Ranch Rabbits Chewing Through Vehicle Wiring… Anyone Else Deal With This? My Latest Night Patrol with the .30 Mordax

[MountainSportAirguns]

Alright folks…
I’ve seen rabbits eat grass, I’ve seen them eat flowers, I’ve even seen them eat stuff I swear wasn’t edible —
but I’ve never seen them commit FELONY-LEVEL vandalism on vehicles.


I roll up to this ranch, and the owner tells me,
“Yeah, rabbits are chewing the wiring under the trucks.”
I thought he was joking. Nope. These little guys turned the underside of one rig into an all-you-can-eat buffet. I personally don't really believe it but apparently, they caught one in the act when they lifted the hood.


So naturally… it was time for night patrol....
I grabbed the Western Airguns Mordax Long Strike in .30, slapped the PARD Nightstalker 4K on top, and brought the new RIX Optics Pocket K3 thermal spotter — because if you’re going after criminally-minded rabbits, you bring the good stuff.


And let me tell you… they were out there.
Everywhere.
Like some kind of furry wiring-eating cartel meeting in the dark. lol


Huge shoutout to Airguns of Arizona for keeping us supplied with gear that can handle this level of stupidity. I promise you; the equipment didn’t flinch — even if I did a couple times. This was also my very first time using this new thermal spotter for filming and I was very pleased with how helpful it was to not only spot the rabbits, but film the action. Let me know how you think it turned out?


Honestly though… has anyone else ever dealt with rabbits eating wiring?
Rats? Sure. Mice? Of course. But rabbits?!
I guess these ones skipped salad and went straight to copper.


If you want a good laugh (and some actual decent shooting footage), Here is the full video that includes more technical details —

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Let me know if you’ve had similar pest problems… or if this ranch is just cursed by the world’s hungriest bunnies.


Stay safe, keep your wires intact, and may your pellets fly true.

 

[Danman]

Thats wild.....I did hear that Dodge (and possibly some other manufacturers?) decided to save the planet a while back by making wire sheathing out of a soy/vegetable type product....what could go wrong?
Rabbits....definitely a first! They dine on my blackberry bush stems in the cold as there food supply dwindles. Bought an open sight springer (HW50s) to deal with the buggers after dark this year. 20Y sight-in should be about perfect.

 

[ctshooter]

Thats wild.....I did here that Dodge (and possibly some other manufacturers?) decided to save the planet a while back by making wire sheathing out of a soy/vegetable type product....what could go wrong?
Rabbits....definitely a first! They dine on my blackberry bush stems in the cold as there food supply dwindles. Bought an open sight springer (HW50s) to deal with the buggers after dark this year. 20Y sight-in should be about perfect.

I was thinking the same thing. Toyota/Lexus did (maybe still do) this.

 

[pan60]

they are destructive they cost me a lot of money id irrigation every year in the past a daily battle they chew hole in the plastic hop down the row chew another bounce om down and get another.
each hole has to be cut the bad pulled out sometime afoot sometime more a couple couplers and place in all back and I do several a day EVERY day for the growing season then I toss that because it isnt worth putting splice up lines next year so the cost climes.

you should shoot EVERY rabbit you can!

 

[Dogowski]

Alright folks…
I’ve seen rabbits eat grass, I’ve seen them eat flowers, I’ve even seen them eat stuff I swear wasn’t edible —
but I’ve never seen them commit FELONY-LEVEL vandalism on vehicles.


I roll up to this ranch, and the owner tells me,
“Yeah, rabbits are chewing the wiring under the trucks.”
I thought he was joking. Nope. These little guys turned the underside of one rig into an all-you-can-eat buffet. I personally don't really believe it but apparently, they caught one in the act when they lifted the hood.


So naturally… it was time for night patrol....
I grabbed the Western Airguns Mordax Long Strike in .30, slapped the PARD Nightstalker 4K on top, and brought the new RIX Optics Pocket K3 thermal spotter — because if you’re going after criminally-minded rabbits, you bring the good stuff.


And let me tell you… they were out there.
Everywhere.
Like some kind of furry wiring-eating cartel meeting in the dark. lol


Huge shoutout to Airguns of Arizona for keeping us supplied with gear that can handle this level of stupidity. I promise you; the equipment didn’t flinch — even if I did a couple times. This was also my very first time using this new thermal spotter for filming and I was very pleased with how helpful it was to not only spot the rabbits, but film the action. Let me know how you think it turned out?


Honestly though… has anyone else ever dealt with rabbits eating wiring?
Rats? Sure. Mice? Of course. But rabbits?!
I guess these ones skipped salad and went straight to copper.


If you want a good laugh (and some actual decent shooting footage), Here is the full video that includes more technical details —

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Let me know if you’ve had similar pest problems… or if this ranch is just cursed by the world’s hungriest bunnies.


Stay safe, keep your wires intact, and may your pellets fly true.

Awesome shooting Dana with the Mordax 30 caliber. The Pard scope is incredible as well. Those rabbits didn't know what hit them!

 

[SpindleB]

Never had rabbits but in my youth as a mechanic we had squirrels chew on the insulation.

I would think an application of pepper spray on the exposed wiring would be an effective deterrent.

 

[FL22]

I was set up to deal with a different nuisance animal one night, and I saw a rabbit through the scope what it looked like to me at first was just drinking some water from the condensate drain line of my AC system. The next day, I noticed that the pipe had been chewed on it but I thought it was squirrels that did it.

I will definitely keep an eye out now.

 

[pan60]

Never had rabbits but in my youth as a mechanic we had squirrels chew on the insulation.

I would think an application of pepper spray on the exposed wiring would be an effective deterrent.

we tried all the repellent and pepper stuff no go.



lead work better.
lead works best.
because lead works if they are dead they are not tearing crap up.

also look up their breeding cycle if somthing doesnt take them out they would over run the planet in a very very short time.

 

[FL22]

lead work better.
lead works best

My new mantra .

 

[AM888]

Thats wild.....I did hear that Dodge (and possibly some other manufacturers?) decided to save the planet a while back by making wire sheathing out of a soy/vegetable type product....what could go wrong?
Rabbits....definitely a first! They dine on my blackberry bush stems in the cold as there food supply dwindles. Bought an open sight springer (HW50s) to deal with the buggers after dark this year. 20Y sight-in should be about perfect.

I have the same issues with critters chewing my security camera lines at a few customer's

 

[PestPlasteringPlinker]

Up here, at one of my permissions, its squirrels.

The owner has a pretty good size family, and a hand full of workers. His daughter's Honda were getting absolutely destroyed by what I assumed, were farm rats.

Yeah, about 25 yards from their car, sitting in my truck canopy, scoping the barn, to see what came over to their car, I watched a fat squirrel climb out of their black walnut tree, which his daughter's parked near, as their drive was tear drop shaped, and they had 3 inside the center part, and an additional 4 on the outside of it, crawl under one of the cars, and then up and in the engine bay.

Took 2 other ones out on their way down a tree, and ghosted the gray off the big boy on his way back out. Let him know what I noticed, and did, but I know theres more than just these 3 around here. There's alders and willows literally lining along the road across their property, so im certain this place is popular with the squirrels.

The rabbits they have stick very well off in their smaller side veg area since their neighbors property is taller grass with a good thicket of blackberry bush along the fence line, and I've only got about 6 from there, since im not taking em on their neighbors side of the barbwire. They have my card, and understand im no charge.

But yeah, im always learning something new! Ill keep on the lookout for sure!

 

[BanjomanMI76]

Thats wild.....I did hear that Dodge (and possibly some other manufacturers?) decided to save the planet a while back by making wire sheathing out of a soy/vegetable type product....what could go wrong?
Rabbits....definitely a first! They dine on my blackberry bush stems in the cold as there food supply dwindles. Bought an open sight springer (HW50s) to deal with the buggers after dark this year. 20Y sight-in should be about perfect.

So did Ford. I'd apply some cayenne pepper but it needs to be dry or re-applied frequently.

 

[FL22]

So did Ford. I'd apply some cayenne pepper but it needs to be dry or re-applied frequently.

I sprinkle them with lead… as in .177, .22, .25
sorry but I just can’t help myself sometimes .

 

[SpindleB]

Thinking about it long term you need something to spray into the engine compartment wiring area with capsaicin oil every few hours or when the car starts. As long as it cannot get to the cabin air intake.

Hardware would be simple, ne555 timer circuit and a solenoid or pump. You could use the pressurized canisters for pepper spray guns.

Get fancy and add pressure detection circuit to beep when empty.

Or a motion detection circuit when the car is off could work. Add a disable switch for when the hood is opened.

Haven't done any design work in quite a while but this is high school 101 level engineering.

Your mechanic may not be a fan

 

[FL22]

Thinking about it long term you need something to spray into the engine compartment wiring area with capsaicin oil every few hours or when the car starts. As long as it cannot get to the cabin air intake.

Hardware would be simple, ne555 timer circuit and a solenoid or pump. You could use the pressurized canisters for pepper spray guns.

Get fancy and add pressure detection circuit to beep when empty.

Or a motion detection circuit when the car is off could work. Add a disable switch for when the hood is opened.

Haven't done any design work in quite a while but this is high school 101 level engineering.

Your mechanic may not be a fan

Firstly I am no mechanic or engineer but don’t you think that there is a significant possibility that over time the chemicals will make its way into the vehicles ventilation system?

No, driving at highway speeds with skin burning and impaired vision is not a good idea to say the least.

Sometimes the simplest problem just requires the simplest of solution. I use an Airgun.

 

[SpindleB]

Firstly I am no mechanic or engineer but don’t you think that there is a significant possibility that over time the chemicals will make its way into the vehicles ventilation system?

No, driving at highway speeds with skin burning and impaired vision is not a good idea to say the least.

Sometimes the simplest problem just requires the simplest of solution. I use an Airgun.

That was addressed. But would require some investigation. Placement, volume and dispersion would be critical.

Upside is a completely unattended process.

 

[BanjomanMI76]

@MountainSportAirguns Is the eating good in the neighborhood with the rabbits?

 

[FL22]

@MountainSportAirguns Is the eating good in the neighborhood with the rabbits?

Just a hunch, but I think some people pissed him off and he hasn’t been around since.

 

[PestPlasteringPlinker]

I sprinkle them with lead… as in .177, .22, .25
sorry but I just can’t help myself sometimes .

Best seasoning for these mf' is a lil bit of lead love.

 

[FL22]

Best seasoning for these mf' is a lil bit of lead love.

I hear you , I can’t eat rabbit meat have allergy. Squirrel is okay though, as long as I can harvest enough to make it worth it.