Ok, new here. Thanks for letting me join.
Sorry I know nothing about the trapping scene and I know rabbits are small potatoes compared to all the stuff you guys are trapping. What is the best way to catch them? I have a small wire cage trap I bought from the hardware store. It has a spot inside the rabbit steps on and the door closes down. Ive put carrots in there, lettuce. But they are not getting trapped. There are sooo many rabbits around my yard and they are destroying my landscaping! I need to get rid of them.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks!

Nestle the cage bottom into the dirt if you can. Rabbits don’t like stepping on the wire.

Wood built box traps work best on rabbits. Nestle them in tight areas around the problem area and trails to / from cover. Leave the door opening very visible. Cover the trap to blend it well.

Many will go in just for curiosity's sake and some will go in for harborage. Like stated with wire-built traps cover the trap floor with dirt or grass clippings. Suspend bait in back of trap very easy to see and some on the floor in the rear past the trigger pan. Box in the trap to conceal it well. Use cardboard if necessary.

I have some rabbit trapping going on now as a matter of fact.

Here are a few set ups with wooden single door traps and double door traps. The traps in the woods I will photograph tomorrow. I am testing new lures and baits.



Here are two traps I use front and back shots.



This is the double door trap.



There are 2 traps set in this photo one at the top and one at the bottom.







This set up is of a longer double door wooden rabbit trap. These are of my own design.

Put some sort of cover on it to make it more like a hidey hole.

Pinch points and bottlenecks along travel ways that funnel them to the trap. I've even used drift fencing to create funnels.

As Bob said, make yourself some wooden traps, preferably out of old barn wood or hollow logs that have been cut. This will work much better than wire traps or traps made with new treated lumber

I can't tell you how many I have caught in a homemade wood trap when I was a kid. I never caught one in a wire trap, but if you follow the advice about covering the outside and floor, etc you will get a bunny or three. Now days a #160 or 150 placed where they are burrowing under the fence to the garden normally takes care of the problem and makes for a fine gumbo de lapin or lapin sauce piquante.

Those wire traps work great.Use apple or banana peel as carrot’s and lettuce have very little odor.

I started in 1976 with rabbit box traps. Seeing that door down when arriving then hearing scratching on the bottom when I tilted it up to remove the rabbit are two of my fondest childhood memories. The traps were a little too big and caught possums too that stank the trap up. I think rabbit boxes are the best way to introduce kids to trapping still today.

You are correct about catching some opossums I have caught some so large I had to unscrew the lid to get some out of the trap. My new designed traps have a stiff wire slide release door on the rear of the trap now for that reason. It also makes it easy to bait and clean the traps when needed.

We used to smoke the traps out after catching a possum. My grandpa was a big believer that filling that trap up with smoke was the way to getting it back in the production line

Best way to catch rabbits is with snares.
Buy a couple rolls of 22ga brass snarewire at Can Tire and set all the trails/runs coming out of the brush onto the lawn.
On the good runs set several snares in series. small subtle fencing will line them up perfect so no or few misses/knocked down snares.
If a few get knocked down,just re-set with small adjustment to heigt or loop,snares that get knocked down wont spook an animal.

Thanks for the suggestions. I never even thought to cover the bottom of the trap. Not sure if that will work because the bottom middle part has the trigger spot it needs to step on. If there is something already on it may trigger itself or be too cushioned to set it off when there is a rabbit in there. Doesn't hurt to try tho. Btw I live in town and can't put up snares and whatnot

I just remembered someone at work told me blood meal from a garden center would work to keep the rabbits away. I think they are living under my deck, if I sprinkle it at the entry points would that possibly do anything?

Ive been having this rabbit issue for over 10yrs since I've moved in.
I think it was a year ago I counted 7 rabbits on my deck, just hanging out. There's no food for them on there, im sure they were there just to taunt my cats. They'd come right up to the patio door and look in at us
Lol

If it were me, it would come down to whether or not non-targets are a possibility. If there was a risk of non-targets, I'd get/build/use box/cage traps. If non-targets are not a risk, I'd use lethal, 160 size bodygrip traps on metal stabilizers. Beyond that, my approach would be the same.


I’d locate the active rabbit trails and set open traps in the tight pinch points without bait. I'd take advantage of their movement rather than trying to attract them with a bait.

If you choose the 160 route and make good sets, your rabbit problem will be measured in days, not weeks in my experience. 160s are very, very effective traps for rabbits.

One thing for sure is if you to decide to use the wooden box traps...do not clean them afterwards as the urine, droppings and body odor left behind from other caught rabbits is great attractor!

^^^^
BINGO!

I've use this style since the late '50's-