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April 16, 1981 - Rabbits, Rabbits and More Rabbits'SECTION TWO Tbt *Uff0th 'EtMCS APRIL 16, 1981 Rabbits, Rabbits and More Rabbits ew things are missed by the nose of a good dog. So it was the other morning when my dog became excited down in the pasture. He had discovered one of nature's trage- dies. The evidence was clear. A nest of baby rabbits had been discovered during the night and the sometimes harsh law of nature had once again been played. Scattered about were dry leaves and clumps of fur. No remains were found -- merely the evidence. Normally the scent of baby rabbits is undetectable in .their nest. But this time a careless mother perhaps had not done her job of cleaning the nest properly, or perhaps she was interrupted while she nursed them during the night, or perhaps one of the young broke the golden rule and moved or called out. No one will ever know. We do know though that something went wrong and lives paid for it. Our rabbits build their own nest in the ground, not deep in a long tunneled affair, but in a shallow cavity about five to six inches deep. The outermost part of the nest is made of leaves and dry grass. The inner area is lined with fur taken from the mother. It's usually out in the open, not hidden as one would think under piles of brush or other debris. Once a custodian at the school where I worked showed me a nest he had found inside the fenced in area of the tennis courts. Here busy games of tennis were played all day long, and yet the rabbit had chosen this area to build its nest and have its young. The lawnmower had gone over the nest and thrown a bit of the fur up which drew the custodian's attention to the spot. Upon close inspection deeper in the ground we found the young. They lay like packed sardines, mo- tionless yet perfect in every detail. Carefully we placed the fur, leaves and dry grass over them. It was a time when kids were not about. Outgrowing the Nest We checked on them throughout the weeks ahead and each time the scene was the same. Dry brown grass and leaves above, but inside the sardine - packed nest a bit bigger each time lay motionless. One day it was over. They had outgrown their nest and were off on their own. There would surely be dangers now, prowling cats and dogs, an aerial attack from a hawk above, or the swoop of an owl at night. All these the small rabbits must face sooner or later. The mother had done her A BUNNY IN HAND AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE WHO HOLD U.S. "SERIES E" BONDS. If you purchased a United States Treasury Department Series "E" Bond during the year 1941, you should now that it will cease to am interest sometime during this ear. Persons who possess these onds are invited to call any office f Southold Savings Bank to de- rmine if they have expired and discuss alternative long -term in- stment of those funds. the Savings Bank Scrvims youu'11 cmr need s ' s wvn=MWwA ices conveniently located in SOUTHOLD, 54375 Main Rd., (518) 785.28W EFFERSON STA., 532 Old Town Rd., (518) 47 3-7000 ,4525 Sunrise Hwy. al Sycamore Ave., (518) 5874700 JTHAMPTON, 48 Windmill Lane, (518) 283$000 Member F,D.I.C. Equal Housing Lander.0 note that all Southold Savings branches will close at 3:00 P.M. od Friday, April 17th. BABY RABBITS - -The mother builds a fur -lined shallow nest of leaves and dry grass in the ground. Here the baby rabbits spend the day motionless awaiting the return of the mother to feed and clean them at night. Photos by Paul Stoutenburgh part. She reared and nursed them through the helpless days and now the next part of the journey was completely up to them. Actually our cottontail rabbit does quite well around man's activities. Those of you who live in the villages and more populated areas can vouch for that. It's my belief that as the area is developed and more homes are built with their corresponding lawns and gardens, more rabbits move in to fill in the spaces. Forty years ago an old friend of mine came out from the West End to do some rabbit hunting in what was quite a wild area then. Along with him was a man who had a beautiful little beagle hound dog. They hunted the woods with some success, but when I took them into an area of summer bungalows their success was phenomenal. It seemed that every summer bungalow produced a rabbit. All they had to do was to put that little hound under the building and out would come a rabbit. Of course, 40 years ago there was no one around in the winter. Today the area is almost filled with year -round residents. The point is that each summer cottage with its grass and shrubs made a perfect hiding place and pasture for the rabbit. Each had his own territory and dwelling. Territorial Imperatives I'm sure those who have gardens, rose bushes and Find Y Plus .. - our such can vouch for the rabbit's presence. Years ago when I attended the Ag School in Farmingdale there was a professor who maintained you had to plant enough for you and the scavengers — the rabbits and birds. The only problem with that philosophy is that the small garden or single fruit tree does not afford that luxury. I find the only real cure is a fence. People have tried trapping, shooting and poisoning -- and all have failed. The reason is simple. Each rabbit has his own territory, his own turf so to speak, and if he is removed there is always someone else just waiting to move in. Looking at the big picture, we have created our own problem. In past years there was a vast variety of hawks and owls to prey on the rabbits. Now there are few. Foxes and other predators have all but been eliminated, particularly in our more densely populated areas. All these factors, plus man's moving in and creating ideal situations for rabbits to breed and multiply, give the rabbit the big edge. Yet I am not sure I would want a world void of rabbits. Rabbits are the only wildlife some people ever see. No, let's not rid the area of them. Let's learn to live with them. It's not always easy. As a matter of fact, I can vouch it's very frustrating sometimes, but in the long run I think it's well worthwhile to make the effort. PAULSTOUTENBURGH Happy Easter With Our Fine Selection Of RUSSELL STOVER and BARTON Easter Candy delicious JELLY BEANS CHOCOLATE BUNNIES CHOCOLATE EGGS S BUNNIES MARSNMALLO ch morel and much, rnu An Animal Kingdom of Plush Easter Toys — Bunnies, Chicks, Variety of Dolls etc. raF ,- motliir , COLONIAL DRUGS 100 Front Street, Greenport 477 -1111