Pesky wabbits

[Owain]

Rather like me, really.

Owain

[bill]

Even pheasants aren't brain dead. They may be very, very dim and suicidal but they still keep coming back after our hens food!

Bill

[Mary Fisher]

They're not dim and they're not suicidal, they are also as easy to skin and draw as rabbits are.

Mary

[Dave Liquorice]

You must have different pheasants to the rest of us Mary.

OK I guess roads and cars are a new thing but a number of other animals and birds have adapted to them very well and avoid getting splatted. Pheasants on the other hand, shall I cross, no, no, time to cross or pheasnat crossing the road, more than 3/4s across on the other carriagway, oh theres a car comming better run all the way back, no I'll stop, no I'll walk, turn, walk, turn...

Many birds scavange the roadkills from the road you rarely see a splatted crow, rook, jackdaw etc next to a dead pheasant or rabbit.

Rabbits have about 75% road sense, once running the tend to keep going in the direction they are headed then dive for cover in the verge. Young ones can be a bit pheasant like, and you occasionally get a gang playing "chicken".

Hares get very confused by the vehicle lights and just run in a vague zigzag down the road. You have turn your lights off then they'll head for cover.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Skin yes, pluck NO!!¬

[Mary Fisher]

You must have different animals and birds from ours then!

They are bred in large numbers so there are big populations in certain places at certain times. They are shot young so they don't have time to learn. They have no idea what a car is.

People, on the other hand ...

I often see them splatted from being hit when they're flying.

WHAT???

If they turn in that direction.

Now that's just silly talk.

Hares rarely live in places where there are roads.

I see lots of roadkills; cats, dogs, fox are supposed to be intelligent but they still get hit. As do humans.

Mary

[Dave Liquorice]

There is that.

How ever the shoots ought to ensure that their private property does not endanger users of the public highway or get itself killed without earning them revenue.

They do up here.

Well may be, but I've seen it many times. A group of young rabbits, sitting on the edge of the road, some each side of the road. One'll dash across one way, then another, another in the opposite direction. Looks like "chicken" to me. B-)

We have Hares around us and roads...

[Mary Fisher]

I'll try to remember that, never hear it before:-)

Ah, you have intlligent rabbits.Can you teach them family planning?

Takes one to know one I suppose ...

You're lucky. It sounds as thought you never need buy meat

Although I didn't notice much roadkill when I was up in your neck of the woods...

Mary

[Paul Mc Cann]

Being a very heavy bird the Pheasant will not take-off and fly, unless really necessary, as it consumes a lot of energy. This is the reason it will first run away. If you have ever tried catching one you will find they take off as soon as you get too close.

People, on the other hand ... snip.

Rabbits are just thick ! To shoot a rabbit you mereley wait until he stops his short panic run and sits up to take a look. Bang. Dead. Gut. Flay. Cook. Eat

I find hares are creatures of great habit and they all carry a pocket watch. If you see one cross a ditch at a certain time today you can come back tomorrow about the same time and bag him.

Personally I don't bother as I don't find them great to eat. Come to that I'm not rweally mad about pheasants either

[Mary Fisher]

They're not thick enough to be killed with an arrow loosed from a longbow, in my experience. As soon as they hear the whisper they're off.

I love ALL game birds and animals. Real meat, no namby pamby milk-fed pap.

Mary

[The Natural Philosopher]

I think archery for hunting is illegal Mary.