Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Varminting and vertebrate pest control. Small game, hunting feral goats, foxes, dogs, cats, rabbits etc.

Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Blr243 » 06 Apr 2021, 9:11 pm

I was just looking Online at game callers , and checking on the sounds they make, and checking if I can add sounds of my own .....a lot of us have used a whistle or a device to mimick the sound of a small animal in the hope of luring a wild dog or fox .....but in the bush the only time I ever here these sounds is when I’m the one making The fake sounds. I agree it works There’s thousands of dead foxes because of this method .....I have not thought this thru completely, but if my memory serves me well only once in my life I hAve heard a genuine squeal In the bush. And it was from a piglet that an eagle was chaseing. Another time I heard a Very young dingo pup Crying because he was lost. He actually ran into my campsite while I was looking for his brothers and sisters ( I saw them earlier about 300 m away ). But no small prey as such that a predator would react too. If small prey was in the s**t, would they really be advertising it to all that may eat them ?..I can understand a rabbit would go off if caught in a trap. Other than that , who has heard what , in distress, and how often ?
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Blr243 » 06 Apr 2021, 9:14 pm

When I say thousands of dead foxes come undone I mean combined By everyone in Australia not my tally I have called maybe 2 or 3
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by bladeracer » 06 Apr 2021, 9:26 pm

Yes, I've heard rabbits squeal when a fox grabs them.
Last edited by bladeracer on 06 Apr 2021, 10:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by scoot » 06 Apr 2021, 9:35 pm

Like blade I've heard them squeal when caught by predators. Saw a wedgetail eagle pick one up once and it made quite a ruccus until it was dropped out of the sky. I remember hearing it as a small kid when trapping with my old uncle too.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Oldbloke » 06 Apr 2021, 9:59 pm

Yep, caught in trap yonks ago. Or if I stretch its neck.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by mchughcb » 06 Apr 2021, 11:14 pm

Blr243 wrote:I was just looking Online at game callers , and checking on the sounds they make, and checking if I can add sounds of my own .....a lot of us have used a whistle or a device to mimick the sound of a small animal in the hope of luring a wild dog or fox .....but in the bush the only time I ever here these sounds is when I’m the one making The fake sounds. I agree it works There’s thousands of dead foxes because of this method .....I have not thought this thru completely, but if my memory serves me well only once in my life I hAve heard a genuine squeal In the bush. And it was from a piglet that an eagle was chaseing. Another time I heard a Very young dingo pup Crying because he was lost. He actually ran into my campsite while I was looking for his brothers and sisters ( I saw them earlier about 300 m away ). But no small prey as such that a predator would react too. If small prey was in the s**t, would they really be advertising it to all that may eat them ?..I can understand a rabbit would go off if caught in a trap. Other than that , who has heard what , in distress, and how often ?


This is a very interesting question and I always wondered, how does a predator know if a rabbit squeals because the chances are if another predator has it, its going to be dead in seconds so there's not much training to work that out right?

Well a few years ago I had built two tree stands on a property for deer hunting. I had been sitting for a couple of hours and I noticed a few rabbits had popped out. Then after 20 minutes there was 9 rabbits I counted. Now 7 were minding their own business but one rabbit which looked a bit bigger started to chase one smaller rabbit around. After about 30 seconds of going in circles the smaller rabbit started to squeal as it was running and the bigger rabbit was having no part of it and proceeded to run it off.

So that got me thinking, that's how predators such as foxes will hear the commotion come over to see what's going on and find a dozen rabbits exiting stage left. That's how they would learn. So rabbits will squeal if they dominant rabbit is chasing the smaller rabbit off the patch and other predators will associate that sound with that smell with what they find when they get there.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by ZaineB » 06 Apr 2021, 11:35 pm

yes they scream, squeal and shriek none of this sad pathetic "meewww" noises the yanks make, I dunno what ****** rabbits they have over there but the sounds on american game callers most definitely do not sound like a rabbit being attacked/in distress.

I have never had a fox approach to the american rabbit calls here in Australia, so they most definitely know the difference, tenterfield whistle used properly works wonders on cats and foxes and button whistles work well up close, game callers are great cos you can place the sound away from you so as to not be spotted as the source of the sound. but getting one with the right sounds/recording the right sounds is important.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by boingk » 07 Apr 2021, 12:24 am

Rabbits squeal when in distress. Predators pick up on that and go see whats up.

Kinda like the blokes at the bar who aggressively womanise the drunken floosies who have strayed away from their friends.

Neither cares how or why - in their minds there's a prize for the taking.

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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by womble » 07 Apr 2021, 3:47 am

They squeal when they’re taken sometimes. But if a rabbit has squealed it’s game over. A fox is’nt going to fight another predator for it’s meal.
A rabbit in distress is either running flat stick or pretending to be invisible. Ears down trying to look like a rock. But they are not making a sound either way.
I don’t call foxes because I can has spotlight.
I think birds in distress would attract them because they make a big sustained carry on. Maybe carry a chicken in your pack. You’d have a congo line of foxes following you around.
I do know chickens are irresistible to them. They would walk a hundred miles over broken glass to get to a chicken. Don’t care if your chook shed is like Fort Knox. Maybe could set baits with KFC and make clucking sounds.

I find foxes nearby when i find possums in trees. That’s the easiest meal for them,. They just wait around till the possum crosses ground for a new tree. Possums can’t run for s**t.

I find the possums when i see wedgetails circling above. Ok now I’m exaggerating. But you do need to pay attention to the whole ecosystem and put yourself in it. You’re not the only thing out there that’s hunting.
If the frogs just stfu then something is going down. Probably just an owl, but could be a fox.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Bugman » 07 Apr 2021, 6:06 am

Fox whistling works for me.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by bladeracer » 07 Apr 2021, 7:07 am

womble wrote:I find foxes nearby when i find possums in trees. That’s the easiest meal for them,. They just wait around till the possum crosses ground for a new tree. Possums can’t run for s**t.

I find the possums when i see wedgetails circling above. Ok now I’m exaggerating. But you do need to pay attention to the whole ecosystem and put yourself in it. You’re not the only thing out there that’s hunting.
If the frogs just stfu then something is going down. Probably just an owl, but could be a fox.


Yep, possums scream loudly too, you can hear them being carried away by a fox. We lose too many around here to foxes.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by on_one_wheel » 07 Apr 2021, 9:32 am

I have heard rabbits squeal without being caught, Camping in the sand hills, once in a while one will let out a squeal, just one. I think they are either playing rough or warning voicetressly instead of foot stomping.
Perhaps one near the burrow calls out to warn the others to bunker down because they've sensed danger?
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by ZaineB » 07 Apr 2021, 1:29 pm

womble wrote:They squeal when they’re taken sometimes. But if a rabbit has squealed it’s game over. A fox is’nt going to fight another predator for it’s meal.
A rabbit in distress is either running flat stick or pretending to be invisible. Ears down trying to look like a rock. But they are not making a sound either way.



Interesting theory you have, completely contrary to literally every experience I have shooting them for over 30 years. So I am genuinely interested in how you arrived at that conclusion.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by womble » 07 Apr 2021, 3:34 pm

Spotlight + lurchers/ snap dogs.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by bladeracer » 07 Apr 2021, 3:49 pm

ZaineB wrote:
womble wrote:They squeal when they’re taken sometimes. But if a rabbit has squealed it’s game over. A fox is’nt going to fight another predator for it’s meal.
A rabbit in distress is either running flat stick or pretending to be invisible. Ears down trying to look like a rock. But they are not making a sound either way.



Interesting theory you have, completely contrary to literally every experience I have shooting them for over 30 years. So I am genuinely interested in how you arrived at that conclusion.


I don't believe I've ever heard a rabbit squeal after being shot, only when taken by a cat or fox.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by womble » 07 Apr 2021, 4:30 pm

Me either. Rabbit dose’nt know it’s about to get shot.
Can’t squeal when it’s brain heart or lungs are mush.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by animalpest » 07 Apr 2021, 5:16 pm

Yes rabbits do squeal - when taken by a fox, sometimes when shot and not dead, or when injured. They will sometimes squeal when just picked up, alive, kicking and squealing.

The fox doesn't always think that the rabbit is squealing because another fox caught it. It simply -, from experience - knows that it is a rabbit in distress. That could equal a meal.

I have never heard an Aussie rabbit squeal like the USA callers do. Different species. The ones in America are generally Cottontail rabbits ( Sylvilagus spp.) of which there are a few different species - 8 I think. The Aussie ones are the European Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by ZaineB » 07 Apr 2021, 7:20 pm

yeah AP I cant agree with wombles comment but most definitely can agree with yours, plenty of times when I was a kid with rabbit plague around where shotgun shot would ricochet or glance off and injure another rabbit, they would almost always squeal, yes they are a different species, cottontail does not sound anything like the european common rabbit which we have.

foxes are more than happy to be opportunistic and have regularly seen more than one closing in on the sound of a rabbit in distress. I have even seen them facing off with each other and cats (not dogs, foxes dont f*** with dogs).

around here a lamb distress and parrot distress is as much a lure, however the greater mass of pests (cats and dogs also) seem to respond more broadly to the sound of a rabbit squealing and the foxes and cats come barrelling in for a tenterfield if used properly.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by bah! » 07 Apr 2021, 7:22 pm

I've had a rabbit squeal when spine shot, lower down.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Elmer » 09 Apr 2021, 11:40 am

They sure do.
I shot one several years ago with the .223 and the bullet grazed it's skull.
When I whent to retrieve it it sat up and started screaming.
It sounded just like a tenterfield.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by NTSOG » 09 Apr 2021, 12:35 pm

G'day,

When I was very young I had a pet rabbit. One day it got tangled in some wire and squealed like a stuck pig. As I freed it, the ungrateful blighter bit me.

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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Skinna » 09 Apr 2021, 6:48 pm

Do rabbits squeel...??

Hell yes...!!!!
You should hear them when they hesitate to launch out the burrow because they see the net &/or know there is danger above ground & a ferret gets hold of one by the backside just inside the burrows entrance...!!!

Heard hundreds of bunny's squeal, from trapped, when approaching one in a trap, when injured, when pick one up injured or not (might be getting one out of a net), when taken by a predator, & no doubt, when being sexually assaulted by a horny buck... :lol:

Its sometimes interesting to see their reaction to a "fox" whistle too...couple years ago was doing the sunset snipe & a fox came & took a bunny i decapitated, so ive blown the button whistle in some vein hope i might get the blighter back, or that another is nearby & emerges from scrub for a feed, only to have inquisitive bunny's poke their heads out to see whats going on...LOL...

I too dont know what Womble is on about..doesnt sound like he's done much fox hunting....just as Animal Pest & Zaine says, a fox will come to the sound of an injured rabbit because they are very opportunistic feeders...thats why they hang around sheep flocks come lambing time to fill up on afterbirth & rejected lambs.

The raspier whistles/callers can also sound like some birds--spring time in wooded areas is a good time to blow & will often bring in the opportunistic fox thinking its a distressed bird thats just fledged, ive been sucessful when hear screeching bird/s at night around mallee scrub, sometimes you get a bird start screeching & maybe take off & if there is a fox about the place it'll be sure to be on the trail of the sound quick smart..!

Ive never heard a Hare squeel in distress, but ti think thats more the type of bunny they have in the USA--they call em Jack Rabbits & they look more like a hare to me.
As said above, they are European Rabbit here, native to Spain & bought here to hunt from the Poms.

I also think the button whistle & tenterfield are the best at mimicking bunny's here.

By the way OB--if they are screeching when you ring or stretch their neck, you're doing it wrong...!
They cant breath if & while you break the neck.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by on_one_wheel » 09 Apr 2021, 7:20 pm

This is one of those classic posts where by reading the replies its obvious who's read the original post and who's only read the topic title :lol:
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Oldbloke » 09 Apr 2021, 7:38 pm

" the way OB--if they are screeching when you ring or stretch their neck, you're doing it wrong...!
They cant breath if & while you break the neck.
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My poor choice of words.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Skinna » 09 Apr 2021, 11:54 pm

on_one_wheel wrote:This is one of those classic posts where by reading the replies its obvious who's read the original post and who's only read the topic title :lol:

:lol: :thumbsup:
Yes, some have responded appropriately & answered the questions asked in the OP, while others have asked, what would seem to be, further rhetorical questions. :lol: almost a double funny really :lol: :thumbsup:

Oldbloke wrote:" the way OB--if they are screeching when you ring or stretch their neck, you're doing it wrong...!
They cant breath if & while you break the neck.
Skinna"

My poor choice of words.
"As I'm about to."


Nope...my bad...i meant to have the " :lol: " emoji with that one...meaning just joking joyce...

Anyway, for what its worth, im of the opinion that rabbits dont squeel purely as a warning to others of impending danger, rather they squeel while in fear for their life--as it is when a big man is peeling them out of a net or they be snatched into the jaws of a needle toothed fox.
They seem quite ignorant of each others safety to my decades of observation....self centred & simple little critters they are... :lol:
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by womble » 10 Apr 2021, 1:57 am

I’ve shot heaps of foxes but only by spotlighting. I don’t have the time to whistle them in and i need them gone.
It’s just been my experience I’ve only heard rabbits squeal on occasion when taken by the dogs.
When coursing rabbits any foxes around won’t let themselves be known. So no i don’t get foxes attracted to rabbit squeals.
I believe that’s because rabbits only squeal when taken by a predator and foxes in my experience are’nt going to try and take a rabbit from a pack of lurchers.
I suppose it’s possible, I’ve seen foxes do surprising things, but i think they’re mostly opportunistic unless they’re starving. They’re just smaller versions of wolves, coyotes. They don’t take unnecessary risks.
If rabbits squealed for the sake of communication with fellow rabbits then they would’nt be passing their genes down the line.
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Re: Does a rabbit ever squeal ?

Post by Blr243 » 10 Apr 2021, 6:05 am

Thanks for the replies. Possibly I have never heard them as I’m slightly deaf , or more likely thes bugger all rabbits in my hunting area
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