birdsallpl Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 What tactics do you use for shooting rabbits this time of the year? One of our farms have asked us to tackle some. Wouldn't usually do it this time of year as usually use ferrets for bolting and netting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eccles Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) Airrifle non fac if stalking, fac air if waiting at distances up to 60 + odd yards, further ones HMR atb Terry Edited June 5, 2014 by eccles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 I stalk them and also play the sit and wait game normally with the 22 rimfire or 17 hmr. Pick your rabbits nothing tastier than a 3/4 grown rabbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 90 Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 If your shooting them for a Farmer with a problem don't "pick your rabbits" shoot every one you see - they're destroying crops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepasty Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) I pick-up whichever rifle takes my fancy, walk around and shoot them. If you know you're coming to a good spot maybe hanker down for a bit. I find that even with the HMR the rabbits dont realise whats going on until its too late, last week I snuck up on an area I know is normally pretty good and shot 6 before I missed and the ricochet spooked the last 2. Then moved 150yrds and did pretty much the same in the next field. Edited June 5, 2014 by thepasty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 Once the first cut has been picked up we usually lamp them, but if on foot, walking around at first light can develop a fair bag, or laying out under cover with good fields of fire. All with .22rf. As has been said, don't spare the young uns if landowner has asked you to get rid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonblasterian Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 I shoot what i can big and small.Too much plant cover for me to get a lot this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) If the farmer says that he has a problem with rabbits then "shooting for the pot" doesn't come into the equastion, you have to shoot and kill as many as possible regardless of size! Under these circumstances my favourite method is to find the most heavily populated area and lay up with my moderated .22LR and simply snipe them as soon as they get a yard or two from the burrow. When doing this I never go and pick up and until the session is finished and I don't find that leaving dead rabbits lying there puts the others off of coming out. It's a great way to spend warm summer afternoons or evenings - When the sun does eventually shine! Edit: When shooting like this none of the young ones get wasted, they go to feed the ferrets! Edited June 5, 2014 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 If the farmer says that he has a problem with rabbits then "shooting for the pot" doesn't come into the equastion, you have to shoot and kill as many as possible regardless of size! Under these circumstances my favourite method is to find the most heavily populated area and lay up with my moderated .22LR and simply snipe them as soon as they get a yard or two from the burrow. When doing this I never go and pick up and until the session is finished and I don't find that leaving dead rabbits lying there puts the others off of coming out. It's a great way to spend warm summer afternoons or evenings - When the sun does eventually shine! Edit: When shooting like this none of the young ones get wasted, they go to feed the ferrets! +1, I set up a pigeon hide but sit on the ground, make a small peep hole in the net and sit and wait, with my Air Arms S400 the moderator is really good , I often get two or three before they get spooked, its usually around 15 minutes before they reappear , I never pick up, as the noise and scent will put them down for much longer, they will come and feed around dead bodies without any fear, wind direction is important, dont get upwind of them , they can smell you almost as good as they hear you, so downwind and keep still, and shoot every rabbit that appears regardless of size, they mate and give birth at a few months old, so its not long before those cute little babies are part of the problem, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 +1, I set up a pigeon hide but sit on the ground, make a small peep hole in the net and sit and wait, with my Air Arms S400 the moderator is really good , I often get two or three before they get spooked, its usually around 15 minutes before they reappear , I never pick up, as the noise and scent will put them down for much longer, they will come and feed around dead bodies without any fear, wind direction is important, dont get upwind of them , they can smell you almost as good as they hear you, so downwind and keep still, and shoot every rabbit that appears regardless of size, they mate and give birth at a few months old, so its not long before those cute little babies are part of the problem, This is something that some overlook when they say that shooting rabbits during the summer is not "sporting"! If you are doing outright vermin control then sport, age or size simply doesn't come into the equasion in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Agreed. Most people (even shooters) seem to forget that a 4 month old doe can be pregnant. Pest control is exactly that - not an excuse for a quiet wander around some fields Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 I used to breed Canadian giants and New Zealand whites for the table, keeping back a few doe's for breeding stock, our runs would be full of young all summer at various levels of development, I've never seen anything grow and mature as fast, although the wild rabbit has several natural predators the communities still expand and develop at an alarming rate, great sport as long as the dreaded mixamatosis doesn't take hold. the last time the warrens on my perm got mixxy it wiped out around 300 healthy rabbits in less than 2 months, its taken 2 years for them to re-establish, much to the farmers horror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 I stalk them and also play the sit and wait game normally with the 22 rimfire or 17 hmr. Pick your rabbits nothing tastier than a 3/4 grown rabbit. Must admit, I love a nice 3/4 grown rabbit. You can pan fry the loins and they taste lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 For me I either stalk or lay in wait. from 6pm untill to dark to shoot without light is offen the most productive time. ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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