleas. We saw them so frequently that we named them Sam and Janet and Mrs Evening.

    We watched the fawns grow up last summer, and after a period of not seeing them, they appeared this spring. We are seeing them nearly every morning now. However I believe things have changed, so Janet became Chancey as both of the young deer have the beginnings of antlers. I suspect their mother or her suitor will chase them a way later this fall.

    That said they are a pain. They trimmed one young camellia so close that it did not survive. They keep the azaleas trimed so close they are having little bloom.

    However we keep planting on the theory that if there are so many plants they can not eat them all down so they do not bloom..

  • hoseman
    9 years ago

    This is the tree forum. There must be a forum more appropriate for your use.

  • whaas_5a
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    If one can't make the connection I'm sorry for the box you live in.

    Thanks for your contribution to the tree forum.

  • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
    9 years ago

    "Rabbits are by far my worst enemy in fall and winter."

    That would apply to trees.

    I hear ya, whaas. I've come across rabbit nests and couldn't bring myself to destroying them. On the up side, I found a headless youngster and another half of one recently, so the Great Horned owls are doing their job.

    tj

  • whaas_5a
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I love those things! I haven't seen too many hawks this year and not a single owl yet. No foxes either!

    Just more rabbits, woodchucks and chimpmunks!

    The rabbit couple where out chasing each other today and doing flips. It was quite entertaining.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    the problem.. is your glorious monoculture lawn ...

    if you destroy it.. and grow all the meadow weeds i do.. on my former horse pasture..

    you can enjoy the little poop machines grazing the weed buffet and ignoring all those horrible tasting conifers.. trees.. and in my case.. 1500 hosta..

    who knew weeds were good for something...

    i chase them with the lawnmower.. but they just get way ahead of me.. turn smirking.. and give me a rabbit middle finger... dam hoppy rats with white tails ...

    ken

    ps: they did do some bizarre damage.. 2 to 3 feet up various plants this horrible winter.. since they were grazing on on top of snow cover .. but then again.. you didnt have a z4 winter.. did you.. lol ... bazinga ....

    Here is a link that might be useful: link