The backyard is infested with rabbits.

We bought a couple of traps, but they're the kind that work by sticking one end of the cage into a burrow opening and then blocking up the other burrow entrances; only way out for the rabbits inside is to walk into the cage through a non-return door.

However as the rabbits are living in fairly dense brush (which is outside our property so I can't touch it) and come into our place via runs in long grass, when we put the traps in the runs, they will just push their way through the grass around trap rather than going through it.

Have rerigged one of the traps with bait (apple) at one end and a platform just in front of it that drops the non-return door closed behind the rabbit.

Rabbits seem to be going into the trap and eating the bait, but the trigger to drop the door doesn't seem to be working.

Will fiddle with it to fine tune it over the next week or so, but if no success, does anyone have the standard style possum trap (i.e. rectangular wire mesh cage with bait hook on one end which goes up and is attached to a rod that drops the cage door when the bait hook is disturbed) that they're looking to get rid of?

If not, may just get one off ebay for $50 or so.

Cheers.

Pretty easy to set up snares. I've got a few with old guitar strings.

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WARNING: CONTAINS CARROT

Cheers Greg!.

That would certainly do the job, however we also have fairly close neighbours with cats and small dogs that they're quite fond of (but which don't seem to be making much of an impact on the rabbits!); one of the reasons we went with the cage traps (i.e. capture without killing or injury) was to make sure that neighbours pets didn't get inadvertently terminated.

The other main benefit being that I can dispatch a rabbit in a quicker and more humane manner than a snare or fox/rabbit trap will.

sounds like you really do need a bow mate:) that would show those pesky foof balls

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Forever falling through the water column

you could try sending a ferret down there. although you still have the problem of covering the holes. not sure how much they cost but could be an option.

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Do you know what really makes me smile? Facial muscles.

KNO3 + sugar....... smoke the fuckers out!

Thanks for the comments guys!

Have made some progress with the modified trap; it's gone off twice now, but no rabbit inside each time.

Close, but no cigar.

Either they're cunning little sods who already know how to get out or they're crawling over the top of the trap and hitting the trigger line.

More mods in order I guess.

Will post progress soon.

In the meantime, if anyone knows of some other equipment that would do the job and is up for sale, please drop me a PM.

Cheers!