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Rabbit numbers


Ferret664
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A farm where I have a perm, has now over 800 lambs , and, not a fox to be seen  anywhere. No rabbits , a couple of hares  (farmer likes hares).

Grey squirrels seem to be my main quarry nowadays. The two guys who shoot the adjacent land use thermal , and seem to have been very efficient.

 

 

 

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On 03/03/2020 at 17:10, WalkedUp said:

I accept each to their own, but very rarely see plague populations of hares around here. The only reason we take any are for the meat and to avoid temptation for poaching. The hares on all my permissions seem particularly dim at night but they are left to their own devices at night so have no reason to become skittish, some may be more lamp shy especially if they have been lamped etc previously. 👍


There’s certainly no sport in lamping a hate, they don’t run and will sit tight or even hop about in the lamp light as if it’s not even there. 
 

Sitting ducks. 
 

I prefer to leave them to breed where I used to shoot. Loved to see them. 

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9 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:


There’s certainly no sport in lamping a hate, they don’t run and will sit tight or even hop about in the lamp light as if it’s not even there. 
 

Sitting ducks. 
 

I prefer to leave them to breed where I used to shoot. Loved to see them. 

Again a generalisation. All hares don't just sit and don't run , I have ground where as soon  as lamp hits them they're off running. You could say there is no sport in lamping rabbits either , clapped in the beam. 

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  • 5 months later...

What is it like in Scotland?  Has the RHD reached up there?  I have had some great sport with the 17 Remington just lay on some higher ground watching over a 'meadow' if you could callit that, with rabbits popping up all over the place. Almost like ground squirrel/gopher shooting in the States.Here at home in Leicestershire it is a matter of here today gone tomorrow with only small or half grown rabbits seen and then very few.  As a result I don't shoot them anymore unless asked by a landowner.

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2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

What is it like in Scotland?  Has the RHD reached up there?  I have had some great sport with the 17 Remington just lay on some higher ground watching over a 'meadow' if you could callit that, with rabbits popping up all over the place. Almost like ground squirrel/gopher shooting in the States.Here at home in Leicestershire it is a matter of here today gone tomorrow with only small or half grown rabbits seen and then very few.  As a result I don't shoot them anymore unless asked by a landowner.

I'm also 'conserving' them for now in the hope they're well presented if I find a shooting buddy with my all night bodyclock. After wiping out most of my perms and shooting thousands - even burning out a HMR barrel at 7k rounds it just don't seem to be enjoyable on my lonesome any more.

 This coincides with Covid shielding though.

Edited by Dave-G
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On 02/03/2020 at 09:27, Ferret664 said:

Has anyone noticed a increase in rabbit numbers again ? We were devastated a couple years ago by that second haemorrage disease but have seen a real bounce back in numbers recently which is nice to see . 

Have you still a healthy population around yo now? Be interesting to hear an update over the next few weeks and months, when young rabbits become more susceptible to the virus

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30 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Still plenty about on my ground,  other night off 3 fields 

20200829_005727.jpg

Blimey I would be lucky to shoot that many in 12 months, we did have some biggish numbers a few years ago, but seen a big decline in rabbits over the last 10-15 years, your a lucky man having that many to go at.

 

I wonder why rabbits seem to-do so well the further north you go?

 

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Bunny numbers are up on my perm, but am not hammering them, as 1) Land owner hasn't complained 2) Don't have that many willing takers, without incurring massive detours.

I could've had, say 6-8 last night without employing large amounts of field craft, just wondering round with a red lamp, and into double figures if I'd been patient/willing to sit in one place for a while.

As it is, I shot 2 for the pot.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 23/08/2020 at 11:41, Eddie B said:

Have you still a healthy population around yo now? Be interesting to hear an update over the next few weeks and months, when young rabbits become more susceptible to the virus

Our numbers this way have crashed apart from patches . How is everyone else doing? Used to average 50 -70 each time we went out at night . Now we are lucky to make double figures!!!

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