Hendrix's rifle Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Good evening all, as the title suggests I'm having some issues with my local rabbit population, the issue is I can't bloody find any! I know they are there but the second I shine a light, whether it be blue, red, green, yellow or white they just vanish. It's on a newish perm that's a golf course that the owner says has a really bad rabbit 'infestation'. What am I doing wrong? I've hunted maybe 6 times up there and come away with about 9 rabbits in a around 30 hours of shooting, any tips or better yet if some one would come down and show me would be appreciated!thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Light shy. Go infra Red, No spooking then, ssshhhhhh. Wait.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Light shy. Go infra Red, No spooking then, ssshhhhhh. Wait.. Infa red?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 As is night vision or an ir torch?? Sorry for the stupid questions :L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 were are you based ? secondly, get yourself a nightvision kit , some will still spook but the vast majority wont Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyflier Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Have you tried being more "gentle" with the lamp? Instead of trying to illuminate them with the full glare, light an area close by and carefully move the lamp towards them, using the halo rather than the full beam. Orange/amber has worked well for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Are your lights too bright or are you scanning and moving it around too much? I have never had much success with lamps and air rifles as you need to lamp to find them, quietly stalk closer, lamp again to check, then get in position, then lamp again - all of this just makes them very wary and will disappear pretty sharpish when the light sits on them for more than a second or two. It's probably fine with something like an HMR but range is so critical with air so really low powered light used very sparingly is your only hope with a lamp. It s hard on a golf course but the alternative is to sit up and wait at a spot before sundown where you know rabbits are and then wait for 2 or 3 to come out giving you a good chance at 2 in quick succession. Although it's a bit boring and definitely better when the nights are shorter. If you ever go to night vision then you won't look back, it is a different world. I now stop shooting when my bag gets too heavy, not when I can't shoot any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 I bought a laser designator for use in conjunction with my day scope as it is alleged that laser Designators are invisible to the prey. Absolute tosh. Pick rabbits up with a green laser and they scarper just like they do with a bright light. Just received a NV kit from NVUK which I will try with a vengeance when back from hols. It looked good when set up in back garden and has good reviews so looking forward to the new world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Who else has been at them? They sound educated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty thud Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 its the same on my golf course permission i have open ticket tho and got permission to shoot 22 and 17 hmr on there so no problem on having to get close on them if i could find any not a lot around due to poachers coming on down bottom end off course was there a month back and spotted a bright light shining up and down fairway put mine on them and ther scarperd . same could be happening on your golf course as said someone could have been lamping ther and thats why lamp shy i tend to go often as i can now sometimes just with a torch to make my pressance known i just have to be careful . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 sound very lamp shy as if they have bee lamped a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airarms Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Set up in morning where they are, an hr before light ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyflier Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 Additionally, these furry creatures are capable of learning............they quickly learn that white light means danger as everyone is saying. Use the same colour light each time and guess what....Yup, they learn. Use the same entry point to the field/golf course each time and the result will be the same: Bunny sits up and tells their mates "Here he comes again" and they scarper. NV is probably the way forward particularly if they have been hunted for a long time, but rabbit shooting is not easy. You have to be downwind from them, so their scent blows towards you. You can't move about either. I have had some of my best nights when it's raining, they seem to be more active for some strange reason. A full moon in the sky is an impossible night for hunting rabbits, I assume they know they are visible prey to nocturnal hunters and only venture out to deliver another pile of rabbit tods. There are some really experienced "rabbiters" on this forum and you'll be taking good advice, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Thankyou for the helpful reply everyone, I do appreciate it! myself and the groundskeeper of the course know someone has been poaching, it's just a case of catching him/them. I think night vision may be the best bet,does anybody have recommendations and/or a build list of what would be needed to make it myself? I hopefully also have a new perm on a farm near where I work who have a serious issue with pigeon, starling and crows so hopefully I can have a crack at that! Thanks again, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Thankyou for the helpful reply everyone, I do appreciate it! myself and the groundskeeper of the course know someone has been poaching, it's just a case of catching him/them. I think night vision may be the best bet,does anybody have recommendations and/or a build list of what would be needed to make it myself? I hopefully also have a new perm on a farm near where I work who have a serious issue with pigeon, starling and crows so hopefully I can have a crack at that! Thanks again, Ben The night vision kit that evo makes has a lot of users. If you drop him a pm he will point you in the direction of all you need to make it. If you want to pay extra to have a kit all built and warrantied, then nitesite viper would be a good place to start? The second perm sounds good, but starlings are off the list in this country, as they're a protected species. You need apply to Natural England for a special license if you want to shoot starlings, but these are almost NEVER given. Starling numbers have collapsed over the last decade or so, although that's their national numbers and takes no account of local population. However they are still fully protected and can't be shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted December 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 The night vision kit that evo makes has a lot of users. If you drop him a pm he will point you in the direction of all you need to make it. If you want to pay extra to have a kit all built and warrantied, then nitesite viper would be a good place to start? The second perm sounds good, but starlings are off the list in this country, as they're a protected species. You need apply to Natural England for a special license if you want to shoot starlings, but these are almost NEVER given. Starling numbers have collapsed over the last decade or so, although that's their national numbers and takes no account of local population. However they are still fully protected and can't be shot. I Will pm him shortly, Thankyou for clearing that up as I didn't know that one! Hence why I stick to rabbits and rats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryb Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Where abouts are you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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