Lamping

[leon]

I find most of the time they come in straight at you then arc across the front to try and and catch your scent.

[rabbit hunter]

The reason that the rabbits are running from the lamp is that they know whats comming next. Not because the lamp is too bright. It could be a lurcher or a shot either way they know, they are what is termed lamp shy. Im afraid you have to work around that problem one way is to go out only on very windy nights and approach them from down wind if a rabbit starts to run try flicking the lamp on an off it,it sometimes makes them pause for a few seconds just enough to get a shot in.

Thanks TC, you saved me saying that.

[Fisherman Mike]

Rimfire.. If you use a 1,000,000 cp lamp at close range your likely to fry the bloody bunny before you shoot it!!!. I use the dimmest lamp I can get away with which is a filtered Logun Smart and I usually go out on my own. There are hundreds of rabbits where I shoot but they are not stupid and it pays to be stealthy and approach down wind ( as with all stalking) I also use a night vision monocular (expedition 600) to scan the area where I am lamping and have rigged a resistor switch to my lamp so that I can turn it on gradually as I found that switching it on with a quick burst of light often spooked the quarry into bolting. It some times pays to play the lamp beam just in front of the rabbit as they are often reluctant to run into the beam of light and give the opportunity for a head shot. I can normally get to within striking range of my .22 Hornet or Webley Raider with a bit of patience and stealth.... Job done. Proper hunting... I did try using my 20 g a couple of times but just too damn noisey. With the pneumatic I often get a couple of rabbits within yards of each other. Once I shot one and its mate 4 feet away carried on feeding. Would you do that with a 12 g and a 3 litre diesel grunting away in the back ground?!! I dont use any expensive scopes but a 4 x 50 Chinese cheepy wich was about 30 quid second hand. The best bag I have had in one night was 22 and it took me 2 hours to pick them up. 2 were lost probably to charlie but what the heck... All these rabbits were head shot with crossman powapell. I cannot see the point of riding around in the middle of the night shooting out the back of a truck with an elephant gun and spending hours picking shot out of dead rabbits.... still each to his own....good shooting.... FM.

[Rimfire]

Thanks for your advice FM. I now have a proper lamp and red filter, it is one of the Deben range but I forget which model (senior moment). I have also purchased the dimmer to go with it so I can follow your advice. The only problem is I will still have to use the 12 bore as my firearms cert. hasn't come through yet. Here's hoping.

 

Regards

 

Rimfire

[Fisherman Mike]

Rimfire,

 

My lamping is done with a air-rifle although I do have a 22 calibre remington. I dont use it on the bunnies much at all. The same principles apply though. I have lamped on landy back with a 12g but it would be no good where I now shoot as we would probably run over more bunnies ( And sheep ) than we shot.

 

Its amazing what you see also, A couple of years ago I came apon 2 blokes poaching deer with lurchers. They did not know I was there I shopped them to the good boys in blue cus I took their car number plate a quick call on me mobile to the police and they were rounded up that night. Always take your mobile rimfire specially if you go out alone.

 

Good luck...FM.

[Pigeon_decoyer]

I go out lamping with my dad and we go in the back of his shogun and shoot out on the sun roof. I find thats the best way.