Any theories?

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dwight_Shrute

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So I went small game hunting with my dad this weekend (rabbit), with no luck. We've been 3 times this year (same farm) with no luck. He says in the past, (15+ years ago as its my 2nd year hunting) when he's been unlucky with rabbit or Partridge (which he says almost never ever happened, he always caught 2-5 minimum in the past), their was always a ridiculous amount of Pigeons to at least go home with some kind of meat. He says farmers in the area would beg him to take down as many pigeons as possible cause they were causing havoc.

Anyway, neither this year or last did we even see a Rabbit, partridge, or Pigeon. I did spot 2 deer, Loads of deer tracks and droppings (rediculous amounts of deer droppings actually, is this because of snow thawing?) and wild turkey tracks.

So my question is what would cause a disappearance of Hare/pigeon? Farmer says he hasn't seen a Hare in years (maybe over hunting?) and he says not had a pigeon problem in a very long time. Not a single pigeon spotted is what worries my Dad. Any thoughts? This was south of Montreal.
 
Small game populations can be very cyclical. Not only in the short term aut also in the very long term as well. You could be seeing a low point in the cycle. Also, as this is agricultural land there may have been some land clearing or other acticity going on that has destroyed breeding habitat or simply pushed game to another area.


Aor maybe you have stumbled on a rare population of carnivorous deer and they have eaten all the small game. I would be very nervous if I was out there. Those deer need to eat and if there is no small game left you may be next.

Let's start a deer defense thread.
 
powdergun said:
Small game populations can be very cyclical. Not only in the short term aut also in the very long term as well. You could be seeing a low point in the cycle. Also, as this is agricultural land there may have been some land clearing or other acticity going on that has destroyed breeding habitat or simply pushed game to another area.


Aor maybe you have stumbled on a rare population of carnivorous deer and they have eaten all the small game. I would be very nervous if I was out there. Those deer need to eat and if there is no small game left you may be next.

Let's start a deer defense thread.
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Lol'd. The area has changed says my dad. Much more has been cleared to make room for more cow grazing area. Could explain a lot.

Kelly Timoffee said:
How's the fox and coyote and cat population is the area?
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Didn't think to ask this. But is a good question.
 
powdergun said:
Small game populations can be very cyclical. Not only in the short term aut also in the very long term as well. You could be seeing a low point in the cycle. Also, as this is agricultural land there may have been some land clearing or other acticity going on that has destroyed breeding habitat or simply pushed game to another area.


Aor maybe you have stumbled on a rare population of carnivorous deer and they have eaten all the small game. I would be very nervous if I was out there. Those deer need to eat and if there is no small game left you may be next.

Let's start a deer defense thread.
Click to expand...

What like caliber is best for carnivorous deer defense?

In all seriousness though, would like to know if you guys ever figure out what it is OP
 
Animals need the same things humans do in order to survive...food, water, and shelter/cover. Find out what is missing in that particular area and you'll have your answer!
 
I've noticed the small game (rabbit, Grouse, partridge) populations drop dramatically since landowners sprayed for midge, insects and such with lorisban. Anything that it touched, or touched it within about 30hrs was dead. Nasty stuff. May not be the case there though.
 
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I'd blame it on that high/low cycle powdergun is talking about, whether or not it's nature or coyotes I can't say but have noticed the same thing myself. What about rabbit/bunny runs?? Much in the way of those in your travels?
 
We have no idea, and land owner didn't specify if they have been spraying insecticides over last few years. I didn't feel right asking too many questions as I only just met him. Tho he seems very nice. Ill be going much more often without my dad as he is losing interest, maybe I learn more about the area with time. I hope it's just cyclical as was mentioned.

On the plus side, I now have a spot to hunt deer and wild Turkey :) bows and muzzle loaders only. Which means I need 2 more permits (bows and wild turkey). ;)
 
Happens man. Keep at it, they are still there.

Population goes up n down. More rabbits, more predators... Rabbits get eaten, predators go away... Rabbits come back... And so on..
 
I'm guessing over population of predators. Hey bud you better hurry up with that turkey license as the seasons quickly approaching. I still have to find a place to hunt,preferably in the valley.
 
Ever figure out how many rabbits and grouse it takes to feed an owl for a year?
Or how many grouse and rabbits each of the many speciies of hawks will eat in a year?
In all my younger years of shooting, we shot at every hawk or owl, as well as crows and magpies, we saw. This was a great way to sharpen our shooting skills for the great many rabbits and grouse we would shoot.
Now, with all predator species except crows and magpies protected, people complain about few grouse and rabbits to shoot.
I wonder why that is?
 
I think the overpopulation of predators issue is the cause, but I am thinking the predators are not foxes, coyotes, etc. I read somewhere that cats kill millions of songbirds and other small game every year and are a real threat to a lot of local ecosystems. Maybe we need to have more predator control on cats besides the old "spay and neuter" routine.
 
" Not a single pigeon spotted is what worries my Dad. Any thoughts? This was south of Montreal"
few years ago there were hundredths of pigeon around our farm Hugh flocks of em just pooping an destroying almost every thing they sat on....then ravens started coming in first year a few next year few more now theres maybe 50 an hardly any pigeons..
 
roaddog1 said:
" Not a single pigeon spotted is what worries my Dad. Any thoughts? This was south of Montreal"
few years ago there were hundredths of pigeon around our farm Hugh flocks of em just pooping an destroying almost every thing they sat on....then ravens started coming in first year a few next year few more now theres maybe 50 an hardly any pigeons..
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We did see maybe 5-10 crows/ravens. I was unaware that ravens eat pigeons? Or do they just scare them off?
 
My extended family farms the Hemmingford area in QC. Spent as lot of time there in the 60's. Went back three years ago and the landscape had changed drastically. The fields are way bigger with less ditches, fence lines etc to accommodate the massive equipment. I saw way less cover, those beautiful hardwood lots have dwindled. Pesticide use is probably up but that is just a guess on my part. Corn and soya pretty much everywhere which is another change, used to be more hay/oats etc, although that maybe not a negative change. Grouse/rabbit numbers do crash without notice no matter where you are. We had a brutal season last year and the the nearest farm is forty miles and a mountain range away. This coming season may be awesome, keep your fingers crossed for the weather to behave when the grouse are hatching.
 
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