Finding the Rabbits

Well, 'tis the season.  The first sounds of mowers outside unfortunately coincide with the first baby rabbit births.  And while I have no great love of rabbits in my garden, as you know, I also have no desire to actually mow over the little ones.  Among other things, it seems rather unsporting.

Identifying a rabbit nest in your yard can be tricky. Here's one we discovered in the middle of the garden.  (The nerve!)  The mother rabbit will line and conceal her nest with her own fur, adding some grass to the top as well.  Since this part of the garden was not broadforked yet but was not grassy, we got a better view of the nest from seeing her fur over top.  Normally they are much harder to see.

Inside, you will typically find between one and four tiny little rabbits.  The mother will come back to check on them.

What did we do with our rabbit nest?  Since it was in the garden, it was not in danger of being hit by the mower, so we let it be.  But those little critters had better be out of there when I'm ready to plant in two weeks.  And they'd better give me a pass or two on eating my tomatoes this summer, since I left them alone in the spring.