Rabbits In Maine (how much, camper, live)

[elston]

In another thread someone was asking about their daffodils and what critter might have bitten the flowers off of them. Someone suggested it might have been rabbits. That made me think that in the year I have been in Maine....I havent seen a single rabbit or even a rabbit track in the snow. I know I used to see rabbits when I lived in NH. Are there rabbits in Maine? Is their population in decline?

[broadbill]

Rabbit populations do cycle every two to three years in relationship to the fox/coyote/hawk populations (also cyclical). I also have not seen any rabbits and assumed that we are in one of the "low rabbit years". I haven't been here long enough to experience a full cycle either (if that is what it is).

[island mermaid]

Gee whiz, we sure did used to see them a lot more than we do now. It used to be really fun to see rabbit tracks in the fresh snow or one scamper off the roadside into the woods.
Interesting.....

[elston]

Originally Posted by broadbill

Rabbit populations do cycle every two to three years in relationship to the fox/coyote/hawk populations (also cyclical). I also have not seen any rabbits and assumed that we are in one of the "low rabbit years". I haven't been here long enough to experience a full cycle either (if that is what it is).

Thanks.....we will see if that's "it"; I also am blissfully unaware of coyotes or foxes in the area....but I do see hawks.

[tcrackly]

There are still a lot of snowshoe hares--favorite food of coyotes and bobcats. We see their tracks usually in the winter. Or occasionally we see one that didn't make it across the highway. Cottontail bunnies are protected in Maine. Their wetland and field habitats are dwindling every day.

[elston]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

There are still a lot of snowshoe hares--favorite food of coyotes and bobcats. We see their tracks usually in the winter. Or occasionally we see one that didn't make it across the highway. Cottontail bunnies are protected in Maine. Their wetland and field habitats are dwindling every day.

I havent even seen a rabbit killed on the road. I didnt know that about the cottontails....there seems to be quite a bit of habitat for them but I don't have anything to base that on.....except I know their warrens can be fairly densely populated in a relatively small area.....but I dont know how much room they need for grazing.

[msina]

hehehe here mr bunnywabbit.

[tcrackly]

I beleive the state of Maine just recently had a cottontail count in Feb., encouraging volunteer sighting info.

[elston]

I just went to google and read about the plans for the survey that tcrackly mentions above (I havent found the survey results yet.) Volunteers sought to survey New England cottontail populations The gist of the article is that indeed the New England cotton tail rabbit is no longer found in Vermont and in small numbers in NH and Maine. It requires a habitat that is somewhere in the succession between a field and a forest. (75 to 80% habitat loss since colonial times). It competes poorly with the "Eastern Cottontail which is larger and less easily taken by predators. It is also possible that the evasive plant species like Knotweed and multa flora roses play a role in diminishing its shelter and food supply.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/4082 This article says the total number of New England cottontail rabbits in Maine is about 300.

[entyss]

Just to add my 2 cents, I've lived here 5 years, and have never seen a rabbit...