Rabbit Shooting

[Whitebridges]

Good evening gents,

 

I'm getting quite a few requests to ping the rabbits. Most of the permissions i have been lucky enough to get are for pigeon shooting but.....to put things simply, vast amounts of ground (OSR is a main crop) are devoid of birds.

 

I'm getting something along the lines of ".....bloody rabbits everywhere.......try here there and everywhere". Very unusual at this time of year in Norfolk.

 

I've been out quite a lot having a look this week. I've seen more rabbit for a long long time out in the day. Less than i expected to see at night. A lot of the trouble is the state of the headlands, I don't like churning up the ground or risk getting stuck.

 

Last year I shot more rabbit going down a hedgerow and sitting it out than driving round in a truck. I tried doing this last week and the temp got to -4C and the chill factor was gawd knows what. It wasn't pleasant!

 

So getting back to the question. Have you got a lot of rabbit and what is your preferred approach this time of year?

 

I had a quick scout round last night and got these.

 

Any opinions and advice greatly welcomed.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nick8310]

Take some chaps out with you lol until it dies down.

 

Nick.

[Nick8310]

We have had a mild winter which is probably the main cause for so many rabbits running around to be fair but to cull more you need traps or more guns put simply. Pm me if you do concider another gun would love to get out else where. Hope this helps

 

Nick

[Scully]

We normally ride round shooting from farm lanes and tracks if the ground is too wet to drive on, which it has been for ages. Were hoping for some really hard frosts so we could get off road but they never happened. Also have a hand held lamp from 'Cree' (?) which we use for lamping foxes and rabbits when on foot, but my favourite method from which I get really good numbers is by ferreting them to my gun. The downside is they're only worth 50p as opposed to £1.50 when shotgunned, but it's still my most productive method regards numbers shot.

[Fisheruk]

Yes loads of rabbits in this area. Spent the last weekend with the thermal imager and have never seen so many. Don't want to clear them all out as otherwise there will be less to deal with later in the year. I put it down to the new TI, but it may be just more bunnies.

[Whitebridges]

Thanks for the advice posted. Apologies for the delay.

 

It was almost warm today and the tracks are starting to dry. Interesting to hear there are a lot of rabbits elsewhere.

 

I'll be out lamping next week. On two farms I shoot there are already a lot of young.

 

Today we had a day on the rape pigeon shooting which was hard going. Saw a few birds though so there is always another day.

[Ira]

Not seeing that many bunnies at night where I shoot, too wet for vehicles so been walking and camping, good fun but not that productive, more badgers than anything else, they are everywhere, quite a few foxes so getting one of the chaps on the farm to come out with a more appropriate tool!!

 

Ive put an NV on my .22 LR so hope to just sit up and get some good rabbit shooting down this week, combined the Yukon with a Nightmaster 40o ir and the difference is amazing.

 

Mixie put paid to loads of rabbits towards the end of last summer down our way, but talking to a chap the other day he reckons the population will boom again now.

 

Biggest problem I have is Mark Gilchrist being matey with our farm manager, he's too bloody good at what he does, it the mixie didn't get em Mark did!!