Wild rabbits are a nuisance in many places and decreasing the population is good for the environment and the rabbit population. The European rabbit originated in southern Europe and was exported as a food source, first by the Romans who took them to Great Britain. The British unfortunately then exported them to Australia, as well as elsewhere, where they caused ecological damage. The Americas have their own species, the cotton-tailed tapiti.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Catching Rabbits with a Simple Trap Knot
Step 1. Find an open area on a rabbit trail for best results
You'll want to set your trap on a path where rabbits pass, otherwise you'll be waiting for a rabbit to magically appear in your trap. A natural rabbit trail will ensure that rabbits pass through your trap's general area.
It's easier to find a rabbit trail during the winter if there is snow. Look for rabbit trail indications in the snow when looking for which parts of the forest rabbits pass
Step 2. Cut a large tree branch or small tree to attract rabbits to your trap
Any type of tree will do, as long as it has branches. After arranging the tree or branch, cut any branches by making a hole about a foot long in the middle of the branch.
Check that the tree or branch is big enough to hold the rabbit. Even though rabbits are not strong or large, they can run away from a branch that is too small, making them difficult to track
Step 3. Place the branch over the rabbit trail, ensuring the hole is centered on the trail
The branches and twigs you cut off will take the rabbit out of the sides and guide it to the center of the trap.
Step 4. Stick small pieces of wood into the floor on both sides of the trap
Do this at spots where the rabbit is likely to pass under the branch, away from the center of the trap.
Step 5. Take a thin copper or brass cord and tie a small knot at one end
About an inch away from the end of the string, make a small knot by opening a hole and then twisting the end of the wire inward four or five times.
If you don't have a fine wire, you can also use a strong wire, but be aware that some rabbits will bite and corrode the rope. After all, using a rope is the most humane way to kill a rabbit
Step 6. Cut the other end of the wire after approximately 60 centimeters
Step 7. Pull the end of the yarn through the knot, creating a small loop
When the rabbit jumps into the loop, thrashing around will only make the loop tighten further, strangling the rabbit. That's how this trap works.
Step 8. Attach the loose end of the loop to the tree or branch you have pitched over the trail
Tie the end to the tree, winding it several times, and then finally making a simple knot through the string itself, to make sure the loop doesn't slip.
- How far from the ground should the loop be? Although it is disputed, many hunters advise placing the noose between four and six inches off the ground. If leaving the loop between 10 and 15 centimeters from the ground does not allow enough space for the loose end to hook around the tree, start again, this time with a longer cable.
- Try to leave the loop completely in the center of the trap. Catching the rabbit will be much more difficult if the loop is more to one side than the other.
Step 9. Thread two more branches into the floor of the trap in an “X” shape
This will prevent the rabbit from slipping under the noose.
Step 10. Mark the trap location in red and check it every day
If you don't check the trap often, the rabbit can be eaten by a fox or bird before you have time to pick it up.
Method 2 of 4: Catching Rabbits With A Hole Trap
Step 1. Dig a big enough hole
Depending on the size of rabbit you're thinking about catching, your hole should be several feet deep and several inches wide. The deeper your hole, the less chance that any captured rabbit will climb back out.
Drill the hole either in the middle of a rabbit trail or somewhere else you can imagine rabbits pass. If you don't place the trap in the middle of a trail, you will need to lure a rabbit into the hole by using some bait
Step 2. Gather several branches that are slightly larger than the hole
It is important that they are the right length. If the branches are too big, they won't break when the rabbit walks over them. If they are too small, you will never be able to make the trap hold. Gather three or four of this same type of branch, and place them across the trap.
Step 3. Going perpendicularly, place very small branches on top of the others
Try making a checkerboard pattern - three or four large branches going in one direction and small branches going in the other.
Step 4. Carefully place dead foliage on top of the trap, completely covering the branches
Step 5. Carefully cover the foliage with earth, camouflaging the trap with the rest
If the environment is varied, make the land also varied. Also try to collect old earth and put it on top so it doesn't look like the earth was freshly excavated.
Step 6. Place some bait on top of the trap (optional)
Place corn, carrots or other vegetables on top of the trap to attract rabbits. Try to place the baits in the middle of the trap so that the rabbit has to step on it and activate it.
Step 7. Mark the trap location in red and check it every day
Mark the trap so you can find it again quickly and efficiently. Remember to check it every day so that if you catch a rabbit, you don't cause it unnecessary pain while it's trapped.
Method 3 of 4: Catching Rabbits with Your Own Cage Trap
Step 1. Buy or obtain a cage trap
This trap usually consists of a door and a mechanism to trap the animal. It can be found online or at your local farm store. It is mainly used to catch rabbits while keeping them alive.
Step 2. Find food to put inside the trap
Again, corn, carrots, vegetables or bread should be enough to attract rabbits to the trap, and this is how the door mechanism is activated and the rabbit is captured.
Take care to place food directly into the trap mechanism. If it's improperly placed, there's a good chance your rabbit will come out unharmed and with a full belly, and you won't get anything out of it
Step 3. Grab the door and secure it in place, setting the trap
Follow the instructions that come with the cage to assemble it. Check that the mechanism is activated by examining the cage with a long stick. If not activated, make sure to re-arm the trap until it works.
Step 4. Check the trap for rabbits frequently
Any rabbit caught won't be harmed in the trap, but it's human to check for any catch every 24 hours at the very least.
Step 5. Once captured, release the rabbit or do whatever you want with it
Remember to wear protective gloves if you catch a rabbit. Even though they are generally harmless, they might try to bite you to get you to release them.
Method 4 of 4: Catching Rabbits With A Box Trap
Step 1. Make a rabbit house out of a cardboard box
The box must be less than 1 meter. Cut out all the cardboard from the bottom of the box. Put her out on the street.
Step 2. Cut a branch that is not too heavy or too long
Attach the branch somewhere that is not much taller than three feet. With the other end of the branch, hook it to something else. Then, in the middle of the branch, attach a rope that is approximately three inches long.
Step 3. Drill two holes in the top of the box
Thread the yarn through one of the holes.
Step 4. Take the wire out of the box
Place your hand inside the box and pass the wire through the other hole, from the inside. Take your hand and pull the string you took out of the box and make three knots with the other end, bringing them together.
Step 5. In the half of the thread that holds the box, attach a sewing thread two and a half centimeters long
Connect the line with the wire and drill two holes in the top of the box.
Step 6. At both ends from left to right, attach a rope that drops three inches
Step 7. Attach a whole carrot to both ends
The carrot has to be eight to ten inches long. When the rabbit jumps up and pulls the carrot with its paws, the sewing thread will break and the box will fall on the rabbit.
Tips
- When approaching a rabbit, walk slowly and without any sudden movements, or you may scare it away.
- Instead of looking for trails, you can watch the rabbits to find out where they go.
- Don't make changes to your trap unless it's failing miserably. The rabbit can smell you and then keep away.
- If you skin a wild rabbit and eat it, remember to wear gloves if you have any cuts or wounds on your hands. Rabbits can infect you and make you sick. Also remember to cook the meat well. Rabbits are known to have tapeworm or other parasites.
- If you skin the rabbit, you can use the fur to make things like shoes after catching at least one more rabbit.