Rabbits during the day

[dougall]

As Beretta Italy posted in the Airgun section,I have presumed he was looking at air rifle hunting rabbits. My advice was if possible go at Dawn/dusk as air rifle shooting rabbits requires getting within range and whilst they are still happy to sit still. Tricky in daytime at the best of times.

Thanks to luckyshot for posting his large bags,shot with RIFLE and presumably from a vehicle.

Frenchie boy thanks for the video showing some rabbits(I think 1 at 400 yards and 2 at 200 yards ish) ''proving that the person who says rabbits don't come out at day is wrong''.. My post was trying to steer the OP that with an air rifle I believe he will do better at Dawn/Dusk.

Good luck to the OP,it would be great to hear how he gets on and whether he has more luck during the day or at the start/end of the day. Of course we have all shot the odd dopey rabbit in daytime,but with an AIR RIFLE in November......

[Spara Dritto]

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice. I went up and my first field (that I didn't think would have any) had quite a few, but they didn't stay around long with the car rocking up to them, at least I know now that it's better to go there. The second field I went to had a few but only was able to take one safe shot as the others would have gone into bushes and possibly across the road - I'm just not that stupid...

Well I've decided that I’m sticking with early mornings (around 6.30 so I don't pester or cause conflict with the public on the foot path that runs right next to/parallel to my field)for a little lamping, but wont lamps just scare the rabbits off before I can get a chance to shoot them? They seem extremely edgy as they haven't been shot in years and there is only one farmer and his son that work on it so not a lot of contact.

If getting a lamp, which one should I look at, I really don't want to spend more then £70...

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm allowed to shoot on or across a public footpath as long as I don't cause alarm or endanger anyone, and give the path users right of way?

With roads, I can be as close as I like as long as I don't disrupt, endanger or injure anyone while shooting my gun? Well none of these will apply as there is a big thick bush running right along the road/my permission so won’t disrupt them (plus they wont hear a “crack” from the silenced air rifle lol) and I'd never shoot into the bush - always away from it with a safe backstop.. (I must admit even if I got right next to this bush I'd still be more then 50ft away from the centre of the road)

There is so much more to stalking then just walking up to them quietly and shooting them and I've only just realised this..

After seeing big bags from everyone on here I thought I'd have been a little more successful... :(

Edited November 22, 2011 by Beretta Italy

[jackinbox99]

Normally if they havent been shot for years they are very tame and let you virtually walk right up to them and shoot them. After a few times of doing that they seem to soon realise and become abit more nervous.

 

If you read up on some of the stories on here you`ll soon get the idea, rabbit shooting is very much a hide up & wait game, and can can be quite boring sometimes. When you first roll up at a permission you`ll probably see a few in the field so can have a go at stalking them to get into range, but once they scatter its a case of hiding up somewhere and waiting for them to come out. Usually down a dyke, up a tree or near a hedge is good, as long as you are within 40 yards or so of your target. Sometimes you have to wait ages before they come out again. Also, if they are nervous they tend not to go far from their hole, but you need them to get a distance away from it, as sometimes when you shoot them you may find they run a little bit before keeling over and the last thing you want is it to run back down its hole.

 

Wouldnt worry too much about lamping unless you want to try to get them at night. Any old lamp will do. I use a £35 second hand one, my mate uses a tesco torch and I also use a home made floodlight out of a car spotlight and a motorcycle battery.

[demonwolf444]

 

I'm allowed to shoot on or across a public footpath as long as I don't cause alarm or endanger anyone, and give the path users right of way?

 

 

It is also against the law, in England and Wales, to fire an air rifle within 50 feet of the centre of a highway if this results in someone being injured, interrupted or endangered. These offences could be committed, for example, when someone is shooting in their garden close to a road and the pellets ricochet onto the highway.

 

^ That is from BASC i think highway includes a bridlepath or footpath aswell? So just be very carefull ( which im sure you are ! ), its always better to be safe than sorry.

[Luckyshot]

It is also against the law, in England and Wales, to fire an air rifle within 50 feet of the centre of a highway if this results in someone being injured, interrupted or endangered. These offences could be committed, for example, when someone is shooting in their garden close to a road and the pellets ricochet onto the highway.

 

^ That is from BASC i think highway includes a bridlepath or footpath aswell? So just be very carefull ( which im sure you are ! ), its always better to be safe than sorry.

 

No it dosen't highway means highway and thats it.

 

For the purposes of Section 161 (2) of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended), a

‘highway’ is restricted to a public right of way for the passage of vehicles and does

not include footpaths, cycle tracks or bridleways. Therefore the fifty feet rule

described above does not apply to rights of ways that cross private lands e.g.

footpaths.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Luckyshot