Been there, seen it, done it, got the T shirt!!!
I used to demonstrate longnetting at shows and the number of "experts" who told me how they would set their nets, go to the pub for the evening and go back to the nets and take the rabbits out was incredible. In the end I just used nod my head and say nowt!
The big hole in your net could have been a badger but more likely a rabbit having a snack!
A fronte precitium a tergo vulpes, descendos cunuculis in cavem!