# Slingshots



## Kittyhawk (28 Oct 2022)

I wonder if anyone has any experience in the use of slingshots to visit a serious amount of mayhem and murder on an out of control rabbit population.
This is public reserve in the front of mine and the neighbours homes and at dawn and dusk the grass is alive with rabbits.



The reserve is full of holes, gardens are uprooted, house foundations undermined.. this should be an issue for the council to resolve but by the time they've had half a dozen extraordinary meetings to discuss it, consulted the various interest groups, the greenies.., they'll probably even ask the dear little bunnies for an opinion so any resolution would be months away if at all.
Ideally a .22 rifle or an air rifle but they are illegal on public land so a powerful slingshot would be my only other option with the added benefit of it being silent. I see lots of plans on the Internet for ball bearing or round fishing sinker firing slingshots but before I commit to making one I would value any opinions as to their effectiveness.


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## Terry - Somerset (28 Oct 2022)

Noisy dog - extra treats if it chases the rabbits!


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## Tris (28 Oct 2022)

If your neighbours are on side with this you might do better long netting them, although that does entail dispatching them. 
A black widow catapult is probably cheaper than the bits to make one, a couple of air rifle plinking targets to practice on and bunnies beware!


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## Inspector (28 Oct 2022)

I can feel your pain but in my case it was prairie dogs/gophers in our own yard. When the wife finally decided there were too many I tried a big brand name trap and the little beasties wouldn't go though it and went out a different hole. I found some made in Saskatchewan traps and tried four and started getting them so I bough 6 more so I could blanket the area. Ended up getting a couple dozen in a month, more or less solving the problem for this year at least. I have a pellet pistol that would have been perfect but living beside a highway would have alarmed somebody and I would have been busted for using a firearm within 400 metres of a road. Going to have to look into slingshot rules. I have a lot of rocks so would use them. Funny thing is the gophers will dive down their holes if you are on foot but if on the tractor I can get within 5 metres easily. Good luck solving your bunny problem.

Pete


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## Keith 66 (28 Oct 2022)

I used to be a good shot with a catty & regularly hunted rabbits with it. As to keeping numbers down forget it you wont even dent the population. Silenced .22 is only solution, or ferreting, but i dont suppose you have those in NZ, the consequences of ferrets escaping & beeding in the wild would be horrendous.


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## Phill05 (28 Oct 2022)

"Slingshots" we called them catapults in the UK, Yes they can be very effective once you get your eye in, I always had one hanging out my back pocket wherever I went, I used to make them out of Hazelnut branch. Oh that takes me back.


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## trvlr (28 Oct 2022)

Bunnies have rights (to life) too…


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## Fergie 307 (28 Oct 2022)

22 air rifle would be the best tool. Dont know what the law is there, may be you could use one with the permission of the landowner? Problem I can imagine having with a catapult will be getting close enough. Or could you employ a licenced pest controller to shoot them, or if its public land then maybe approach the local council, or whoever is responsible for it. Needs getting on top of as they breed like, well, rabbits! You will be overrun with them before you know it. Was a nice little earner in my youth. Local farmer only too pleased to agree, and you could sell the rabbits to the butcher. Word soon used to get around and my friend and I ended up spemding a couple of evenings at a local garden centre. Between us we shot over 100, far to many for the butcher. Lots of rabbits in the freezer for a while after that!


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## Fergie 307 (28 Oct 2022)

trvlr said:


> Bunnies have rights (to life) too…


I can imagine that in NZ they are one of those introduced species that wreak havoc, and best exterminated.


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## Stigmorgan (28 Oct 2022)

Mmmmm haven't had rabbit stew in years


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## Fergie 307 (28 Oct 2022)

Very tasty, and the difference in flavour between wild and farmed is really noticeable. Only tried farmed a couple of times and found it very bland. Wild is lovely and sweet.


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## thetyreman (28 Oct 2022)

I don't know if they're legal there but maybe this is an excuse to build a crossbow.


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## Stuart Moffat (28 Oct 2022)

Well if anyone likes squirrel stew and wants to catch their own I’ve got a couple of acres with them running riot. I’ve got a .22 air rifle but thats not a lot of use whe they can run out of range vertically up a tree in no time. any ideas?


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## dickm (28 Oct 2022)

Assuming slingshot is the same as what we would call a catapult, had a school friend who was a remarkable shot with one. Saw him hit a flying pigeon, though he didn't manage to bring it down. Rabbit control was a doddle for him. Then he went into a respectable job with the Met Office.


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## Fergie 307 (28 Oct 2022)

Stuart Moffat said:


> Well if anyone likes squirrel stew and wants to catch their own I’ve got a couple of acres with them running riot. I’ve got a .22 air rifle but thats not a lot of use whe they can run out of range vertically up a tree in no time. any ideas


If the trees are too dense then you can use a live trap. Just put it on the ground in an area you have seen them, peanut butter is good bait. But they are quite territorial so you will have to keep moving it about. They are very intelligent so creeping up on them is difficult. Never fancied eating one, not enough on them to be worth the bother, i would have thpught, and they are essentially arboreal rats which would also put me off.


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## Tris (28 Oct 2022)

Stuart Moffat said:


> Well if anyone likes squirrel stew and wants to catch their own I’ve got a couple of acres with them running riot. I’ve got a .22 air rifle but thats not a lot of use whe they can run out of range vertically up a tree in no time. any ideas?


Look at the Kania 2000 traps, quick and little chance of catching non target species. Easier to set than the enclosed fen trap type too


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## clogs (28 Oct 2022)

Stifado....diferent kind of rabbit stew with cinamon and clovesn thick sticky tomato base..........

also I used to know a French lady who looked after me on cold, rainy afternoons in my yoof.....
Always rabbit stew and dumplings on offer.......those were the days....hahaha........


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## Stuart Moffat (28 Oct 2022)

Tris said:


> Look at the Kania 2000 traps, quick and little chance of catching non target species. Easier to set than the enclosed fen trap type too


Thanks Tris, that does look viable, and acceptably humane - I may well give that a go.
Stuart


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## mikej460 (28 Oct 2022)

Our land borders onto very old woodland that was being ravaged by grey squirrels until the local game keeper's son set live traps. He caught loads but within 2 years they are back. Our local rabbits have a warren in a neighbour's field that started to venture into ours (other side of a river) then suddenly the numbers depleted and I've no idea how.


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## Tris (28 Oct 2022)

There seems to be a bit of ebb and flow with myxy, which may have an effect, or there's a new cat around. Our ginger tom is great at catching rabbits, I've seen him hunker down in cover near a burrow, wait for an outbound rabbit to pass him, then sneak up on it knowing it'll try to get past him for cover. A previous cat would bring in 3 or 4 young rabbits a day in the season, so they can have quite an impact


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## Kittyhawk (28 Oct 2022)

Rabbits are terrible in NZ, particularly in the south island where they have decimated large areas of the high-country grazing land, bankrupting farmers.
I recall fly fishing once in one of the remote high country lakes. It was just before sunset in late summer and the tussock hills were pretty brown. I looked across to the hills and the whole landscape appeared to be shimmering - I thought it was a trick of the light but no, it was wall to wall rabbits. Thousands of them.
Meanwhile the authorities are sitting on their hands muttering oh dear, how sad..So a couple of enterprising farmers when to Australia and smuggled some of the Calisi virus back into NZ and this almost wiped them out but they are making a comeback.
We have 12 years in Whangamata and this is the first time I have seen rabbits here in the village.
And I notice that each new batch of young ones are bolder than their parents, now showing almost no fear of humans and not much of dogs either. And the latest is our dog is going berserk when out on the deck so I think a few have moved in beneath it but can't look without lifting the decking.
I have some experience with club archery but the worry is a non-fatal hit resulting in a rabbit galloping through the village with an arrow up its backside would not be a good look.
They are tame enough now that it's possible to get to within a few metres of them so I think the slingsht/catapult is worth a shot.
I know I won't make any impact on the numbers but hopefully word will spread throughout Bunnyville that our immediate neighbourhood is not such a desirable location to call home.


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## TRITON (29 Oct 2022)

I am seriously against people trying their hand at 'pest' control using things like catapults.
For starters you aren't a really good accurate shot and all you do is cause fear and extreme suffering.

People thinking that have the capability of slaughter small furry animals DO NOT offer a humane dispatch.
If you need this done - Hire a professional.


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## sawtooth-9 (29 Oct 2022)

Now this is a real opportunity to combine some serious woodwork, skill development and pest extermination.
Make a cross bow !


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## Kittyhawk (29 Oct 2022)

TRITON said:


> I am seriously against people trying their hand at 'pest' control using things like catapults.
> 
> For starters you aren't a really good accurate shot and all you do is cause fear and extreme suffering.
> 
> ...


Yes, I take your point.
I've been in abbatoirs too - I used to send my bobby calves there and I'm pretty certain that cattle, wide eyed and bellowing in the race awaiting their turn for the captive bolt gun know exactly what's about to happen to them. In my seafaring days I sailed briefly on ships which, in the lyrics of the shanty, go a-fishing for the whale.
My conclusion from these events is that there is no nice way to kill anything.
Rabbit control in NZ is in the hands of government and its appointed exterminators and to achieve this they use the calicivirus and mixamatosis. These induced diseases are highly transmissable within rabbit populations and the symptoms before inevitable death are days of lethargy, loss of appetite, organ failure and bleeding out via the nose, mouth and eyes.
By comparison, I want to shoot a few rabbits with a catapult, assuming of course after practising that I can hit the target with a degree of certainty. As Keith66 pointed out, trying to control a rabbit population by roaming the hills with a rifle is futile but evidence suggests that protecting a small area will result in rabbits keeping clear, preferring greener (safer) pastures.
I imagine that two weeks protecting my patch will tell me if this is true. If, during this time I pinged 100 rabbits with a 50% kill rate, this leaves 50 injured rabbits that will either recover or die.
I'm sorry if this 'does your head in' but I think 50 possibly maimed vermin is preferable to an entire population sentenced to a horrific lingering death at the hands of the professionals.



In the garden now..


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## Richard_C (29 Oct 2022)

I think you need to persevere with the council, or club together with neighbours and get a professional in. Even if you do become a proficient catapault user, or some other means, it won't really dent the population. Rabbits breed like rabbits!

Depending on species, gestation about 14 days, give birth to 1-12 at a time, can be fertilized again 2 or 3 days after giving birth, mature enough to start breeding at 2 to 3 months old, breed for about 8 months of the year - longer if it is mild and there is food about. You have no natural predators in NZ as far as I know, and its early in your spring/summer breeding season.

I don't know if they have a 'collective memory' of dangerous/safe places so its worth a try I suppose. 

If its a problem now, do a few sums and work out how many you would need to despatch to make a difference.


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## J-G (29 Oct 2022)

Richard_C said:


> If its a problem now, do a few sums and work out how many you would need to despatch to make a difference.


Very few 'sums' needed - just review the Fibonacci Series !


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## TRITON (29 Oct 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> Yes, I take your point.
> I've been in abbatoirs too - I used to send my bobby calves there and I'm pretty certain that cattle, wide eyed and bellowing in the race awaiting their turn for the captive bolt gun know exactly what's about to happen to them. In my seafaring days I sailed briefly on ships which, in the lyrics of the shanty, go a-fishing for the whale.
> My conclusion from these events is that there is no nice way to kill anything.
> Rabbit control in NZ is in the hands of government and its appointed exterminators and to achieve this they use the calicivirus and mixamatosis. These induced diseases are highly transmissable within rabbit populations and the symptoms before inevitable death are days of lethargy, loss of appetite, organ failure and bleeding out via the nose, mouth and eyes.
> ...


I've no problem with humane slaughter. We in the meat trade and through legislation have gone to great lengths over the decades to render this process as quick and painless as we can. Which is why im so against people attempting to do such themselves
As an ex butcher, Ive been asked many times by the unscrupulous to do a bit of 'rustling' in the form of sheep and deer, and Ive always refused because in the field there is no way i could administer such without causing suffering. That has to be carried out in a controlled environment and by trained professionals under the close watch of government health officials also highly qualified in this subject.
" I've been in abattoirs too - I used to send my bobby calves there and I'm pretty certain that cattle, wide eyed and bellowing in the race awaiting their turn for the captive bolt gun know exactly what's about to happen to them"
This is not so. In a slaughter hall, the passageway between the lairage and the factory floor is separated by a steel door that lets one animal at a time into a stunning pen. There is no way the animal behind can see what happened to the animal in front. The door slides open, the animal goes through into the pen and the door slides shut behind it.

What people dont seen to take into account is the suffering they are causing, they seem oblivious to the horrific death such a poor animal suffers, sometimes for hours. 
Subject matter aside. I edited this at 3am, because after adding it about the French film it was a bit too much and thought I'd restrain my opinions on that
So how come you can post it at 8am ? despite me deleting it ?

Just a question. I've noticed this a couple of times and cant see how members have access to edited content.


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## johna.clements (29 Oct 2022)

TRITON said:


> Subject matter aside. I edited this at 3am, because after adding it about the French film it was a bit too much and thought I'd restrain my opinions on that
> So how come you can post it at 8am ? despite me deleting it ?
> 
> Just a question. I've noticed this a couple of times and cant see how members have access to edited content.


I would assume that the reply was started before you made your edit.
Then the answer was posted latter.
Maybe @Kittyhawk had to go chase rabbits.


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## Sachakins (29 Oct 2022)

You won't have to kill as many as you think, self preservation and the herd instinct kick in quite quickly and they'll move on.









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## Kittyhawk (29 Oct 2022)

TRITON said:


> So how come you can post it at 8am ? despite me deleting it ?
> 
> Just a question. I've noticed this a couple of times and cant see how members have access to edited content.


Because, I think, I started a reply to your post almost immediately immediately, attaching it as I have done above. But then the child bride came along and told me off for not getting on with the renovation work. So I left it and came back to it hours later. I did not notice that you had amended your original post and I apologise for including content that you did not intend to publish.
I am in awe of your abbatoirs. Here, (last time I was in one was years ago) the cattle were in a race which terminated in booth arrangement that had a sideways tilting metal floor. The animal was dispatched, the floor tilted sending the carcase down a shute and the next one took its place. Pretty awful and hopefully we've moved on since then.
Concerning our local rabbit problem. The government will not get involved in matters that are under council's jurisdiction. Council are OK at weed spraying and the like and apart from rat destruction have nothing in place to deal with a rabbit infestation. Neither they nor private exterminators are or ever will be licenced to use viral control measures which is the only way to deal with rabbits, unfortunately. Police will not take kindly to armed citizens prowling the village and releasing volleys of gunfire at real or imagined rabbits.
So those of us living on the reserve where the infestation is most severe have a big problem and in my view we have a right to protect our properties from damage. I admit I'm cooling off a bit on the catapult plan, mainly because it doesn't present a time-effective solution. Also, I do not wish to inflict unnecessary suffering on the rabbits but here my motives are probably biased and ill considered. Who wants to cause misery to a cute little bunny which his droopy ears and his wiggly nose? But rats? Kill the beggars any way you can.


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## Ttrees (29 Oct 2022)

Did you try finding someone who rehabilitates wild animals who might know someone who does the same for raptors?
Sounds like it could be perfect situation for a captive release project or something of that kinda thing.


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## thetyreman (29 Oct 2022)

sawtooth-9 said:


> Now this is a real opportunity to combine some serious woodwork, skill development and pest extermination.
> Make a cross bow !



which I said in post #12


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## Kittyhawk (30 Oct 2022)

thetyreman said:


> which I said in post #12


Been considering archery again, long bow, not crossbow.
Looking into the law, long bows do not come under the firearms act so I can use one wherever so long as in doing so I do not pose a risk to the public - a moot point on our reserve. The photo attached to my original post shows the reserve where the rabbits congregate and you will note there are no people to be seen. This is normal, there ain't nobody here 'cept for us rabbits..
The reason for considering archery as a deterrent is that as alluded to in an earlier post, 60 years ago I shot at club level and my 4 arrow grouping was 18cm on the 60 metre range. Rusty, no doubt, but I still have the same eyes in my head and practice should recoup much of what I've lost in the interim. I can shoot from off my deck and the range would be in the region of 12-15 metres. I may set up a target at that range and if I can't hit a rabbit sized bullseye dead centre with a broad tip which would ensure a clean kill on live prey... well I'll just go off and sulk.


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## Ttrees (30 Oct 2022)

If you get tired of that, stick one on a pole, and If you see a raptor getting a feast, chances are it would return.
Still super cautious and normally gets spooked if it sees you through the window,
but somewhat less I guess.
Always seems to be around the magpies, crows were chasing it away during summer, some gray crows seemingly indifferent compared to rooks or whichever species of crow or ravens they are.
Likely knows when the mice will be getting cold.


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## Orraloon (30 Oct 2022)

I did a fair bit of rabbit shooting as a lad growing up in Scotland but it was for the pot. No way you will make much of a dent in the population whatever you shoot them with. They do taste nice and the odd couple for the pot is some consolation. If you are going to shoot some then aim to be as humane as you can and you will have to put some wounded ones out of their misery. Thats just a fact of hunting. Even with a .22 or a shotgun the kill is often not as quick as desired. An airgun would just be sheer cruelty and not very effective. I knew some bow hunters and rabbits and small game are shot with blunt arrow heads known as blunts. Archery shops sell them but some used steel hex nuts on wood shafts. Anyhow however hunting is done there is a responsibility on the hunter to do it right.
Regards
John


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## sometimewoodworker (30 Oct 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> I wonder if anyone has any experience in the use of slingshots to visit a serious amount of mayhem and murder on an out of control rabbit population.
> This is public reserve in the front of mine and the neighbours homes and at dawn and dusk the grass is alive with rabbits.


Despite claims to the contrary rabbits can certainly be controlled or, around our area, eliminated. The most usual tool is one of these




to eliminate them all you need are enough people motivated by free food, a supply of small stone, and the availability of wildlife.

The catapult illustrated probably costs about £1 as it is a luxury model


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## Trainee neophyte (30 Oct 2022)

This is how I would do it: 



Obviously you can't have the ferret, but your ground looks like lurcher heaven. It would be self - exercising, too. And who doesn't want to own a 40mph couch potato? Best dogs to own, by far, but I may be biased.


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## JimJay (30 Oct 2022)

For those interested, a mate of mine, Jorg Sprave, has a Facebook presence, "The Slingshot Channel" - I think you'll find a lot to intrigue/fascinate/outrage you on it.....


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## Keith 66 (30 Oct 2022)

In the semi urban situation & country you are in best tool for the job would be a good powerful air rifle, it will do the job out to the range you can shoot accurately, for me with a .22 & scope that was 30 yards. Modern air rifles have come a long way from those of the 1970's. Free food & a bit of pest control whats not to like. Shooting a .22 rimfire around houses is probably overkill & danger of richochet is high.
If you leave it to so called professionals nothing will ever get done!
Here we used to be plaged with rabbits but myxy came & hit them hard, ten years back the new disease viral haemoragic fever came & all but wiped them out, they have never really recovered.
Now there are as many muntjac deer as rabbits. But controlling them is a whole different ball game.


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## Suffolkboy (30 Oct 2022)

Personally. If I was going to reduce a population of rabbits I'd be thinking of trapping. 

Baited live catch cage traps during the leaner months on a three week cycle, week 1, bait the area. 

week 2 set traps on prebait, bait the traps. 

Week three set the traps to catch, reduce the bait in the traps. Hek the traps twice a day. 


Very rare that shooting, whatever method you use is enough to have a significant impact on a large population in a short space of time. 

That said, effective shooting over a period of years can surpress populations. 

A combination of the two is the ideal. 


Also not sure of the legalities in NZ but have you considered Aluminium Phosphide?


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## Suffolkboy (30 Oct 2022)

Sachakins said:


> You won't have to kill as many as you think, self preservation and the herd instinct kick in quite quickly and they'll move on.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No. That's not true.


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## Fergie 307 (30 Oct 2022)

Orraloon said:


> I did a fair bit of rabbit shooting as a lad growing up in Scotland but it was for the pot. No way you will make much of a dent in the population whatever you shoot them with. They do taste nice and the odd couple for the pot is some consolation. If you are going to shoot some then aim to be as humane as you can and you will have to put some wounded ones out of their misery. Thats just a fact of hunting. Even with a .22 or a shotgun the kill is often not as quick as desired. An airgun would just be sheer cruelty and not very effective. I knew some bow hunters and rabbits and small game are shot with blunt arrow heads known as blunts. Archery shops sell them but some used steel hex nuts on wood shafts. Anyhow however hunting is done there is a responsibility on the hunter to do it right.
> Regards
> John


Have hunted rabbits for over forty years using air rifles, starting off with the old spring powered ones and more recently hpa. Never want to use anything powered by CO2 for hunting as the pressure varies too much with temperature to ensure consistemcy. Plenty powerful enough in 22 calibre. But you need to know what you are doing and practice. If you cannot guarantee to hit the animal in the head then you shouldnt be doing it. Effective range is whatever range you can be confident of being able to do that. With a modern hpa rifle that can be up to about 45m, assuming the British power limit of 12flb. And in my experience, provided there is adequate food abailable elsewhere, then they do eventually learn to avoid areas where their mates have been shot. If you have a smallish garden then of course a siutable fence is probably the better long term solution, not going to work for the OP though.


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## Fergie 307 (30 Oct 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> Yes, I take your point.
> I've been in abbatoirs too - I used to send my bobby calves there and I'm pretty certain that cattle, wide eyed and bellowing in the race awaiting their turn for the captive bolt gun know exactly what's about to happen to them. In my seafaring days I sailed briefly on ships which, in the lyrics of the shanty, go a-fishing for the whale.
> My conclusion from these events is that there is no nice way to kill anything.
> Rabbit control in NZ is in the hands of government and its appointed exterminators and to achieve this they use the calicivirus and mixamatosis. These induced diseases are highly transmissable within rabbit populations and the symptoms before inevitable death are days of lethargy, loss of appetite, organ failure and bleeding out via the nose, mouth and eyes.
> ...


If you use a rifle rather than a catapult, and become proficient enough to shoot them in the head, then you will not have any walkimg wounded. From your photo the range looks to be pretty short. Get yourself a catcher amd some paper targets to practice, you may even find you enjoy target shooting. At least then when its time for Mr Bunny to say goodnight you can make a proper job of it.


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## ptturner (30 Oct 2022)

Im not sure about Rabbit control, however if you can get hold of Stoats or Pine Martins they are great predators of Grey Squirrels. Plus the native red squirrels are too fast or can travel out to the lighter branches and escape the Pine Martins and Stoats.


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## JimJay (30 Oct 2022)

Straying a bit off topic but air rifles have certainly come a long way since the old days - I have a collection of old and new ones. Over here there's no limit on how powerful an air weapon you can buy; you just waltz into the shop and stroll out with whatever takes your fancy, provided you can afford it. You're supposed to register it with the local Old Bill but they couldn't care less if you do or don't and anyway you can buy them online from other EU countries if you're over 18. 

I haven't gone above a 9mm (.357 in old money) Benjamin Bulldog, mainly because ammo gets seriously expensive at the larger calibres, but I am very tempted by the Zeus .50". I can't imagine what I'd do with it in normal times but these days, and in this neck of the woods, it's always possible that some vermin in Russian uniforms might turn up in the garden.....


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## Kittyhawk (30 Oct 2022)

We have no predators at all in nz that would deal to rabbits.
To acquire a .22 I would need a gun licence but in any event shooting on a public reserve is prohibited. Air rifles up to a certain velocity don't need a licence but are also banned from public places. Viral control of rabbits is in the hands of government and they won't do anything on local council land, so my bum's out the window with all the above which is why I began with the catapult idea and progressed to the longbow for which there are no restrictions. 
Not really interested in the wholesale slaughter of rabbits but the premise that eliminating the few within my immediate vicinity will make the others keep away. This is what I am told so prepared to shoot anything within my immediate vicinity for a couple of weeks to see if it's true. If not then on to Plan B, but there isn't one.
I take on board Triton and others comments about the necessity of a clean kill which is the reason for abandoning the catapult idea as I've never even held one. As mentioned with the longbow my 4-arrow grouping was 18cm over 60 metres which equates to reliably hitting a tennis ball sized target at the anticipated range of 12m, but that was 60 years ago. There are a few hard and fasts in archery- the stance, top of the longbow at one-o-clock, ascertaining the correct nock point on the bowstring etc. For the rest, you don't really aim a longbow, shooting is intuitive so hoping it's like riding a bicycle, you don't forget. On the plus side I've only shot with traditional wooden bows which have a few in- built vagaries and are subject to climatic conditions, so about to order a very nice French built composite recurve longbow, 60inch, 26lb draw weight which won't have these issues and will shoot reliably. Practice, and if any good, onto rabbits.


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## fenhayman (30 Oct 2022)

Stuart Moffat said:


> Well if anyone likes squirrel stew and wants to catch their own I’ve got a couple of acres with them running riot. I’ve got a .22 air rifle but thats not a lot of use whe they can run out of range vertically up a tree in no time. any ideas?


Set up a bird table with a couple of hanging pea nut holders. Position it in a easy line from a bedroom window. Keep the window open a crack so noise of opening doesn't scare them off.


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## mikej460 (30 Oct 2022)

Just buy yourself a Maine Coon cat, it'll be better than a scarecrow as long as you can put up with the occasional 'present' appearing in your house


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## John Brown (30 Oct 2022)

I believe the rabbit population has plunged recently. Not myxomatosis, but some other disease.


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## Tris (30 Oct 2022)

That figures, the local vets had posters up recommending rabbits be vaccinated against haemorrhagic virus, as well as myxy, recently


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## John Brown (31 Oct 2022)

Tris said:


> That figures, the local vets had posters up recommending rabbits be vaccinated against haemorrhagic virus, as well as myxy, recently


Thanks, yes. Couldn't remember the name.
I think it was mentioned way back in this thread by another name, calci something virus...


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## Suffolkboy (1 Nov 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> We have no predators at all in nz that would deal to rabbits.
> To acquire a .22 I would need a gun licence but in any event shooting on a public reserve is prohibited. Air rifles up to a certain velocity don't need a licence but are also banned from public places. Viral control of rabbits is in the hands of government and they won't do anything on local council land, so my bum's out the window with all the above which is why I began with the catapult idea and progressed to the longbow for which there are no restrictions.
> Not really interested in the wholesale slaughter of rabbits but the premise that eliminating the few within my immediate vicinity will make the others keep away. This is what I am told so prepared to shoot anything within my immediate vicinity for a couple of weeks to see if it's true. If not then on to Plan B, but there isn't one.
> I take on board Triton and others comments about the necessity of a clean kill which is the reason for abandoning the catapult idea as I've never even held one. As mentioned with the longbow my 4-arrow grouping was 18cm over 60 metres which equates to reliably hitting a tennis ball sized target at the anticipated range of 12m, but that was 60 years ago. There are a few hard and fasts in archery- the stance, top of the longbow at one-o-clock, ascertaining the correct nock point on the bowstring etc. For the rest, you don't really aim a longbow, shooting is intuitive so hoping it's like riding a bicycle, you don't forget. On the plus side I've only shot with traditional wooden bows which have a few in- built vagaries and are subject to climatic conditions, so about to order a very nice French built composite recurve longbow, 60inch, 26lb draw weight which won't have these issues and will shoot reliably. Practice, and if any good, onto rabbits.


I cull rabbits professionally. Amongst other things. 

The idea that shooting a few will somehow make the others "move on" is nonsense. 

What is more likely is that as/if you reduce the population in the immediate area it will be recolonised from the surroundings.

I don't know what your population density is, or what the status of mixymatosis or VHD in NZ is so it's difficult to comment but, I would manage your expectations of what you can achieve by picking off the odd rabbit here or there with a bow, catapult, airgun or even rimfire centerfire rifle or a shotgun. Personally I doubt you will see a meaningful difference at all. 

I have two farms over here, in the presence of myxy and VHD that I shoot and trap hundreds of rabbits annually on and have done for the last six years. The population has reduced, quite dramatically but there will always be rabbits there. All ypu can do is keep the pressure on and try to keep the population supressed to a point that crop damage is acceptable. 

That said, good luck. google some rabbit recipes because they can be good eating.


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## Kittyhawk (2 Nov 2022)

An update. 
Starting to think that the rabbits around here are pretty cunning and that they've been secretly reading UKW and not liking the content of this post, have decided to make themselves scarce.
There used to be a dozen or so in the immediate vicinity, yesterday at dusk there were four, today one.
And I've gone and ordered a new recurve bow to deal to them.
But never mind, I've been thinking about taking up archery again for a while. I have a few hobbies and one more won't hurt - another string to my bow as you might say.
But no stick shooters club in Whangamata. Might have to start one.


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## Kittyhawk (15 Dec 2022)

I've had my new recurve bow for a couple of weeks now and a beautiful thing it is, too. In an unfrequented part of a reserve I have set up a target - a 30cm square double layer piece of carpet and have been going there each morning at 6:30 (when it's not raining) to practise and slowly the art of intuitive shooting is coming back to me. Currently at the point where I can get a good grouping on the target, four arrows in 30 seconds at a 30 metre range. Good enough for rabbits.
Just this evening, a couple of hours ago there was a rabbit in the garden, a big fellow. A beautiful clear shot, range about 12metres, a bank beyond to catch the arrow in case of a miss - perfect! From the comfort of my deck I nocked a 700 spine, 125 grain carbon arrow, went to full draw.... and when it came to let fly, I just couldn't do it.
200 bucks I paid for that bow so that was a waste of money. Bloody rabbits..!


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## Inspector (15 Dec 2022)

Maybe you can convince the rabbits to wear some carpet squares. 

Pete


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## JimJay (15 Dec 2022)




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## clogs (15 Dec 2022)

I was like that in the begining ......
but that changed after having my own small hoding for 17 years......
coz there was nobody else to do it....
hang the bow in the workshop/office as it's a thing of beauty.........


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## D_W (15 Dec 2022)

mikej460 said:


> Just buy yourself a Maine Coon cat, it'll be better than a scarecrow as long as you can put up with the occasional 'present' appearing in your house
> 
> View attachment 146175



My mother's favorite type. Only cat type I've seen that will seek water, but ours was a "outside during the day and kill it if it moves" kind of cat, too.

to the OP's original comment - we have a rabbit problem here, too. but about a year ago, a killer cat showed up at our door from a street over and eventually the owner gave up on her and gave us her papers. Street over has four other cats and five dogs, and "killer cat" doesn't care for other animals of any type at all.

two small animals a day. I haven't seen her get a large rabbit, but she gets the little ones....and everything else. Only static so far is someone down the street who feeds birds.

We also had a groundhog problem in the yard behind us, but the owner is turkish and got some kind of outdoor dog (pleasant disposition, doesn't bark) and I haven't seen a ground hog in a long time.

if there's pressure nearby (more rabbits who will move in) then killing them is a never ending battle. having an animal that kills them is pretty effortless.


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## Flynnwood (15 Dec 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> From the comfort of my deck I nocked a 700 spine, 125 grain carbon arrow, went to full draw.... and when it came to let fly, I just couldn't do it.


That reminds me of a TV scene where that English Chef/Cook had a wild deer in the sights but then couldn't pull the trigger:
(1 minute vid)


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## mikej460 (15 Dec 2022)

We had 8 maine coons at the peak as my wife breeds and shows them. The two oldest were allowed out but after we lost one my wife kept the youngest 6 in and I built a huge run for them. The two old 'uns have since died of old age.

Here is her website if you're interested in seeing them Coonspiracy Maine Coons – Maine Coon Cats and Kittens

Before they died the two old 'uns brought in rabbits, pheasants, squirrels and countless mice/voles oh and once a Water Rail ffs!


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## Kittyhawk (15 Dec 2022)

clogs said:


> hang the bow in the workshop/office as it's a thing of beauty.........


Took your advice...


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## Inspector (15 Dec 2022)

I see your back up plan hanging next to the bow.

Pete


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## D_W (15 Dec 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> Took your advice...
> View attachment 149058



I hear that knives should be thrown from the tip and not the handle. it's going to be a little hard with that one. 

As tame as the deer are here in the states (suburbs, they run from half a mile away in rural areas), you could hold the handle end of that thing and get a few here.


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## Kittyhawk (15 Dec 2022)

Inspector said:


> I see your back up plan hanging next to the bow.
> 
> Pete


It used to be on the wall in the lounge but the child bride felt a bit discomfited by it so relegated to the workshop.


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## JAW911 (16 Dec 2022)

Stuart Moffat said:


> Well if anyone likes squirrel stew and wants to catch their own I’ve got a couple of acres with them running riot. I’ve got a .22 air rifle but thats not a lot of use whe they can run out of range vertically up a tree in no time. any ideas?


Pile of peanuts at 35m from a window


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## Lefley (16 Dec 2022)

D_W said:


> My mother's favorite type. Only cat type I've seen that will seek water, but ours was a "outside during the day and kill it if it moves" kind of cat, too.
> 
> to the OP's original comment - we have a rabbit problem here, too. but about a year ago, a killer cat showed up at our door from a street over and eventually the owner gave up on her and gave us her papers. Street over has four other cats and five dogs, and "killer cat" doesn't care for other animals of any type at all.
> 
> ...


until they bring you presents to your pillow in bed!


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## Fergie 307 (16 Dec 2022)

On a completely seperate issue can modetators comment on why we are seeing adverts for eco buddy heaters, which everyone knows are a con. Do the owners not have any control over advertisements on the forum?


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## Fergie 307 (16 Dec 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> I've had my new recurve bow for a couple of weeks now and a beautiful thing it is, too. In an unfrequented part of a reserve I have set up a target - a 30cm square double layer piece of carpet and have been going there each morning at 6:30 (when it's not raining) to practise and slowly the art of intuitive shooting is coming back to me. Currently at the point where I can get a good grouping on the target, four arrows in 30 seconds at a 30 metre range. Good enough for rabbits.
> Just this evening, a couple of hours ago there was a rabbit in the garden, a big fellow. A beautiful clear shot, range about 12metres, a bank beyond to catch the arrow in case of a miss - perfect! From the comfort of my deck I nocked a 700 spine, 125 grain carbon arrow, went to full draw.... and when it came to let fly, I just couldn't do it.
> 200 bucks I paid for that bow so that was a waste of money. Bloody rabbits..!


Just imagine him surrounded by a few veg, and wearing a nice puff pastry hat, may help


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## D_W (16 Dec 2022)

Fergie 307 said:


> On a completely seperate issue can modetators comment on why we are seeing adverts for eco buddy heaters, which everyone knows are a con. Do the owners not have any control over advertisements on the forum?


Not if they come from an ad service to fill in gaps.


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## Inspector (16 Dec 2022)

Fergie 307 said:


> On a completely seperate issue can modetators comment on why we are seeing adverts for eco buddy heaters, which everyone knows are a con. Do the owners not have any control over advertisements on the forum?


Go into your Preferences and click the box to not show adds. You have the control.

Pete


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## accipiter (16 Dec 2022)

Inspector said:


> Go into your Preferences and click the box to not show adds. You have the control.
> 
> Pete


Cheers for that Pete (@Inspector ). I'm sure that "originally" id set to not show ads - the "videos" were getting annoying, especially when they move "after scrolled past" to the bottom right corner when viewing on a tablet.


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## Lefley (16 Dec 2022)

Kittyhawk said:


> Took your advice...
> View attachment 149058


if it's a real big rabbit you could use the sword as an arrow!


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## Dibs-h (16 Dec 2022)

I had a squirrel "problem" some years ago - critters were in the loft. Got myself an air rifle (right up to the legal limit). I remember the seller asking what it was for - so I told him.

His advice was without a head shot - they'd get up and go. I shot one from 6 feet away - missed the head and got the upper torso. It laid out flat - moments later, it got up and ran off.  After that - I made damn sure it was always a head shot.

Had one pesky one - had to get a trap for that one. A Snickers bar worked a treat as bait.

If I had a rabbit issue, I wouldn't use an air rifle and if I couldn't use a regular rifle - I'd be temped to get a compound bow.


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## D_W (16 Dec 2022)

Lefley said:


> until they bring you presents to your pillow in bed!



Fortunately, the one here doesn't do that, but she has come into the house with bird in mouth before, and on a day when she was doing delayed killing (bird flying in the house, but she recaptured it and we opened the door and she took off with it, probably in fear that we were going to rob her of it). 

Ticks, really, are a real problem here. She has to be combed and checked for ticks and she has a stupid hobby - walking up to a group of deer and hunching into the grass so they can lick her head and back (apparently, cats are salty to deer). but the deer ticks don't just come off of deer here (not sure if you have deer ticks in the UK). They're on anything where deer are and rubbing against weeds or fences, etc, an result in one hitching a ride. 

Lyme disease is a problem here, and son had a bout with it this year.


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## Lefley (16 Dec 2022)

D_W said:


> Fortunately, the one here doesn't do that, but she has come into the house with bird in mouth before, and on a day when she was doing delayed killing (bird flying in the house, but she recaptured it and we opened the door and she took off with it, probably in fear that we were going to rob her of it).
> 
> Ticks, really, are a real problem here. She has to be combed and checked for ticks and she has a stupid hobby - walking up to a group of deer and hunching into the grass so they can lick her head and back (apparently, cats are salty to deer). but the deer ticks don't just come off of deer here (not sure if you have deer ticks in the UK). They're on anything where deer are and rubbing against weeds or fences, etc, an result in one hitching a ride.
> 
> Lyme disease is a problem here, and son had a bout with it this year.


yes i'm from British Columbia, have to comb dog for ticks after walks.


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## D_W (16 Dec 2022)

Lefley said:


> yes i'm from British Columbia, have to comb dog for ticks after walks.


oops...forgot to look at location.


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## Suffolkboy (17 Dec 2022)

D_W said:


> Fortunately, the one here doesn't do that, but she has come into the house with bird in mouth before, and on a day when she was doing delayed killing (bird flying in the house, but she recaptured it and we opened the door and she took off with it, probably in fear that we were going to rob her of it).
> 
> Ticks, really, are a real problem here. She has to be combed and checked for ticks and she has a stupid hobby - walking up to a group of deer and hunching into the grass so they can lick her head and back (apparently, cats are salty to deer). but the deer ticks don't just come off of deer here (not sure if you have deer ticks in the UK). They're on anything where deer are and rubbing against weeds or fences, etc, an result in one hitching a ride.
> 
> Lyme disease is a problem here, and son had a bout with it this year.


We do get ticks here. I had Lyme ealrier this year as well. The antibiotics they prescribed me were pretty awful let aline the disease itself.


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## Rex deWolf (17 Dec 2022)

Haven't read all the posts but I live in the countryside with a large rabbit  population. They come into my garden and dig holes everywhere they ofter eat thru the guide wire for my robotic mower. I have caught 15 plus one summer in a bait trap and the release them somewhere else. Barking dogs don't annoy them at all, and they are far to quick for my collie (left) 

Don't know if this has already been mentioned but I have been told to plant wild garlic around my boundary - alledgy rabbits are allergic to it and will keep their distance. Cannot confirm if this works or not - I bought 50 plants from a grower on the Internet, and don't know if it was my soil/the way that I planted them but only a handful of the plants survived. The plants themselves only cost me about £10 so maybe worth a try


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## D_W (17 Dec 2022)

Suffolkboy said:


> We do get ticks here. I had Lyme ealrier this year as well. The antibiotics they prescribed me were pretty awful let aline the disease itself.



Son's bout was bad. He got sick with three other things over the next two months. I'm convinced that the lyme overwhelmed his immune system to some extent. 

one of those things was covid, which he got over pretty quickly, but then his immune system went bonkers for a couple of days leaving him covered in appearing and disappearing spots that were worrying. 

I've not seen anything that knocked him out like lyme, though. It came on at once and he was like a lump within a day and a very high fever.


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## highwood122 (18 Dec 2022)

Dibs-h said:


> I had a squirrel "problem" some years ago - critters were in the loft. Got myself an air rifle (right up to the legal limit). I remember the seller asking what it was for - so I told him.
> 
> His advice was without a head shot - they'd get up and go. I shot one from 6 feet away - missed the head and got the upper torso. It laid out flat - moments later, it got up and ran off.  After that - I made damn sure it was always a head shot.
> 
> ...


had a cat here could chase a squirrel up a 45 foot tree and whack it out of the tree, squirrel falls in the grass, gets up and runs into the woods.cat comes down the tree and saunters of to woods,5 minutes later wanders back with squirrel. i watched this from an easy chair and i dont get how the cat new it had doomed the squirrel with one whack or how it found it after wards in a jungle


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## llangatwgnedd (18 Dec 2022)

Pre charged pneumatic air rifle .22 calibre with a moderator, very quite only noise you'll hear is the thud of a pellet cracking it's skull @ 25 m.

Head shots only please.


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## Jester129 (19 Dec 2022)

@highwood122 photos of this incredible cat please!!


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## D_W (19 Dec 2022)

highwood122 said:


> had a cat here could chase a squirrel up a 45 foot tree and whack it out of the tree, squirrel falls in the grass, gets up and runs into the woods.cat comes down the tree and saunters of to woods,5 minutes later wanders back with squirrel. i watched this from an easy chair and i dont get how the cat new it had doomed the squirrel with one whack or how it found it after wards in a jungle



I would show killer kitty's results after squirrel catching also, but I think most here wouldn't appreciate them. 

Last summer, she was sitting on the step cleaning her front feet. I saw a tail in the yard and was kind of dreading having to dig a hole to get rid of the squirrel (wife's big thing for a while - bury anything big instead of leaving it until something takes it away).

Walked over to it and there was a small organ or two, tail (no squirrel attached), two back feet and a nose with two teeth attached to it. 

The mrs. said "I don't think she did that" as the cat was about 10 feet away cleaning. 

"no, of course not. She just sat there and watched it happen". 

most cats here in the burbs are too lazy to get squirrels, and the squirrels are bold. They don't walk the fence around this yard any longer if kitty is anywhere close. 

of course, I took a picture of the bits left behind like proud dad - not to show the parts, but to show how much wasn't there.


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## highwood122 (20 Dec 2022)

Jester129 said:


> @highwood122 photos of this incredible cat please!!


who do you think i am, david bailey?


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## Suffolkboy (24 Dec 2022)

D_W said:


> Son's bout was bad. He got sick with three other things over the next two months. I'm convinced that the lyme overwhelmed his immune system to some extent.
> 
> one of those things was covid, which he got over pretty quickly, but then his immune system went bonkers for a couple of days leaving him covered in appearing and disappearing spots that were worrying.
> 
> I've not seen anything that knocked him out like lyme, though. It came on at once and he was like a lump within a day and a very high fever.


Poor guy. I hope he's fully recovered now.


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## D_W (24 Dec 2022)

Suffolkboy said:


> Poor guy. I hope he's fully recovered now.



He's fine now - not sure if there is any connection, but his was caught early. Pediatrician said they've stopped waiting for positive tests for lyme as there's too much damage by the time they will test positive. The fix was an antibiotic and since son was early on, it was perhaps 3 days of the nasties and then getting progressively better. 

The obnoxious part was that he seemed to get relatively significant sick and had an adverse reaction to getting covid. It's easy being sick and just ignore it to a great extent. It's not as easy to ignore when it's the kids that are sick repeatedly - it starts to give concern for things like leukemia, which you can push in the US and the health care system will always bend and test something if you get nutty - even if the practitioner thinks it's unlikely. But we were fortunately one step short of pulling the annoying patient card. 

A few friends in the wife's group have had lyme, caught later, and are not fully cured years later. An aunt of mine has been confined to a scooter for decades now due to a bad bout of lyme. it's a real nuisance.


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