Bagged my first bunny

[Noidea]

Shot my first live target last night. after many, many and even more pellets shot through simulated rabbit targets I decided that I was putting enough pellets through the same holes that shooting live targets was no longer much of a risk, so went down with my 22 springer, rated at the full 12lb. coupled with a decent hawke scope to a little patch of permission I have, loads of rabbits though.

 

spent about 40 minutes looking through the scope with my trigger finger poised, thinking about the reason for me being there and what was going to happen when I finally pulled the trigger, decided that as I am a meat eater, also not a bad shot, and know that there will not be any part of the kill go to waste as I could use what I had spent months learning and researching, that it would be purely down to a decision as to the shot being a 99.9% clean kill as to wether I would go ahead with the shot

 

finally had rabbits within the distance that I had been practicing at, had a steady rifle, steady rabbit in my cross hairs. so I squeezed the trigger and less than a second later it was over, a nice clean shot straight through the side of the head. a bit of a twitch from bunny, so I went over and made sure it wasn't going to suffer my a swift knock to the back of the neck, this wasn't needed but I had to make sure for my own sake more than anything else

 

the rabbit looked a hell of a lot bigger in the scope but turned out to be a small one, I was a bit sick about that but I will learn from that for next time. I put what I learnt into action and promptly legged and gutted the bunny, inspected the liver and insides for the white spots and discolour that you do not want to see, but with this being a fairly young rabbit I really didn't expect it to have any problems, and it didn't, very good condition

 

got home and skinned the rabbit and boiled it straight away, I have found many posts that suggest giving it a salty over night bath, but mates of mine who shoot said that if they are not bothering to freeze it they just boil it and eat it the same day

 

didn't get enough meat off it to make a meal really, due to its size though, not my butchery skills. but this bunny is going in my dogs bowl tonight as she is getting board of the new dry mix with gravy that she has been on, some nice bunny meat will make her very happy

 

all in all im very happy with how this first trip went, my feeling about killing cute fluffy bugs bunny are now subsided from what they were, and in time im sure they will go completely, and atleast now I know that when I have my SGC I will be able to put it to hunting use and not just clays

 

watch this space, pigeons next,..........maybe

[Davyo]

Good on you mate,now you have shot the 1st use that as the bench mark.You now know that that distance isn't a problem and keep this in mind.Get out and enjoy yourself, there will be occasions when you miss but dont let it knock your confidence.Get to know you ground and your capabilites and you'll get along fine.

[kitchrat]

Shot my first live target last night. after many, many and even more pellets shot through simulated rabbit targets I decided that I was putting enough pellets through the same holes that shooting live targets was no longer much of a risk, so went down with my 22 springer, rated at the full 12lb. coupled with a decent hawke scope to a little patch of permission I have, loads of rabbits though.

 

spent about 40 minutes looking through the scope with my trigger finger poised, thinking about the reason for me being there and what was going to happen when I finally pulled the trigger, decided that as I am a meat eater, also not a bad shot, and know that there will not be any part of the kill go to waste as I could use what I had spent months learning and researching, that it would be purely down to a decision as to the shot being a 99.9% clean kill as to wether I would go ahead with the shot

 

finally had rabbits within the distance that I had been practicing at, had a steady rifle, steady rabbit in my cross hairs. so I squeezed the trigger and less than a second later it was over, a nice clean shot straight through the side of the head. a bit of a twitch from bunny, so I went over and made sure it wasn't going to suffer my a swift knock to the back of the neck, this wasn't needed but I had to make sure for my own sake more than anything else

 

the rabbit looked a hell of a lot bigger in the scope but turned out to be a small one, I was a bit sick about that but I will learn from that for next time. I put what I learnt into action and promptly legged and gutted the bunny, inspected the liver and insides for the white spots and discolour that you do not want to see, but with this being a fairly young rabbit I really didn't expect it to have any problems, and it didn't, very good condition

 

got home and skinned the rabbit and boiled it straight away, I have found many posts that suggest giving it a salty over night bath, but mates of mine who shoot said that if they are not bothering to freeze it they just boil it and eat it the same day

 

didn't get enough meat off it to make a meal really, due to its size though, not my butchery skills. but this bunny is going in my dogs bowl tonight as she is getting board of the new dry mix with gravy that she has been on, some nice bunny meat will make her very happy

 

all in all im very happy with how this first trip went, my feeling about killing cute fluffy bugs bunny are now subsided from what they were, and in time im sure they will go completely, and atleast now I know that when I have my SGC I will be able to put it to hunting use and not just clays

 

watch this space, pigeons next,..........maybe

Excellent, good clean kill. This time the dogs are lucky, next time you will dine like a king!!

Well done!

[Noidea]

Good on you mate,now you have shot the 1st use that as the bench mark.You now know that that distance isn't a problem and keep this in mind.Get out and enjoy yourself, there will be occasions when you miss but dont let it knock your confidence.Get to know you ground and your capabilites and you'll get along fine.

Cheers, emmm not really looking forward to the botched shot, but I know I cannot hit 100 out of 100 shots on something that moves, so I know it will happen and will just have to deal with it the best I can when it does, believe me I know the ground better than I know my own back garden. the heath I have permission on is huge to others but I spend a lot of my life down there, and when I had the idea of taking for the table I made it my business to learn the bunnies haunts better than I know my own. my capabilities behind the trigger are now more important to know than ever, and rest assured they will be as good as I can possibly get them before too long. put another 50 pellets in my paper targets today just to make sure the rabbit wasn't a fluke. and im pleased it wasn't, the practice is paying off

 

Thanks for the comments

 

Paul

Excellent, good clean kill. This time the dogs are lucky, next time you will dine like a king!!

Well done!

Cheers bud. she has just had her dinner and for the first time in 2 weeks she cleaned her bowl, and went back just to double check it was all gone now need to try some myself

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[secretagentmole]

Want a few ideas?

 

Bunny and Black Pud Stew

Ingredients:
2 Bunnies (dressed and de-boned and diced - if you can leave them soaking overnight in
brine/White wine vinegar even better!)
1lb of Black pudding
2 medium onions
2 carrots
1 apple
a Little olive oil
salt and pepper
1 level teaspoon mixed dried herbs
2 chicken stock cubes and 1 vegetable stock cube
1 pint of boiling water (in a jug)

Shortcrust Scones
Plain flour - 6 ozs
margarine 2ozs
a little cold water to bind
pinch of salt and pepper, pinch of dried sage

Take your bunnies and brown them off in a HOT frying pan with some Olive oil.
Once browned place in a large casserole dish.
Chop your black pudding up into large chunks and brown off quickly. add to casserole dish
Chop onion, carrots and apple (leave skin on if desired)
add to the casserole dish.
Take 1 pint of boiling water in a jug and add the stock cubes and herbs. Leave the stock to stand until cooled slightly.
Add salt and pepper to the casserole mix and stir well, add the stock and place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius.
cook for 1 hour and then turn the oven down to 150 degrees for a further 2 hours. ;D

To make the scones mix the flour and margarine together until it resembles breadcrumbs, add salt, pepper and sage. Add a little water until the mixture just begins to bind.
knead mix together and leave to stand for 20 minutes in the fridge.
Quickly roll out dough to 1 inch thick and cut out scones using a knife or scone cutter, place on a lightly greased tray and brush lightly with a little milk.
***** with a fork (looks pretty!)
Add the scones to the oven 30 minutes before the casserole is cooked - check after 15 minutes (to see if cooked stick a sharp knife in if it comes out clean there done!)
They should take about 15-25 minute to cook depending on how thick they are.
Once cooked remove from oven allow to cool very slightly and then serve with mashed potatoes!

These 5 recipes have been filched from Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall

Rabbit ragù

Ragù is a rich meat sauce for pasta, usually cooked long and slow. In this case, the sauce itself is pretty quick to put together, but the rabbit requires a good, long simmer to make it super-tender. Serves two.

2 tbsp olive oil 1 rabbit, jointed

4 rashers streaky bacon, diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stems celery, roughly chopped

1 onion, peeled and halved ...

2 bay leaves

A few black peppercorns

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1kg tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped (or a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes)

Salt and ground black pepper

glass white wine

1 knob butter

250g pappardelle or tagliatelle

Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown all over. Add the bacon, carrot, celery and onion, and let them take a little colour. Add a bay leaf, the peppercorns and enough water just to cover everything. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for an hour and a half to two hours, or until the rabbit meat is falling off the bone.

Meanwhile, make a simple tomato sauce. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, without browning, then add the tomatoes and a bay leaf. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft and pulpy, and the mixture is thick. Remove the bay. If you like, blitz the sauce in a blender to get a smooth consistency, but it's not essential. Taste, season and set aside.

Take the meat out of the stock. Strain the stock, discard the veg, then pour into a wide pan. Add the wine, bring to the boil and boil until the liquid has reduced to about 200ml.

Pull all the rabbit meat off the bones, in shreds. Combine the sauce with the reduced stock and add the meat. Grind in lots of pepper and add a knob of butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until al dente, then drain. Transfer to two warmed dishes and spoon the ragù on top. Trickle over a little extra-virgin olive oil, add a good grinding of black pepper and serve.

 

Rabbit, leek and cider stew

Wild bunny has almost no fat, so add some while cooking. Slow-cooking with a bit of pork belly is a good bet, as it renders the meat beautifully tender and well lubricated. A slosh of cream won't hurt, either. Serves four to six.

1 tbsp olive oil

250g salted pork belly (or pancetta), cut into chunky cubes

2 rabbits, skinned and jointed

3-4 tbsp plain flour, seasoned

35g butter

3 big leeks, trimmed and sliced thin

500ml cider

284ml carton double cream

1 large sprig fresh thyme

Salt and ground black pepper

1 good tbsp parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a big pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned. Scoop out the meat, leaving behind some rendered fat, and set aside. Toss the rabbit lightly in seasoned flour, add to the pan, brown all over, then turn off the heat.

Heat the butter in a separate pan and add the leeks. Sweat gently until soft and silky. Add to the rabbit, along with the browned pork, cider, cream and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for one to one and a half hours, until the meat is very tender. Season to taste and finish with a generous sprinkling of parsley. Serve with potatoes - mashed or sautéed.

 

Bunny burgers

Makes 10 burgers.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

A little oil

1kg rabbit meat, minced

250g sausagemeat or minced belly pork

About 1 tbsp mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped - I use marjoram, thyme, sage and rosemary

Salt and ground black pepper

Gently cook the onion in oil for a few minutes until softened, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, use your hands to mix together the rabbit, sausagemeat and herbs, then mix in the onion and seasoning. Shape into 10 patties not more than 2cm thick, wrap in clingfilm and chill until ready to cook.

Cook the burgers on a barbecue or in a lightly oiled heavy frying pan for three to four minutes on each side. Serve in buns with a bit of fresh salad and either a squirt of good tomato ketchup or some mayonnaise spiked with English mustard.

Thanks Hugh, the Bunny burgers are superb!

 

Rabbit Rillettes With Apple Relish

Rillettes are a sort of coarse pâté. This rabbit version is amazingly easy, a lot less fatty than some, and extremely tasty. Serves six to eight.

500g rindless, fatty pork belly, cut into 2-3cm cubes
1 rabbit, jointed
1 good sprig fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 whole head garlic, cut in half through the centre
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 good pinch ground mixed spice
1 good pinch ground mace

For the apple relish
1 large cooking apple (a bramley, say), peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 tsp sugar

Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Put the pork belly and rabbit pieces in a casserole dish or roasting tin into which they'll fit snugly in a single layer. Add the herbs and garlic, pour over 250ml water and cover with a lid or foil. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/285F/gas mark 1 and cook for two and a half hours more, until the rabbit is tender and can be shredded with a fork.

Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle. Pull all the rabbit meat off the bones, discard the bones, then shred the meat with a pair of forks or your hands. Put it in a large bowl. Shred the pork, too, in whichever way you find easiest, making sure you include all the fat, and add to the bowl. Work the two meats together, crushing the pork fat thoroughly into the mix so it is evenly spread. Add plenty of salt and pepper – you'll need in the region of half a teaspoon of salt – the mixed spice and mace, and some cooking liquor from the casserole. Stir, and add more liquid as necessary, until the mix is a coarse, fairly loose pâté texture. You may not need all the liquor. Taste, add seasoning or spices as needed and transfer to a bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate for a day or two – this helps improve the flavour.

To make the relish, combine all the ingredients in a small pan, bring to a simmer and cook for a minute or two. Leave to cool, then season and add more sugar or vinegar to taste. Serve the rillettes cold or at room temperature, with good bread and the apple relish alongside.

 

Rabbit Stew

 

2 wild rabbits, skinned and jointed

250g salted pork belly or pancetta, cut into chunky cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thickly sliced

3 large carrots, cut into 4cm lengths

celery sticks, cut into 4cm lengths

2 bay leaves

A sprig of thyme, if handy

500ml cider

1 generous teaspoon honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan.
Gently fry the pork belly until it is lightly browned and the fat runs.

Transfer the pieces of meat to a casserole but leave the frying pan on the heat.

Now brown the rabbit joints in the same pan, in batches, transferring them to the casserole as they are done.

Finally, sweat the onion in the same pan but do not allow it to colour.

Transfer to the casserole when soft and translucent.

Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme to the casserole. Push everything around so it is fairly tightly packed, then pour over the cider.
Add a little water if necessary to cover the meat.
Add the honey and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, at a very low, tremulous simmer, for about 1 1/4 hours, until the rabbit is completely tender (older, tougher animals will take longer).
You could cook it in a very low oven (120°C/Gas Mark 1/2), if you like.

Serve with plenty of the juice ladled over, with mashed potatoes or small macaroni or risoni (rice-shaped pasta).

 

Rabbit with Mustard Sauce.

 

2 kg (4 lb) Rabbit, cleaned and cut into serving pieces

50 g (2 oz) 4 Tbs Butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp Dried thyme

1/2 tsp Dried rosemary

300 ml (10 fl oz) 1 1/4 cups Single (light) cream

1 Tbs French mustard

1 Tbs Cornflour (cornstarch), blended with 2 Tbs single (light) cream

 

marinade

300 ml (10 fl oz) 1 1/4 cups Dry white wine

125 ml (4 fl oz) 1/2 cup Olive oil

2 Garlic cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Medium onion, thinly sliced

1 Medium carrot, thinly sliced

 

method

1. To prepare the marinade, mix all the ingredients in a large, shallow bowl. Add the rabbit pieces and marinate them at room temperature for 6 hours, basting occasionally. Remove the rabbit from the marinade and dry on kitchen towels. Reserve the marinade.

 

2. Melt the butter in a large, deep frying-pan. Add the rabbit pieces and fry until they are evenly browned. Pour in the marinade and bring to the boil. Stir in seasoning, cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the pieces are cooked through and tender. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the rabbit to a warmed serving dish. Keep warm while you make the sauce.

 

3. Strain the cooking liquids into a small saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil, then stir in the herbs. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, a little at a time, then the mustard and cornflour (cornstarch) mixture. Gently warm the sauce, stirring constantly, until it is hot but not boiling, and is thick.

Rabbit pie

Ingredients For the pie filling

• 1 wild rabbit, cut into serving pieces

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 5 shallots, sliced

• 2 carrots, sliced

• 2 celery sticks, sliced

• 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock

• 300ml/10fl oz dry cider

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 handful chopped fresh rosemary leaves

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

For the beurre manié

• 40g/1½ oz butter, softened

• 40g/1½oz plain flour

For the crust

• 225g/8oz ready-made shortcrust pastry

• flour, for dusting

• 1 free-range egg, yolk only

Preparation method

1. Soak the rabbit in water for an hour to whiten the flesh.

2. For the pie filling, season the rabbit pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then lightly fry the rabbit pieces for 3-4 minutes, or until the rabbit is beginning to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the shallots, carrots and celery to the pan and lightly fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Pour in the stock and the cider and stir in the bay leaf, chopped rosemary and mustard until well combined.

4. Place the rabbit pieces back into the pan and cover with a lid. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the rabbit is tender.

5. Remove the rabbit pieces from the stock and place into an ovenproof ceramic pie dish.

6. For the buerre manié, mash the softened butter into the flour with a fork and add in small pieces to the stock in the saucepan. Stir constantly over a medium heat until well combined and the sauce thickens, then pour the mixture over the rabbit in the dish. Brush the edges of the dish with water.

7. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F/Gas 7.

8. For the crust, roll out the pastry on a floured work surface and cut off a strip long enough to go around the edges of the pie dish. Lay it around the edges of the dish and moisten with water.

9. Roll out the rest of the pastry into a circle large enough to fit over the pie dish. Place the pastry circle on top of the dish and press the overhanging edges down into the pastry strip, sealing well. Make a few slits in the top of the pastry to let out the steam and prevent the crust from going soggy.

10. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and crisp. Slice into wedges and serve.

Yorkshire Rabbit

 

1 Jointed Rabbit.

300 ml Theakston's Old Peculiar.

1 Small Onion, chopped.

Crushed bay Leaf.

4 Cloves.

1 Small tin Tomatoes.

1 tblsp. Wholewheat flour.

1 tsp. dried Basil.

 

 

Place rabbit joints in a flameproof casserole. Add onion, cloves, crushed bay leaf and the 300ml

Theakstons Old Peculiar. Leave for 2-3 days in a cool place.

Simmer on top of the stove for 2 hours.

Drain the tomatoes and add to the casserole.

Blend the flour with the tomato juice and stir into the casserole together with the basil.

Continue to cook for another hour or until the rabbit is tender.

Serve with dumplings or potatoes.

Pommy Rabbit

Cooking oil
1 Heaped tablespoon of flour
salt
pepper
1 Heaped teaspoon of dried thyme
1 rabbit, jointed
4 Large potatoes, sliced and blanched in boiling water
4 Large cooking apples, peeled & sliced
1 Large onion, chopped
Half a bottle of Cider
Rub oil round a deep casserole. Mix the flour, salt, pepper and thyme in a large plastic bag.
Immerse rabbit pieces in this mixture and shake well. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry pieces until
sealed. Transfer to casserole. Arrange layers of sliced potato and apple over the rabbit and
distribute chopped onion evenly. Add more salt pepper and thyme to taste. Pour over the cider,
cover and cook in a moderate oven (180c, 350f, gas 4) for about 1,1/2 to 2 hours until tender.
Drink other half of the cider whilst cooking or serve with meal.

 

Rabbit & chorizo jambalaya

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 rabbit, chopped into pieces

• 1 onion diced

• 1 red pepper thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves crushed

• 75g Chorizo sliced

• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

• 250g long grain rice

• 400g can plum tomatoes

• 350ml chicken stock

Method

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and brown the chicken for 5-8 mins until golden. Remove and set aside. Tip in the onion and cook for 3-4 mins until soft. Then add the pepper, garlic, chorizo and Cajun seasoning, and cook for 5 mins more.

• Stir the chicken back in with the rice, add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the rice is tender.

Edited March 29, 2014 by secretagentmole

[Noidea]

wow, that's fantastic, very much appreciated, I shall make use of some of that

 

Thanks mate

 

Paul

[chrisjpainter]

Does this mean you're changing your username from 'Noidea' to 'Someidea'??

Well done sir, well done indeed.

[timmytree]

Sincere congratulations on the best first hunting post I've ever read!

We see experienced shooters that haven't got anywhere near the compassion that you have shown, or the common sense.

With that attitude you will do very well and be an asset to any forum.

Thanks for a heartwarming and honest post.

Regards

Tim

[evo]

Sincere congratulations on the best first hunting post I've ever read!

We see experienced shooters that haven't got anywhere near the compassion that you have shown, or the common sense.

With that attitude you will do very well and be an asset to any forum.

Thanks for a heartwarming and honest post.

Regards

Tim

+1 excellent post and well done on your first bunnie

 

atb Evo

[diddy]

congrats

[Paul taylor]

As above excellent attitude and first post.

may your rabbit be the first of many and I hope you find turning quarry into food as satisfying as I do.

atb P.T

[secretagentmole]

Even the smaller ones can be minced, mixed with sausagemeat and made into lovely burgers (a la Hugh).

 

Good first post and a good kill too. Practise does make perfect, now look to the trees and look for a nice woodie!

[geoff75]

cracking recipes

[Jega]

Well done mate always nice to hear of someones first,be careful with the power on your rifle though bud ,having 12ft/lbs is actually an offence as it has to be below 12 ft/lbs .Really easy to get caught on this one mate.

[Dazza9t9]

Great write and and a very responsible shooter.

 

Good on you

[Mentalmac]

Welldone - I still remember my first.

The small rabbit bit is normal too, I was having a look through my scope the other day and glassed one and realised it was only small (only by seeing and shooting enough rabbits I recognise the shape of a smaller one).

Welldone for making use of it though. I have tanned skins of airgun shot (Or HMR Headshot) rabbits (Buy the solution off net) and used the skins to sew together to make a small throw and also cushions. Nothing going to waste at all then, just need to work on your skinning technique.

 

It's great you didn't rush into it and thought about it philosophically and yes, why not try for some pigeons next? Maybe squirrels? (You can eat them too) - just make sure it's a good brain shot on a squirrel as they are tough critters!

[Noidea]

Does this mean you're changing your username from 'Noidea' to 'Someidea'??

Well done sir, well done indeed.

might have to

Sincere congratulations on the best first hunting post I've ever read!

We see experienced shooters that haven't got anywhere near the compassion that you have shown, or the common sense.

With that attitude you will do very well and be an asset to any forum.

Thanks for a heartwarming and honest post.

Regards

Tim

Really kind, thankyou

+1 excellent post and well done on your first bunnie

 

atb Evo

cheers mate

congrats

cheers bud

As above excellent attitude and first post.

may your rabbit be the first of many and I hope you find turning quarry into food as satisfying as I do.

atb P.T

Thanks, im sure that once I get full size ones l enjoy them very much, the fur will be put to good use as well in the tying den

[Noidea]

Even the smaller ones can be minced, mixed with sausagemeat and made into lovely burgers (a la Hugh).

 

Good first post and a good kill too. Practise does make perfect, now look to the trees and look for a nice woodie!

That's a great idea. im a chef by trade but never came across rabbit in my travels, catering for the masses doesn't require such finess. but obviously I know how to cook burgers, so will try some rabbit versions. thanks, and yes, woodies next on the list, research first though for me, might be vermin but they are alive to start with, bet they are tasty as well

cheers

[Noidea]

Well done mate always nice to hear of someones first,be careful with the power on your rifle though bud ,having 12ft/lbs is actually an offence as it has to be below 12 ft/lbs .Really easy to get caught on this one mate.

Cheers mate, actually my rifle is sub 12, but not much below, I actually took my rifle to my local police station and gave it to the fire arms officer to check, along with details of my permission, and the only thing he said to me was, thankyou and enjoy, so wont get caught out, im really anal about my researching before going ahead with stuff like shooting, but it has paid off

Great write and and a very responsible shooter.

 

Good on you

Cheers mate

[Noidea]

Welldone - I still remember my first.

 

The small rabbit bit is normal too, I was having a look through my scope the other day and glassed one and realised it was only small (only by seeing and shooting enough rabbits I recognise the shape of a smaller one).

Welldone for making use of it though. I have tanned skins of airgun shot (Or HMR Headshot) rabbits (Buy the solution off net) and used the skins to sew together to make a small throw and also cushions. Nothing going to waste at all then, just need to work on your skinning technique.

 

It's great you didn't rush into it and thought about it philosophically and yes, why not try for some pigeons next? Maybe squirrels? (You can eat them too) - just make sure it's a good brain shot on a squirrel as they are tough critters!

Cheers , I will be tanning future pelts, I will be using them in the tying den for my pike flies/trout flies and will be able to dye them and have some great flies made from bunnies that I have made meals from, cant think of a better way to treat an animals life you have taken than to not waste any of it. been looking into the methods and solutions recipes, but will now have to check out that solution you mention. didn't know you could get it already made up in a kit. good to know

pigeons are next on the list, once ive done all my research I will be giving them a go for sure. squirrals are out of the question for me, im pretty good with my shots but that size is too much of a risk for not enough reward for me, not enough meat on one animal to justify me shooting them. would need several for just one meal. so they will get lucky and just get shot at with a camera, will be a cannon shot though

[secretagentmole]

That's a great idea. im a chef by trade but never came across rabbit in my travels, catering for the masses doesn't require such finess. but obviously I know how to cook burgers, so will try some rabbit versions. thanks, and yes, woodies next on the list, research first though for me, might be vermin but they are alive to start with, bet they are tasty as well

cheers

The breast meat is more like venison in taste!

[Noidea]

T

 

The breast meat is more like venison in taste!

That's fine with me, tasted venison for the first time last year during a kayak fishing meet in Norfolk, was the best meat I think ive ever had

[David M]

Well done that man... A first kill is always full of apprehension for all sorts of reasons and rightly so. You'll find it'll take a lot more before you'll fully come to terms with what you're doing and keep the adrenalin in check..! My advice would be to always try and learn something each time you go, be it where to best find/ambush them or improving range estimation etc. That way you'll practically guarantee bringing home something by becoming a more proficient and clinical hunter. Try to stick to your maximum kill accuracy range (i.e the range that you can always hit a 10p size target) in the conditions you shoot in, there'll still be plenty of chances if it proves to only be 20- 25 yards for a while. Everything from finding quarry and being within range to waiting for a perfect killzone to be presented and being calm enough to execute the perfect clean shot needs to be learnt through experience. Sadly, gaining experience comes at a cost, occasionally needing to learn from mistakes. It's never nice to hear a pellet make contact with a living creature then see it struggle to safety to a probable slow painful end, but regrettably it WILL happen to you in this line of pastime. You'll need to be prepared to minimise the risk of it happening in every way possible (e.g target practice at all ranges from 10 yards out to 40, being patient for the right moment to pull the trigger and only shooting at quarry that's in the open far enough that a strong kick from it's back legs won't see it back down a hole or in cover).

 

From you're description you've made a very good start and showed your quarry the full respect it deserved......

 

We cook our rabbits quite simply compared to some very fancy and I'm sure delicious recipes mentioned above. I cook the liver and kidneys for our dog as she enjoys them more than us, I joint the rest into 4 legs, a rear third, middle back section and ribcage then if a full grown one that was difficult to skin, we submerge it all in cold salty water for 24 hours to tenderize. Then a quick rinse and put in a slow cooker with a rough chopped whole onion and the contents of a Schwartz Beef and Ale Slow Cooker sachet with boiling water to cover. We leave it cooking from about 11am until 5pm and serve with just green veg and carrots. Some of the liquer is thickened with granules and used as gravy. The sachet takes away any earthiness wild rabbit can sometimes have..

 

Being a chef though that will probably all sound a bit Heath Robinson to you mate......... ........Atb......

 

P.S.... Wood Pigeons...an acquired taste, a meat that to me tastes of mild liver. I debreast them and pan fry it 2 1/2 - 3 minutes a side depending on how well done you like them along with two rashers of smokey bacon. Let the pigeon rest (leave the bacon in the pan to go crispy) while I plate up a little lettuce, a couple of small tomatoes and a few slices of cucumber, then slice one side of breast meat per portion (about 5mm thick) and lay it on the lettuce with slices of the bacon criss-crossed on top. Drizzle with balsamic vineger and a small dollop of mayo on the side to enjoy it as a starter... You'd pay five to seven quid in a hotel for that and it only takes 3 hours waiting in a hide then 4 minutes to prepare...!!!

Edited April 13, 2014 by David M

[walshie]

Well done. You always remember your first.

[Alpha Mule]

Sincere congratulations on the best first hunting post I've ever read!

We see experienced shooters that haven't got anywhere near the compassion that you have shown, or the common sense.

With that attitude you will do very well and be an asset to any forum.

Thanks for a heartwarming and honest post.

Regards

Tim

+1

I sat looking at my first one for ages, after I hit him. The first is the most traumatic.

 

Excellent recipes too.