dazzyboi Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I went out tonight and bagged a couple of bunnies, one i know for a fact was a clean kill as it went straight through the side of the skull, and you could see it was dead, but there was alot of spazms coming from the nervs, this went on abit, i was doubt the fact that it was 100% dead or not.. Does anyone else get this? I dont usually get spazms this long, this seemed to last around 20 seconds..longest iv usually seen is like 3-5 seconds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young gun Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I've had this happen a few times i've hit rabbits straight through the head killing it outright and had it go in to spasms that sent in jumping all over the place even 2ft in the air i went and picked up this rabbit and checked it and it was dead but the spasms carried on as i help it for about 30 seconds or so before they finally stopped i've had a few others kick for this long or even a bit longer before stopping and they've been killed outright. I think it depends how you hit them if you hit them in a certain way i think it causes all the nerves to go off causing it to go into spasm or something like that any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Don't worry, it was dead. Their nerves sometimes twitch for a while. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Will happen, and anyone who says it doesn't is a liar. Even with guns with FAR more destructive energy it will still happen. I saw a keeper shoot a rabbit with a .17hmr at 120yds. It lept and appeared to run out of sight. SS's dog found it a full 20yds from where it was shot and it was in a real mess. Shoulder shot had ripped the little thing in half near enough, no way it could have run anywhere - pure adrenaline. On one of SS's permissions I have seen rabbits kick more than I have ever seen in nearly 20 years of shooting them, I call them bionic bunnies They are dead, no question, but kick more than I have ever seen. The rabbit is a prey animal and it has a tremendous capability for flight (more on this here) and this is all I think it can be, even when shot right in the kill zone. Don't be discouraged, the tone here is that everyone shoots and things drop dead with not as much as a twitch. We owe it to our quarry to be as accurate and consistent as we can, we are human though and this means we will make mistakes. In this case the only thing the thinking hunter can do is break cover and dispach the quarry as humanely as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Its the same when you neck them whilst ferreting. Just nerves doing their bit mate. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzyboi Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Thought as much, i guess in this case you just have to let it take its course until it stops.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Unless it starts running away LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzyboi Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Unless it starts running away LB Very true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I have always found mxy rabbits to be the worse for this. If the animal you are hunting is aware of something, even if the shot is a killing one, they can run. This is known as the flight reflex, where they are ready to run in the event of danger. But it was dead. What part of Monmouthshire are you shooting over?? I used to live near Newport, and had a lot of shooting in Shirenewton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzyboi Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I have always found mxy rabbits to be the worse for this.If the animal you are hunting is aware of something, even if the shot is a killing one, they can run. This is known as the flight reflex, where they are ready to run in the event of danger. But it was dead. What part of Monmouthshire are you shooting over?? I used to live near Newport, and had a lot of shooting in Shirenewton. I live just round the corner from shirnewton, its about a 10 minute drive from my house... I am planning on going round that area soon to try and get some new permission..Can you give me any reccomendations and/or names? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancs Lad Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Ive been skinning them after bringing back from the field about 35 mins after they have been shot and had twitches, Usualy they are down the saddle................. Thought it was a one off............then it happened about 3 more times with different bunnies..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon master Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Ive been skinning them after bringing back from the field about 35 mins after they have been shot and had twitches, Usualy they are down the saddle................. Thought it was a one off............then it happened about 3 more times with different bunnies..... I’ve noticed that a few times too, it seems the saddle of a rabbit holds on to life longer than the brain. Its just that last evolutionary response to get whatever has been thumped out of danger in a hope that it can repair afterwards. I have also noticed that when hitting them in the engine room you don’t get much twitching, I only sort the mixie rabbits out with lung/heart shots because I like to eat what I shoot but they do tend to just drop stone dead. The PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 I have always found mxy rabbits to be the worse for this. If the animal you are hunting is aware of something, even if the shot is a killing one, they can run. This is known as the flight reflex, where they are ready to run in the event of danger. But it was dead. What part of Monmouthshire are you shooting over?? I used to live near Newport, and had a lot of shooting in Shirenewton. I live just round the corner from shirnewton, its about a 10 minute drive from my house... :look: I am planning on going round that area soon to try and get some new permission..Can you give me any reccomendations and/or names? Hi Mate, well i know a lot of the land in shirenewton has Pheasent shoot's on them, so it will be hard to gain permission on them. I was lucky that i was the Pest controller on one, and that sealed me with more permission. I am still in contact with the Keeper and will be seeing him this weekend, so will ask the question for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 Ive been skinning them after bringing back from the field about 35 mins after they have been shot and had twitches, Usualy they are down the saddle................. Thought it was a one off............then it happened about 3 more times with different bunnies..... I've seen that a good hour after. Headshot bunny, medium sized, taken with an s410 xtra-FAC. It was dead, I tend to strech the necks anyway to make sure, force of habbit. This one sat in the back of SS's landy for at least an hour. It went a bit quiet and I was faffing for something, it started twiching, not just one or two but really twiching. Rigormortis, nothing else it could have been. Still freaked me out a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzyboi Posted September 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 I have always found mxy rabbits to be the worse for this. If the animal you are hunting is aware of something, even if the shot is a killing one, they can run. This is known as the flight reflex, where they are ready to run in the event of danger. But it was dead. What part of Monmouthshire are you shooting over?? I used to live near Newport, and had a lot of shooting in Shirenewton. I live just round the corner from shirnewton, its about a 10 minute drive from my house... :look: I am planning on going round that area soon to try and get some new permission..Can you give me any reccomendations and/or names? Hi Mate, well i know a lot of the land in shirenewton has Pheasent shoot's on them, so it will be hard to gain permission on them. I was lucky that i was the Pest controller on one, and that sealed me with more permission. I am still in contact with the Keeper and will be seeing him this weekend, so will ask the question for you That would be absolulty brilliant if you could mate, just give him my details if you could (i will PM you my phone number). Iv got written permission on a few other farms who im very respectable of, fully insured etc and can offer pest control services..Also if they ever get stuck with computer related stuff, im an IT professional :look: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeboy Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Many rabbits twitch and kick for a minute or more. As other people have said, this is just motor nerves firing. Too be absolutely sure if something is dead kicking or not, the best way to do this is to touch the eye ball. If the eye ball blinks then shoot it again if it dont its dead even if its turning somersaults. It amuses me to read the stories in mags where the expert hunter shoots his half a dozen rabbits in 15 mins and each one falls to a 'clinical head shot without so much as a twitch' The majority will kick and twitch in my experience. Leeboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Dosh Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Too be absolutely sure if something is dead kicking or not, the best way to do this is to touch the eye ball.If the eye ball blinks then shoot it again if it dont its dead even if its turning somersaults. It would have been hard not to touch the eyeball on one I got on Sunday evening. I took it out at 20 yards from behind, hitting between the base of the ears. The pressure wave caused by the pellet entering the skull caused both eyes to pop out, leaving them both hanging by the optic nerve. It still twitched. One I took on Tuesday was an interesting variation. I was in the pickup and spotted one some way out into the field. On seeing me it shot off behind a small bramble patch near the edge of the field but left it's ears poked up, allowing me to bring my aim in on him. I did a passable impersonation of a young rabbit's squeak and it popped it's head up, only to get 16gr of lead between the eyes for its troubles. Rabbit does a back-flip and lies still When I got over to it, it was clearly dead. Picked it up, necked it and was heading back to the truck when I noticed the heart was beating at about a thousand bpm. Plonked it down and put another round through the head, but the heart still kept going 19 to the dozen. Wierd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 (edited) my inexperienced friend i go out with gets freaked out by the twitching. he insists on taking an air pistol for humaine despatch. i`m dead against this, i`m a neck breaker. he gets freaked out at the fact i can do this. i`ve had bunnys and pigeons twitch, even after a broken neckand a hole in the head. he gets distressed when he sees this. i prefer the breaking of necks (you cant miss !) i m faster at humanely despatching stuff with my hands, its quick and less liable to screw up. full stop. clean shots do get some spasams ! Edited September 14, 2006 by cookoff013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzyboi Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Yep, the one i took the other night, even though it was spazming like crazy and kicking the feet, the eyes stayed perfectly open, no blinking no eye movement at all.. Says it all really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I moved from airguns to rimfire for that very reason. I was amazed to see that rabbits still twitch even with a rimmy. More so with the HMR than the LR beleive it or not. I do find its the younger rabbits that seem to react the most for some reason. I shot a rabbit a couple of months back from 75yards with the HMR. It was a perfect head shot but this didnt stop the rabbit jumping 4 feet into the air before thrashing about for 30 seconds on the floor. When I inspected the rabbit there was little doubt that the V-Max had done its job, if you know what i mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I'm concerned when I read about all these 'hunters' that have an air pistol or shoot something again if it's twitching or wounded. Any true hunter should be able to do it with his hands. What if you wound a rabbit with a higher power rifle or shotgun? I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near someone emptying shots off at a rabbit 3 ft away. The only thing I would do this for is squirrels or rats. Also this extra air pistol that peole carry I can see no benifits with. How does someone get wounded quarry that's moving about to stay still for a lower power shot to kill it. Please don't say they hold it. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I found a way of killing them with no twitches the other night, But I was having a go with a .243 at the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeboy Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I'm concerned when I read about all these 'hunters' that have an air pistol or shoot something again if it's twitching or wounded. Any true hunter should be able to do it with his hands. What if you wound a rabbit with a higher power rifle or shotgun? I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near someone emptying shots off at a rabbit 3 ft away. The only thing I would do this for is squirrels or rats. Also this extra air pistol that peole carry I can see no benifits with. How does someone get wounded quarry that's moving about to stay still for a lower power shot to kill it. Please don't say they hold it. FM I agree that a true hunter should be able to despatch a rabbit by hand. But if the sound of a second shot is not going to scare off other quarry then a second shot from an airgun to my mind is not a problem it is going to be the quickest, safest option. A rabbit as well as squirrels and rats can dish out a very serious bite and I know someone who had several weeks off work last year after being bitten on the hand. He suffered tendon damage to a finger and then got a really nasty infection when the wound turned septic. I dont like to hear of people taking air pistols with them when they go hunting as this leads to temptation. But I should think its up to the job of finishing a rabbit if its one of the higher powered jobs. At point blank the pellet is probably carrying as much energy as one fired from an air rifle at longer ranges. I cant see any reason why someone would need to carry one though. It is the sort of thing you would expect to hear from some young novices. No serious airgun hunter would entertain the idea. Leeboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancs Lad Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Simple rule of thumb here........ If it twitches,,,,,,,,its nerves............ It it twitches and breathing then it aint nerves so it gets another close range coup de grace with the air gun. Your bunnies will continue to kick for a few seconds after they have taken the round.......its natural....... All dead things do it. Its called trauma and adrenaline. your heart stops beating....but you aint dead..............not right away... Bunnies have usualy stopped kicking when I go to pick them up..........If I havent had a "clean" shot, then it might be there rapidly breathing...........it then gets the good news from close range and job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I moved from airguns to rimfire for that very reason. I was amazed to see that rabbits still twitch even with a rimmy. More so with the HMR than the LR beleive it or not. I do find its the younger rabbits that seem to react the most for some reason. Younger they are the less they know and less they are able to do anything about "it" so nature gave them more adrenaline to tide them over until they get a bit more wiley and old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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