Freeking Rabbits!!!

[Waidmann]

A couple of rabbits got into my garden some time in the past week and they cleaned it out. LIterally, there is nothing left except for some short stalks. They got all the beans, all the brocolli, all the peas and they ate the little tops right down to the ground on my carrots, lettuce and beets. Everything gone.

Now I have to decide whether to re-plant and try again. lt's only a couple weeks past June 1st, so I'm not that late. Still, that really pisses me off.

I'm going to set a couple live traps for them, and, if I manage to get one of two of them, I'm going to make an exception to my rule about killing the critters who are only doing what God taught them to do. I'm aiming for a meal of "garden rabbit" some time in the next few weeks.

Waidmann

[ncboman]

plant a 6ft wide strip of buckwheat at the edges. mix in some oats if you want. Buckwheat comes up fast and will keep em busy, maybe.

[Bill Gunn]

:eating:
plant a 6ft wide strip of buckwheat at the edges.

Or... Plant some #6's in their :willy:-hinds :eating:

Deer ate my neighbors garden, and it wouldn't suprise me if ours was next...

[Waidmann]

NC - Problem is this is a backyard garden. I don't have 6 feet to plant oats or buckwheat. Someone suggested I spray the perimeter with red pepper, and that would keep them out. In years gone by, a 3 foot chicken wire fence did the trick. But this year, they somehow got over the fence.

Bill - #6 would work pretty well, although loud. My son wants to use his bow to collect a few. I'm afraid I have a couple neighbors who would object to that. That's why I'm suggesting a live trap. Nice a quiet, and I can go collect the trap after the sun goes down.

Waidmann

[dave-t.]

They hit my beans as soon as they popped up. The beans recovered, but they were slow about it. Corn is the only thing that we planted that has really taken off to a great start.

Had a big crop of strawberries, and the fruit trees are still looking good.

[ncboman]

Rabbits are very difficult to trap this time of year but that sounds like your best option other than a pellet rifle.

We had/have a good crop of brocolli and salad greens, also some collards. Kinda late getting the beans planted but they're coming along. Maters are so so but coming. Got the biggest Mexican sunflower I've ever seen. Steady diet of rabbit manure tea has it kicking as are my scuppernong grapevines. Some new grapevines are coming right along too. No corn this year.

Got a new crop of sawtooth and hybrid English Oaks started. I gave over 100 of these seedlings away earlier this spring and reports are that all are growing to beat the band.

[Waidmann]

NC - You've mentioned Sawtooth Oaks before on this forum. It's a reasonably quick-growing tree, if I recall. Would they grow in Michigan? Do they produce acorns? Do the deer like the taste?

I guess same questions for the hybrid English Oaks. I'd like to plant some Oaks on my 80 acres, but I don't want to wait 50 years for them to produce acorns if I can avoid it. I'm not apt to be around in 50 years.

[Twanger]

Num, num.
Young rabbit backstraps and back legs soaked in milk, dredged in flour, salt, and pepper and fried in bacon fat.
Excellent with rice on the side!