Rabbits are adorable, so if you have some wild or abandoned ones in your area, you might want to catch some and tame or rescue them. Or maybe your own pet bunny slipped out and you want to safely bring them back home. And if Animal Control is too far away, a DIY rabbit trap could be a viable solution. So let’s look at some ideas you can safely use to trap bunnies.
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1. Amazing Quick Rabbit Trap Using Buckets – KP Daily
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYnu5RGO95A
For this first DIY rabbit trap, you’re going to need two 5-gallon buckets, a bunch of sticks, some wire, and some rubber bands. Use shorter sticks to make two square frames for the buckets. The frames should be big enough to snugly hold the two buckets facing each other.
You’ll need three longer sticks – two to form a railing at the bottom and one to support the top of the buckets. Thread some rubber bands between the bucket and put bait between the buckets. When the bunny nibbles the bait, the buckets snap shut, safely locking the rabbit in.
2. Making a Really Simple Rabbit Trap – Instructables
This next DIY rabbit trap is made of wood and metal grids. You can use cage wire, NIC grids, or hardware cloth. Cut a long piece of wood to form the base of the live trap, then bend the metal grates to build a box around the wire. The back of the box should be a metal grate too.
Cut a wooden door for the front and attach it to the roof with a hinge. Craft a plywood trigger and place food inside the cage to serve as bait. When the rabbit jumps in to eat, the wooden door will snap shut behind them. Stake the trap so the rabbit doesn’t tip it over and escape.
3. Rabbit Box (Trap) Build out of Pallet Wood!! How To/DIY – Bird Dog DIY
This trap is a sort of reversal of the first one we looked at because it has six wooden surfaces and only one wire grate. The grate goes at the back of the trap, and you can still use hardware cloth or cage wire. But it has to be rigid metal, so chicken wire doesn’t work in this context.
Use reclaimed wood or wood pallets, since the scent of fresh store-bought wood might alert the bunny to your presence. Use a hinge to close the door and add rebar or a small piece of heavy metal to weigh the door down. Position some food close to the wire end to act as bait.
4. DIY Box Rabbit Trap – Homestead Lifestyle
There’s nothing wrong with buying wood from Home Depot. But between the scent of the store and the humans that handled, planed, stained, or varnished the wood, your prey is likely to know something is up. Either way, here’s a high-end version of a DIY rabbit trap.
Pine planks or plywood work best for the box frame. Wooden dowels are useful for the trigger and the support structure. The trap has a door that slides down to trap the bunny. The door is rigged with hooks or a paracord. The back end of the trap is hardware cloth.
5. How To Make A Simple Rabbit Trap In Under 5 Minutes – Step By Step
While buckets are useful items for humanely trapping rabbits, they’re not the only plastic option. You can make an equally effective DIY rabbit trap from storage containers, dish pans, and king-size Tupperware. Just be sure the dimensions are large enough to hold the rabbit.
You’ll need some practice to get the balance right, especially in slicing and setting the trigger since the stick has to snap in a way that lets the cut edges interlock. You’ll also need to tie the twine in the exact right spot so bunnies can trigger the trap without escaping. Try, try again!
6. How to Trap a Rabbit – WikiHow
This WikiHow article shows three ways you can trap rabbits, but which is the best option? That depends on why you’re trapping the bunny. Is it a rescue mission for a pet that got out? Or a pest-control measure for bunnies that are getting into your vegetable patch and flowers?
It might even be a survival task or a camping activity. Snares are effective, but they’ll hurt or kill the rabbit, so that’s only if you’re hunting for food. Otherwise, a pit trap is safer. Line the sides of the pit with plastic, wood, wire, or concrete so the rabbit can’t dig its way to freedom.
7. Simple Rabbit Trap – Build Easy Rabbit Trap Using Plastic Basket
As we’ve seen, DIY rabbit traps that are made from plastic storage containers can work. But the lightweight plastic needs to be weighed with a stone or brick. So if you have a base made of heavier plastic, that might be more effective. You’ll need a plastic slotted crate for this one.
You want the types of crates used for tomatoes, bread, milk, or even dogs! Cut one side open then replace it with a heavier screen or grate to make the door. Use U-shaped stakes to hold the trap in place. Strings keep the door open. Rubber bands trigger it shut to trap the bunny.
8. Live Trap Plans for Rabbits – Trap-Anything
The DIY box traps we’ve seen so far all had hinges or pivoted triggers. But here’s a version that’s all made of wood, including the back. It has a few key design differences. Instead of linking the rocker or string trigger to the back of the box, this trap uses a notched plank.
The runners are extra work, but they’re essential because they let the door slide smoothly and promptly once the rabbit triggers the trap. This speed – plus the weight of the wooden door – makes it harder for the bunny to escape. But beware, the rabbit may nibble the wood!
9. Catching Rabbits With a Simple DIY Trap – Homeschool Homesteaders
In most cases, bendy chicken wire doesn’t work well on rabbit traps. But in this context, it’s quite efficient. Make a rectangular frame using bits of scrap wood. Then use chicken wire to form a dome over the frame. Place the trap on top of some brush with a Y-shaped trigger.
This trap was triggered quite quickly so the rabbit didn’t burrow its way out. But if you’re setting the trap on grass or loose soil, start by putting a rigid metal grate (e.g. cage wire) on the ground and covering it with dirt, snow, straw, or brush. Lay the trap above it as normal.
10. How to Make It: DIY Rabbit Trap is Easy to Build
Some people take a figure-it-out approach to assemble their appliances and flat-pack projects. But maybe you’re one of those old-school crafters that loves to read the instructions and follow them to the letter. In that case, you’ll love this technical plan for a DIY rabbit trap.
It says 1950 so it’s really old. Or maybe that’s just the model number. Either way, this trap is based on commercial cage traps that you can buy at any pet store or animal shelter. But this version is made of wood. And it’s approved by the US Department of Agriculture too!
11. How to Make a Rabbit Trap Easy Using Old Bricks with Flat Wood
This is the same basic idea we’ve looked at. But this time, the construction materials are concrete blocks! Baked bricks work just as well. The bricks/blocks form the sides of the DIY rabbit trap, with cement slabs for the back and sides. The door is a sturdy plank of timber.
To help the door slide down, use bamboo and string to make runners. The trigger is the toughest part to master. Set the sticks at right angles then lay more sticks that fan out from the central trigger. Like all floorless traps, keep a close eye on it or the rabbit will dig out!
12. Four Simple Steps to Build A Rabbit Trap – Em Off Grid
The basic structure of a DIY rabbit trap doesn’t change. You need to construct some kind of box or dome, design a trigger for the bunny to step on or rush past, and have a door that slams shut. In some styles of rabbit traps, the whole trap comes down, not just the trap door.
In this article, that same style of rabbit trap is constructed using either rigid cage wire or strong rope. For the rope version, use bendable PVC pipes to hold up the rope and form the structural shape of the trap. Use heavy-duty rope so rabbits can’t chew their way out of it.
13. Building Creative Hole Rabbit Trap – Trap Ideas
We looked at a pit trap earlier and suggested shoring up the sides so the bunnies couldn’t escape. For any trap that will stay out overnight, you’ll need these reinforcements on the floor and sides. Especially if you’re trapping a female rabbit (aka doe) since they dig a lot.
For this DIY rabbit trap, get a cardboard circle and draw eight cross-sectional lines on it. Snip the lines halfway to the edge of the circle and dig a hole under it. Position your bait to hang right over the center of the hole. That way, the bunny is more likely to trigger the trap.
14. A Homemade Rabbit Trap – Chest Full of Books
Let’s talk about reinforced pit traps. To bunny-proof the sides, it can be helpful to put something in the hole that they can’t dig or chew through. This could be a plastic bucket, slabs of tile, a plastic storage bin, or a dry goods box. Pack soil tightly around your container.
About 6” of the container should be above ground. Poke PVC tubes through either side of the container to mimic a burrow. Position them on pivots that drop into the hole. Hang bait that the bunny can see and smell when they peep through the tubes. That will lure them right in!
15. Wild Rabbit Trap Cardboard Box And Plastic Bottle – Quick Rabbit Trap
When you’re deciding where to set up your DIY rabbit trap, check for known rabbit trails and/or spots with rabbit poop on the ground. This clever trap has a few extra steps, but since it’s made of cardboard, it’s not hard to make. But the bunny might chew through the carton.
While this trap seems basic, it’s rather convoluted and has lots of moving parts. You’ll need a lot of practice aligning those right-angle trigger sticks. Cut a door on the front of the box, and a slot on the side to serve as a runner. A plastic bottle with rubber bands holds the trap door.
16. DIY Rabbit Trap with PVC, Truck Tyre, and Electric Fan Cover
The trouble with snare traps is they snag the rabbit’s neck, which could instantly kill it. If you set them strategically, they might noose the rabbit’s waist or leg and maybe pull them into the air, which is no less kosher. But what if you use the snare to spring the trap shut instead?
In this scenario, the snare mechanism connects to an old tire tied to an electric fan cover. When the rabbit sits on the trap door, the twigs snap, dropping the bunny into the hole. The tire and fan cover then snap over the hole, locking the rabbit in without hurting it. Try it out!
17. Excellent Rabbit Trap – Creative Method Using Bamboo Basket
Here’s a concept that works if you’re good with knots and can figure out how to set up those triangular strings. You need a bamboo basket, U-stakes to pin it to the ground, and a sturdy stick to hold it up. You can use rubber bands, wire coat hangers, or zip ties to hold the sticks.
This DIY rabbit trap is cute and creative … but it’s not foolproof. As you can see, the rabbit could snack on the food from the wrong side of the trap. So when the basket dropped, the bunny was only partially covered and could have pulled itself back out if it really wanted to …
18. Humane Live Trap with Laundry Hamper and Snare Mechanism
We’re not saying these bunnies are not Photoshopped. But that doesn’t mean the trap won’t work! It does have a snare, and that’s usually bad. But because this is a live trap, the snare simply released the laundry hamper so it swings down like a playful blade-free guillotine.
The trap uses twigs and leaves to form a trap door over a hole. Set lightweight bait on the false door so when the rabbit steps on the flimsy flooring to nibble the food, it sinks under the rabbit’s weight, dropping the bunny into the pit. The laundry hamper then locks it in.
19. Easy DIY Rabbit Trap Make from Electric Fan Cover By Smart Boy
We’ll close with another DIY rabbit trap that looks cute but may not be totally effective. You need two electric fan covers, and some popsicle sticks – sometimes called tongue depressors because that’s what dentists and throat doctors use them for! You also need rubber bands.
Dig a shallow hole and nail one fan cover into the hole. Use rubber bands to tie the two fan covers together, then use the popsicle sticks to make the trigger. Place appropriate bait on the popsicle sticks. But stay nearby and watch, since the rabbit can easily slip out of the trap.
Have you successfully used any DIY rabbit trap? Tell us how you made it in the comments!
