daylight Rabbits

[Jolly]

Hi All,

bit of an odd one here I've been asked to sort some rabbits on a 17 acre plot they have an "infestation" I've been twice at night and seen about 12 rabbits combining the visits they are telling me that during the day there are "hundreds" what i want to know is if I plot up and there are lots of bunnies how many am I likely to get before the others all sod off ? I'm using a moderated .22lr but this is new territory for me. what ideas do you have ?

[jimmyb79]

I'd find a spot to lay up in camo and wait for them to come out. Alternatively a hide may be suitable depending on the ground. You may have a pause between shooting and them coming out again but they will if they're there.

[FalconFN]

 

I'd find a spot to lay up in camo and wait for them to come out. Alternatively a hide may be suitable depending on the ground. You may have a pause between shooting and them coming out again but they will if they're there.

+1

[Muddy Funker]

Yeah lay up and snipe them.

 

You might get two before they dissapear, then they'll venture out again after 15 - 20 mins :-)

[Gimlet]

Hundreds is farmer speak for 12. If you've never seen more than half a dozen above ground at any one time there's propably between between 20 and 40 in total at the most. Though they be doing their level best morning noon and night to up the numbers, so get em shot. They say the rabbits you see above ground are only 5% of the total, but I reckon that only applies with very large colonies. With small groups there could be up to 50% above ground from my observations.

Vary your times when you shoot. Don't turn up day after day at the same time or they'll change their behaviour. Mix it up a bit and give them a few days break after a good pasting and they'll stay put until you've almost cleared the lot. You'll propably find that after a while you're only shooting juveniles. That's because the surviving adults have wised up they are very hard to shoot. Keep taking out the youngsters and come back in the winter with ferrets and mop up the smart ones.

[thepasty]

interesting figures, I was thinking about the numbers still underground compared to what you see on surface.

 

I've got a new permission recently where if you go up there around 10-11pm and scan the field with a lamp there are so many they're difficult to count, theres about 70acres like this.... going by the 5% figure there could be over a thousand on this perm!

[malantone]

I was getting £2.50 each skinned ready to sell from a local butcher.

[Gimlet]

interesting figures, I was thinking about the numbers still underground compared to what you see on surface.

 

I've got a new permission recently where if you go up there around 10-11pm and scan the field with a lamp there are so many they're difficult to count, theres about 70acres like this.... going by the 5% figure there could be over a thousand on this perm!

 

Exactly. That's what I meant. I've never had much faith in the 5% idea. its too low. That said, when I took over my main ground, on one particular field edge you would see 20 or 30 every evening without fail. When they're all hopping about 30 rabbits looks an awful lot. That hedgerow was ferreted out that first winter and produced over 400 rabbits. They had been living and feeding on a patch no more than 20 acres Depends on the conditions too. I think the time when the highest percentage of a colony are all above ground together is on stubbles after harvest. They've had no open ground to run over for months and on a warm bright night they just can't can't help themselves. Its silly season and NV heaven.