Rabbit Numbers

[deadeye ive]

Long time since I posted in this section and it's very rare for me to take the camera out nowadays or this little tale would be in Sporting Picture's .

 

In over 12 years of shooting I have never seen a year like this for rabbits ,they are in epidemic proportions if my Phone is anything to go by with people ringing up or mate's asking me If I can help out (Mainly because they have the .22 lr and I still use FAC Air :unsure: )

Anyway back on track ...........Today was the 4th outing at a particular Golf club and another 4am start .Off we set ,we being a good friend of mine who's ready to retire and runs a Clay shooting syndicate and is just getting into rifles .The rabbits here are skittish no matter what time of day and armed with a 35 ft lb air rifle and yardage pro range finder we have been taking some considerable bags .

Today started slow with my usual first shot miss has i forgot to warm the rifle up again by firing a few off into the ground to get it into it's sweet spot .After that ..........ping went the rangefinder ........96 yds .......advance of 30 careful steps ......60 ish yards lying prone in the wet, pulled the trigger and 1 clean kill later followed quickly by 3 more all around 60 yds with one taken at 77 yds by myself .Most satisfying hearing the crack of the pellet hitting home at that distance combinating in a clean kill ........In fact at 60 yds I heard the crack of the pellet hitting home and then watched the splash of water coming off the damp grass behind the Rabbit has it had gone straight through the top of it's head.......After my first session we swapped round with me range finding / spotting this time and my good friend on the rifle .He's getting a dab hand now i have to say very confident has he has accounted for 30 % of the total bag so far .

 

The high light of the day however was watching him take his first 70 yd+ shot and seeing the expression on his face was priceless because the rabbit was on a slope and once hit in the knapper it then preceeded to roll down ending up with all 4 legs in the air completely dead .

The combined tally of these four early morning outing's is now 67 but I'm saddened to say that signs of Myxy are now apparant

 

 

For those starting out .One particular part grown rabbit had it's brain tissue hanging out it's head but just would,nt die and even after I necked it it still preceded to run on it's side for the next mintue or so .........This time of year it's easy to get close to the pregnant does so if your doing it for sport leave em be but on this patch it's pure pest control and I have lost count how many in kitten have been shot .

 

Happy hunting

[blackthorn]

well done ive we used to shoot stoneleigh deer park golf course, we got the numbers right down then mixy come in, it was like the (that ******* ghost ship) hardly seen a rabbit, no more need for our services.

it was good why it lasted

[lurcherboy]

Invite please, free samples from your work, I will bring snares

 

 

 

 

 

 

LB

[al4x]

we're the same rabbit numbers wise, I think the last 2 mild winters have meant they've hardly stopped breeding all year.

[Browning GTS]

Got loads on one of my permissions. Last time i went stop the car at the bottom of the drive and had three out of the window on he way up to the farm. I then walked back to pick them up not bothering to take the gun and could have had another three or four. To finish off the day i had another stroll and got another four. Not bad considering i dont normally bother with rabbits and all these were taken with no attempt to hide i just walked down the middle of the drive Going again tomorrow will give it another go.