Every spring we have hundreds of rabbits,this year I don't see any-Thank God-,I am wondering if its because of hawk I a have noticed flying around,surely the hawk could of not gotten all those rabbits,or do the rabbits sense that a predator is around?
Sometimes that happens where a year has low birth rates for whatever reason. The frost may have been too late, etc. I know around here the birds who'd ordinarily have their first brood fledging haven't laid their first klutch. Lots of rain and dark days. It delays production!
Speaking of food tainted with strange additives from China (which we weren't talking about, but anyway..), here's the other side of the issue:
Our rabbit problem was alleviated first by a rabbit fence around the garden, then by the new neighbor's 3 tomcats and Golden Retriever. The rabbits apparently don't like the cats or the dog. We haven't seen a rabbit now for over a year. Even the squirrels are getting scarce with none on the feeders all last winter.
The rabbits don't move out but the predators move in. Around here, it's mostly foxes but I've even seen house cats kill baby rabbits. Other factors like weather, disease and starvation can play a big part. Unlike human populations, animal populations can vary wildly. Frank
And when the animal population outgrows its food supply the starvation causes a big die off. Saw that in the deer population in Texas years ago. Not enough hunters or food and the deer just starved to death.
George
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