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Soft or sporting?


spandit
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Went for a wander with the little folding .410 just now. Took a shot at a running rabbit (warned him good!) but there was a baby rabbit obviously panicked that I could have shot at close range as it froze about 5m away.

I let him be. I know shooting rabbits is about pest control but it just seemed wrong. Had I been out with a rifle I'd have had no qualms about blowing him to pieces with a CF, even though using an accurate scope equipped rifle at sub.50m range is hardly sporting either.

What would you have done?

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Depends. If there was a hundred in the field, breeding like mad, eating like horses, id of shot it. 

If only a few about, might sound daft and not right for the farmer, id of left it to breed or grow, for future sport. Which is wrong, but again, secures future shooting. 

I have no problem shooting young or old, if the problem is there ill deal with it, but also believe nature needs a balance and some to be left. 

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A woman who used to ask me to ferret and shoot rabbits on her land once told me she'd found a nest dug up by either a badger or fox or whatever, and there were two live small kittens in what remained of it. She confessed she'd taken them home to look after and was quite sad when they didn't survive the night! 

Once while out ferreting, one of my jills came to the surface with what I at first thought was a live mouse; it was the smallest rabbit I had ever seen in fur. It's a hard old world out there. 

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On 03/04/2019 at 18:41, spandit said:

Went for a wander with the little folding .410 just now. Took a shot at a running rabbit (warned him good!) but there was a baby rabbit obviously panicked that I could have shot at close range as it froze about 5m away.

I let him be. I know shooting rabbits is about pest control but it just seemed wrong. Had I been out with a rifle I'd have had no qualms about blowing him to pieces with a CF, even though using an accurate scope equipped rifle at sub.50m range is hardly sporting either.

What would you have done?

follow your conscience and you will always feel happier:good:

 

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10 hours ago, andrewluke said:

follow your conscience and you will always feel happier:good:

 

Yes. Whilst out shooting on our rough shoot many moons ago, I spied a little weasel lolling about the viaduct. As we had put down birds I fired a rushed shot and on closer inspection found it not to be dead but crippled, and as tiny as it was, defiantly snarling at my Border. I quickly finished it off but the guilt stayed with me for days. I'm not cut out to be a gamekeeper, although I kidded myself for a while I was. 

So it was with renewed horror that only last year or so I trapped in a Fenn ( what I was told was a rat problem ) the biggest polecat I have ever seen. That was to finish off also. I was distraught. Only last week the OH's mum gave me it's skull! She had put the carcass in her composting bin and found it a couple fo weeks ago. It is perfect apart from the hole left by the .22 pellet, thereby renewing my guilt! 🙁

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I turned down a roe doe a couple of months back. I had just set off from the truck and turned the corner and there she was standing not more than 60m in front of me. I was there for deer but it would have been too easy. So I just watched as she did what she was doing then turned around and went somewhere else. 

 

Edited by oowee
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A long time ago I was up at the crack and into one of our woods before the sun was up. I love being up and about when all others are still abed, and it is especially magical at this time of year and day, and I sat with my dog and my back against a tree and we listened to the wood wake up.

It wasn't too long before I heard something moving slowly from my right, and in case it was a roe I didn't move my head but hoped whatever it was would slowly come into view, and after a while it did. Sure enough it was a buck, antlers bedraggled with velvet, and me and my Border just sat and watched. It was only about 50 yards away and knew something was there but couldn't make it out, and constantly bobbed its head as it tried to determine what we were. I was constantly expecting my Border to spook it but she didn't, she just sat there, and we both watched as it slowly grazed past us and out of view. When I looked at my dog she was shaking with adrenalin! 😀

I got up and slung my rifle and went on my way. Didn't shoot anything that morning. 

Edited by Scully
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31 minutes ago, Scully said:

A long time ago I was up at the crack and into one of our woods before the sun was up. I've being up and about when all others are still abed, and it is especially magical at this time of year and day, and I sat with my dog and my back against a tree and we listened to the wood wake up.

It wasn't too long before I heard something moving slowly from my right, and in case it was a roe I didn't move my head but hoped whatever it was would slowly come into view, and after a while it did. Sure enough it was a buck, antlers bedraggled with velvet, and me and my Border just sat and watched. It was only about 50 yards away and knew something was there but couldn't make it out, and constantly bobbed its head as it tried to determine what we were. I was constantly expecting my Border to spook it but she didn't, she just sat there, and we both watched as it slowly grazed past us and out of view. When I looked at my dog she was shaking with adrenalin! 😀

I got up and slung my rifle and went on my way. Didn't shoot anything that morning. 

Magical. :good:There is something special about hunting. Just the being there, the sight, the sound, the smell of the morning and being part of life. 

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