Baldrick Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Have a read of this article. I reckon that we lost £10k of crops to rabbits last year on the small farm I live on, and this year the rabbit-related damage is even worse. It seems that it's not just the Brits that are suffering from a plague of the hateful pests. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle3785042.ece Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick O'Shea Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 OOH LA LA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpitup Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Now then, where did I put my passport...................? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Now then, where did I put my passport...................? I was thinking the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEREALTHRILLER Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 rabbits that they used to stew with red wine and herbes de Provence...mmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I go to Northern France quite often, Picardy area mostly, there are very few rabbits there in comparison to the UK. It's also the same with pigeons, despite there being plenty of Winter rape for them to eat. I reckon they get overshot in France, during the Winter months from October through to February the fields are literally full with guys in cammo gear toting semi auto's, with the motto "If it flies, it dies" (or hops, in this instance). Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have yet to meet a farmer who worries about pigeon or rabbit populations being overshot, Cat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have yet to meet a farmer who worries about pigeon or rabbit populations being overshot, Cat! So there's your answer to the plague of rabbits on your farm, offer the shooting to the air-gunners on this forum, I'm sure that you will receive plenty of offers of help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) I'm not the owner of this farm, Bob, so I can't dole out the permission! I have shot nearly all the rabbits on my patch now, but it has been a bit of a marathon effort. Very enjoyable though. Edited April 21, 2008 by Baldrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I'm not the owner of this farm, Bob, so I can't dole out the permission! I have shot nearly all the rabbits on my patch now, but it has been a bit of a marathon effort. Very enjoyable though. Time to convert the Beretta to full auto and belt feed then! Despite what others may think, you can as you say, shoot them all, you just keep plugging at them, morning, evening, night-time and sunny days, I have one farm where there is now not a single rabbit to be seen, not even a dropping, whatever time that you look for them. (Give it a month and some will appear.) The problem with this of course, being that you can't shoot them and still have them! But it does make for a happy farmer (they do exist,..... really!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Sam Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 What you need is a fat bloke with one of these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 anyone konw the rules for taking a moderated 22LR or HMR over there? I may have a lead on a place to go. Just have no clue on the gun laws. thanks rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Bob, there is a farm that I manage near Dunmow where any trace of rabbit has been totally eradicated. The farmer installed rabbit-proof fencing after he shot everything rabbit-like, and now has the greenest, healthiest crop of wheat I've seen in years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have yet to meet a farmer who worries about pigeon or rabbit populations being overshot, Cat! So there's your answer to the plague of rabbits on your farm, offer the shooting to the air-gunners on this forum, I'm sure that you will receive plenty of offers of help. airgunners won't help much, I'm on top of them on my main permission but it takes some doing, we were shooting 50 plus every time we went out last year. only way to get numbers is pickup and rifle with the farmer driving round the tram lines. This year we didn't get many till about a month ago and were down to 20 or so a trip but the last couple have been back into the 40's Its good news for shooters and with wheat prices as they are rabbits will be getting more stick this year than most Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Exactly how I do it, although I only cover about 15 miles per evening. I cannot wait for harvest though. As soon as we put the combines through last year it was apparent how much the rabbits had bred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I love shooting off the combine either when opening the field up or the last acre or so, even having to wear a dust mask and coming out of it black doesn't seem to reduce the fun factor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 It's superb fun, isn't it? An FAC shotgun is the ultimate tool for that job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 It's superb fun, isn't it? An FAC shotgun is the ultimate tool for that job. Especially if there is a fox or two in there as well..... Trouble is these days the cabs on the combines get in the way, the old open decked ones were better suited to shooting from. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 What you need is a fat bloke with one of these From what I can see, you would have trouble hitting one with it and be about six quid out of pocket. Nasty 'Rambo' pressed metal ****e that gives shooting a bad name. (IMO) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) What you need is a fat bloke with one of these Mmmmmm! Edited April 23, 2008 by Floating Chamber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) Bob, there is a farm that I manage near Dunmow where any trace of rabbit has been totally eradicated. The farmer installed rabbit-proof fencing after he shot everything rabbit-like, and now has the greenest, healthiest crop of wheat I've seen in years. Yep, a farm down here did the same a few years back, the difference was amazing. Of course the fence now has holes in it and tunnels underneath it, you would think that with such an obvious improvement farmers would be keen to keep the fence in good condition, but no. On a different subject, have you seen any **** rape crops this year? It's something that I have never noticed before, as rape grows like weeds, ditches and hedges are full of it, from last years seed blowing about. On two different farms, and two different farmers, there are huge areas of bare soil, the rape appears to have started to have grown, albeit very thinly and then stopped. In both places, around one third of the field is affected. "al4x; I love shooting off the combine either when opening the field up or the last acre or so, even having to wear a dust mask and coming out of it black doesn't seem to reduce the fun factor " Nothing to compare with it is there? FAC Beretta 302 and the mask, I do tend to keep looking at the cut wheat going into the combine and thinking "if I fell in there", it's almost hypnotic, which is a bit distracting! Edited April 23, 2008 by bob300w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted April 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Bob, I've yet to see a field of rape that hasn't received at least some pigeon-related damage. The few farms around my house (not ones I have permission on, I haste to add) have whole fields destroyed. Anywhere with a sitty tree or an overhead line is pretty much bare earth. OSR yields are going to be atrocious this year. And yes, I keep finding volunteer OSR in mysterious places. As you say in ditches, in amongst hedges, on verges etc. At least it can be gotten rid of - unlike borage.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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