Shotguns and rabbits

[Dazza9t9]

Hey all,

 

I am fairly new to shooting, got some clay experience and a handful of pigeon decoying now.

 

The farmer on my land is asking me about rabbits as he is over run.

 

Other than shooting a rabbit while I was decoying I have no experience of hunting rabbits. I often walk my dog around the land but can't seem to get close to the rabbits.

 

I have a 12 bore o/u, is love a pcp rifle but that's not going to happen at the moment.

 

Can anyone give me some advice on shooting rabbits, as basic as possible please.

 

Thanks all

[BRNDL]

Totally thinking out loud here, but you could ask on here if anyone will take you/show you on your permission the best way to go about it. There may even be a kind gent that could lend you an air rifle to do the job?

 

Where are you based?

[scutt]

walk close to hedges steady pace aim for the feet.

[Dazza9t9]

There is patches where I always see rabbits, it it worth sitting at the edge of the field and waiting for them to come out?

How long do they normally take to re appear?

[castletyne]

I wouldn't take the dog if your after rabbits

[GingerCat]

I normally walk between the hedge and where the rabbits are and keep is slow and steady, as above aim for the feet. Failing that hide in the hedge and used an air rifle, perfect for rabbit'ss.

Anyone u know with ferrets? Great fun bolting rabbits.

Not the hardest thing to hunt but wouldn't say the easiest either. To really clear them out someone with ferrets in the winter is your best bet

[Guest cookoff013]

i`ve ferreted and wandered around shooting them. ferreting is just pure "sit and shoot". whereas the rough shooting part is normaly a bit of leg work.

 

as for caartridges, i`ve used 36g 2s / 4s for ferreting, slightly overkill, but i didnt have any complaints. i had to clean up the other guys misses,

 

unless you are going to go for birds aswell, why not use the bigger cartridges?

[joe soapy]

just drive anticlockwise 5/10 yds from hedge, as slow as can. see bunny , stop and shoot through open window

about 1 hour before dark

[team tractor]

Stalk slow and low . Take your time and as said don't take a dog . Cammo up head to toe and personally I don't like shooting over 40 yards with the 12g on bunny plus hate 6's and smaller .( no such thing as over kill)

I used to sit and wait by the holes but better with the air rifle to get numbers .

[Scully]

it it worth sitting at the edge of the field and waiting for them to come out?

 

Not really;it would be a very long day.As has been said,your best bet is bolting to guns with ferrets,but it's the wrong time of year for working ferrets really.it is possible to work them this time of year but in this heat they would literally cook to death.

Lamping at night or dusk,or an early morning drive round can be effective,but more so with a rifle than a shotgun,unless it's moderated.