Releasing wild rabbits ( Stupid question but still)

[Kezselby]

Hi all.
I know is may seen like a very stupid question but I you don't ask you don't get haha
I am a keen air gunner and I was wondering if I could release some wild rabbits on my own land as I don't have any at the moment. I know it may be illegal but how would I do it and where could I buy them from.
Many Thanks
Kez

[baldinio]

The only likely source of wild live rabbits I can think of would be to find someone who ferrets and ask them to catch you some live Bunnies. I'm not sure regards the legality of this though mate, you would have to look into it first I imagine. Plus there's a good reason landowners don't like rabbits on their land, they can be seriously destructive. They probably will not confine their excavations and eating habits to just your own property either, you would be potentially subjecting your neighbours to these problems too. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting rabbits and can see why you may think this would be a good idea, but honestly I think you're on a bit of a sticky wicket deliberately introducing pest species onto your own land bud. Hope that helps.

Baldinio

[angrybear]

It will be illegal as rabbits are classed as vermin & introducing/releasing vermin is illegal, both due to the risk of importing disease & the damage they can do.

Don't do it, DEFRA would not be happy

[artschool]

Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it.

[Daveo]

I'm not sure it is illegal........
If you had the landowners permission to release rabbits why is it illegal ?
They are a native species.
Foxes can legally be released (I checked with DEFRA) but it's not advisable because they can cover huge distances to get back to their home territory and can spread disease in the process and have to contend with other foxes whilst trying to get "home"
Non natives like grey squirrels must be destroyed if trapped.
But how many times have you seen those idiot vet programs setting the fluffy buggers free after nursing them back to health????
Who got prosecuted ? No one.
Do it.

[Muskett]

Irrespective of legal or not, then:
A rabbit warren every year sends fourth excess males and females to find new homes, to stop overcrowding. Thats the natural method.
If your patch has no rabbits then quite possible the ground isn't good for holding rabbits, or establishing a warren or two. Poor land and rabbits will be always be scarce. If there are signs of old warrens then if they were suitable local rabbits will repopulate then soon enough. Poor drainage, and no cover are the main reasons for few rabbits.

Catching a whole lot up and dumping them on your ground is unlikely to result in anything more than bewildered terrified rabbits that the local foxes will sweep up in no time. Or the local rabbits will hound out sharpish.

The spread of desease is high. Rabbits are vermin for good reason and its not just what they eat but the damage they do.

Lastly,
This time of year most fields look empty. Go out with NV kit or a lamp at 3am and you will see the real rabbit numbers all feeding out in the fields. Numbers can be staggering.

[Inspector 71]

My first thought when I read this thread was "what a dick."

It is also my last thought.

Releasing wild rabbits to get a population you can shoot? Weird. Very weird.

You should have a word with yourself.

[angrybear]

I'm not sure it is illegal........
If you had the landowners permission to release rabbits why is it illegal ?
They are a native species.
Foxes can legally be released (I checked with DEFRA) but it's not advisable because they can cover huge distances to get back to their home territory and can spread disease in the process and have to contend with other foxes whilst trying to get "home"
Non natives like grey squirrels must be destroyed if trapped.
But how many times have you seen those idiot vet programs setting the fluffy buggers free after nursing them back to health????
Who got prosecuted ? No one.
Do it.

That's like saying if you've got landowner permission to shoot deer at night or out of season it makes it legal it doesn't.

Actually rabbits are not native, they're a Mediterranean species, first bought to the UK by the Romans as a food source.
Foxes can be released because they have never been legally classified as solely Vermin, which is also why a FAC lists them separately from vermin.

Prosecution or not, is a matter of cost & PR, the RSPCA would fight a case against them & it would be bad PR for DEFRA over 1 or 2 cute fluffy things as seen on TV.

If rabbits were released they would spread to neighbouring property & he would be responsible, there is also the side of things about them being bought in purely for sport.

[bighit]

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)

The act was brought into law in 1981 and has been amended several times since. Schedule 5 is reviewed every five years. Together with the CRoW Act, it provides the strongest protection for UK wildlife.

The act:

Prohibits certain methods of killing and taking wild animals (e.g. using bows)
Protects animals that are listed on Schedule five from being taken from the wild, killed or injured, either intentionally or recklessly
Makes it an offence to either intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, obstruct, or disturb the places the animals on Schedule 5 use for shelter and protection
Prohibits the possession or control of any animal, live or dead, listed on Schedule 5, unless it is disabled and the intention is to re-release it
Makes it an offence to allow the release or escape of a non-native animal (including those already established such as grey squirrel or mink)
Replaces and amends previous wildlife legislation.

if as Angrybear says that they are not native the bit in red above is to be followed.

1. European rabbit
Eurasian rabbit
(Yuri Levchenko/Flickr)
That’s right, those rabbits you see everywhere in the countryside weren’t always here. There’s archaeological evidence that rabbits were first brought here from Spain by the Romans as food, although today’s wild population seems to have been introduced by the Normans in the 12th century.


but then there is the pheasant

7. Common pheasant
Common pheasant
(Allan Hack/Flickr)
Think about it – would a British bird really be as colourful as the pheasant? It started out in Asia, and was brought here from Roman times onwards, becoming common by the 15th century. Nowadays it’s all over the countryside – but what do you expect if you release thousands every year for shooting?

[Gunfun]

Britain has a long history of establishing rabbit warrens for hunting and commercial gain, I'd check with a solicitor it's been made illegal to do this.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/l...art-2/1780902/

Edit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_(domestic)

[Barryg]

My first thought when I read this thread was "what a dick."

It is also my last thought.

Releasing wild rabbits to get a population you can shoot? Weird. Very weird.

You should have a word with yourself.

I agree, what kind of PR for airgunners would that be, releasing live animals so someone can have fun killing them

[Charlts]

Obvious troll is obvious, look out for a tabloid article on how gun nuts discuss the best way to increase their chances of successfully satiating their bloodlust.

There's loads of places crawling with rabbits, just go and get permission on there.

[rabbitwrecker]

I know is may seen like a very stupid question

Correct.......

[Turnup]

I find the whole idea of cultivating creatures for the purpose of hunting and killing them to be very distasteful, and this includes pheasant, grouse etc.

Before you all accuse me of being a snowflake, I do shoot grey squirrels on my land, but this is not my idea of fun, it is an unpleasant chore.

[max headroom]

I agree, what kind of PR for airgunners would that be, releasing live animals so someone can have fun killing them

ask the pheasant breeders. and i am a soft sod. i shot a rabbit once then found the likkle ones. i took them home and they became bens pets. he was terrorist. a jack Russel one. touch any of them bunnies and prepare for a visit to AandE. the bggr is i gave them away and they ended up as pets. wild rabbits my bum.