When food is priority over danger

I put some seeds on my woodpile every evening to lure out mice and moles. I get a couple a week. Finally in the dead of winter this rabbit discovers the seeds. It climbs up on the woodpile and eats them. I admired its ability to discover them up there. Admiration soon dwindled when I realized it was eating all the seeds so no more mice. I don’t want to shoot it because there really is no reason to. I’m positive I will never catch it in my house chewing on stuff. So I decided to shoot this stainless piece of chimney right beside it. The rabbit never even flinched. So I put a .177 slug right through its ear to scare it. It ran away. A couple days later it was back up on my woodpile showing off it’s new piercing. So I pierced its ear with another slug. It ran back in a little ways and spun facing me. I watched it grab it’s ear, pull it down and lick it. I’m done. It won. Now I just feed the dang thing. Here’s a pic of it with two piercings. It’s out there right now, piercings still visible so it inspired me to write this. Sorry, no dead body at the end of this story. At least not yet.
5035BE8C-2641-4AB3-AB14-F2B5F5F934C4.1645838628.png

 
I feed the cottontail rabbits that frequent my property. Never had a problem.

About 2 years ago or so, a white European rabbit showed up. At first, all I thought was how he was probably someone's pet that was released and made his way to my backyard. So, I started feeding the rabbits with Alfalfa pellets, corn and 3 grain blend (cracked corn, whole wheat and barley).

Well, although the cottontails never caused a problem other than making the occasional shallow burrow for birthing, the European (male) rabbit has started to dig shallow holes/trenches which I think are related to mating and territorial actions.

Anyway, because I like the cottontail rabbits and the white European rabbit (I named him Buddy) I have never shot one of them.

As for the trenches "Buddy" digs, I have found that ground Cayenne pepper and ground Garlic works wonders to stop his digging. (smile)

YMMV

P.S.

The native male cottontails never caused this problem. Too bad that Buddy will never make a baby with the cottontails, but he does try... OFTEN! (chuckle)
 
@VetMX I’m actually in the comments about this feeding moles things. Can you tell me more about this? They have been tearing my yard up for at least a year. How do you draw them out above ground and what time of day do you find that they come out? I never see them. Are they skittish?

They only show themselves at night. But they are hard to pick up because they have no glowing eyes. I have two woodpiles and I just sprinkle some seeds around. They almost never stop moving so they are challenging. I was shooting them with a Taipan with slugs but switched to mostly a .177. They fly so far with a 22 slug and are hard to find for a damage report. Both woodpiles are 30 yards so it isn’t easy to time them. What’s crazy is if I miss and lift one off the ground, I can hear it squeaking. They are pretty loud.
99E70F0A-4CCD-4D34-A496-5FAD3CDAA6DB.1645845147.jpeg

 
I feed the cottontail rabbits that frequent my property. Never had a problem.

About 2 years ago or so, a white European rabbit showed up. At first, all I thought was how he was probably someone's pet that was released and made his way to my backyard. So, I started feeding the rabbits with Alfalfa pellets, corn and 3 grain blend (cracked corn, whole wheat and barley).

Well, although the cottontails never caused a problem other than making the occasional shallow burrow for birthing, the European (male) rabbit has started to dig shallow holes/trenches which I think are related to mating and territorial actions.

Anyway, because I like the cottontail rabbits and the white European rabbit (I named him Buddy) I have never shot one of them.

As for the trenches "Buddy" digs, I have found that ground Cayenne pepper and ground Garlic works wonders to stop his digging. (smile)

YMMV

That’s funny because years ago my buddy had a fat black and white rabbit show up at his house. We called him Abe Lincoln because he looked like he had a beard. I remember him saying that rabbit was doing something similar to Buddy. Until an owl got him and turned him into a tiny rug.
 
@VetMX I’m actually in the comments about this feeding moles things. Can you tell me more about this? They have been tearing my yard up for at least a year. How do you draw them out above ground and what time of day do you find that they come out? I never see them. Are they skittish?

They only show themselves at night. But they are hard to pick up because they have no glowing eyes. I have two woodpiles and I just sprinkle some seeds around. They almost never stop moving so they are challenging. I was shooting them with a Taipan with slugs but switched to mostly a .177. They fly so far with a 22 slug and are hard to find for a damage report. Both woodpiles are 30 yards so it isn’t easy to time them. What’s crazy is if I miss and lift one off the ground, I can hear it squeaking. They are pretty loud.
99E70F0A-4CCD-4D34-A496-5FAD3CDAA6DB.1645845147.jpeg

I’ve got a woodpile and I’ve sat outside with my night vision waiting to see them a few nights in the past. I didn’t see shyte. I’m trying to catch them on thermal. Their runs show up, but I haven’t seen any of the animals through my scanner. I haven’t tried using seeds as bait. I thought they ate bugs and roots. You’re good to catch and shoot something so small at night. All I know is these little bastards have to go before I start my garden. I’ll have to give the seeds a shot, then shoot the moles. Your aim is amazing between the moles and the rabbit’s ear, wow. 
 
I feed the cottontail rabbits that frequent my property. Never had a problem.

About 2 years ago or so, a white European rabbit showed up. At first, all I thought was how he was probably someone's pet that was released and made his way to my backyard. So, I started feeding the rabbits with Alfalfa pellets, corn and 3 grain blend (cracked corn, whole wheat and barley).

Well, although the cottontails never caused a problem other than making the occasional shallow burrow for birthing, the European (male) rabbit has started to dig shallow holes/trenches which I think are related to mating and territorial actions.

Anyway, because I like the cottontail rabbits and the white European rabbit (I named him Buddy) I have never shot one of them.

As for the trenches "Buddy" digs, I have found that ground Cayenne pepper and ground Garlic works wonders to stop his digging. (smile)

YMMV

That’s funny because years ago my buddy had a fat black and white rabbit show up at his house. We called him Abe Lincoln because he looked like he had a beard. I remember him saying that rabbit was doing something similar to Buddy. Until an owl got him and turned him into a tiny rug.

I only shoot/kill pests... tree rats, chipmunks and rats... in my backyard. The cottontails have always been given a pass because they don't do any discernible damage.

When "Buddy" showed up, at first, there was no damage, but now HE is the ONLY rabbit that pisses me off with his digging.

Oh well, I'll just buy more ground cayenne and garlic powder as they seem to curtail his "trenching".

I would love to have seen his face the first time he "trenched" with the heavy sprinkling of cayenne pepper! LOL!

The trick seems to be the combination of ground garlic and cayenne pepper. He never digs those treated areas again... so far. (chuckle)

He will always get a pass as do the cottontails as I simply enjoy watching them. One of the cottontails comes close enough to almost touch/pet. I think it is one I saved from a cat last year when it was still just a baby. Yeah, I can be a softy. (smile) I love cats too!

Buddy has always given me a finger/nose bump, but that is as far as it goes. Never have petted him.