Rapidly going off bunny meat

[Phantom 631]

Good day Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Last night, I went to the Pony Paddock and if it was going to be slow I would have a wander around the cemy.

 

I decided that I would have a go at some bunnies from the part of the paddock that I've not shot since before the snow earlier this year. I'd often seen bunnies over that end when I've been at the cemetery.

 

I got to about 60 meters from the far end and tucked myself up in the vegitation standing.

 

Here is where I was shooting from

 

First up was a kit, I've previously decided that with the kit's I'm gonna put the lead through the chest and take out the heart and lungs rather than knocking their brains out and having them flap about like fish out of water. So a gentle squeeze of the trigger and the young un gets it, begins to run, makes almost two hops and rolls over onto its right side. Keeping my eye to the scope I observe to see if there is any movement of the chest to indicate breathing. None seen, job done

I then chastize myself, because I'm in the paddock and being in the paddock means I don't have to knock over the kits!

Think I'vespent too much time on the erradication and clearance jobs, still its one less that could make its way over to the two adjacent clearance jobs.

 

I left the kit where it fell for Chucky when he makes his visit later this evening

 

Second up was another kit, so I just watched it through my scope and eventually lead my eye to a Warren entrance that I had never seen before Great I can snipe over that one another day.

Another couple of kits jumped out of the hedgerow chasing each other jumping and prancing, then more of them appeared, then more still.

 

What peeved me off though wast hat there were no half grown, no three quarter grown and no adults

Every where I looked, behind me, to my right, in front of me, were kits, kits and more of the little buggers.

 

Must admit, my feet were aching as I'd put a pair of trainers on rather than boots for some totally unknown reason!

Eventually a seriously Large full grown Doe appears and she is sat not full on, nor side on but she appears to be exactly on my primary zero.

Clicking my tongue in the hope she would turn here head one way or the other so allowing me a good clean kill, she ignored my noises and stayed put.

Damn it, thats a big bunny and I wan't that pelt for preservation and that meat in my freezer

Only one thing for it A pellet through the back of the eye and into the brain.

I've made dozens of these shots before from prone using the Bipod or resting agains a headstone, but not from standing. Steadying my breathing I lined up my crosshair on the very back of the big eye and took up 1st stage, a final squeek from my lips in the hope of getting her to turn a little, but nothing, no movement so I gently let off the second stage, click Phutt and the pellet was away.

The big Doe did the classic pony showjump forward as the pellet mashed its way through the brain. The jump was not as perfectly executed as the one Mr Flash did and if he scored a 10, this big doe scored a respectable 7.5.

 

I wandered over to collect my prize and as I got close, I noticed the pelt seemed to be in poor condition and up close she did not look to be in the best of health. I picked her up and tried to emprty the bladder.

WOAH, That feels 'odd' to say the least, Feels like there is nothing in there , usually feel food in the intestines, or lumps if pregnant. Furthur up towards the chest felt weird as well and seemed to be very very firm, almost solid, below the ribs.

 

Anyways I hocked the doe and decided a wander to the cemetery was in order. As I approached, I could see around a dozen bunnies in the grounds, including Linford the Bunny. Ummm........ It will be very nice to add him to my bag today.

Climbing through the fence and making my way under the bog ole' tree the local intruder alarm sounded, the flapping and squaking from above made sure that by the time I had passed the trunk, the cemetery was now void of bunnies

It was getting dark, due to the sun going down and an increase of clouds but I hung around for half an hour or so.

I noticed a young bunny sat just outside of my zero so made the adjustment in hold over, placing the crosshair just a touch above the fur on his scalp and let off the shot. The pellet hit the ground just in front of the bunny. Damn range estimation in low light still better to miss than to wound

 

Needless to say, bunny didn't hang around long enough to find out what had landed in close proximity to itself or wait for a second one to land closer still.

 

Fifteen mins later I'd just about given up all hope of seeing anything else as it was now dark and my lamp was at home. when my peripheral vision caught the furthest headstone away from me changed shape slightly, it seemed to develop a bump on its side very close to the ground. Checking through the scope I could see the outline of a bunnies head.

From where I was standing behind this particular headstone, that bunny was exactly 55 meters away from me.

So I turned on the illuminated reticle and placed the post of the reticle just behind the eye as I extended the pod legs and stood them on the headstone I was using as cover.

There was no wind at all and I knew I could pull this off.

1st stage was already taken up, my breathing steadied and I slipped off the second stage. A fraction of a second later I saw the lump at the side off the headstone fall to the floor.

 

I walked over, claimed my prize (a half grown) and made my way back to the paddock where I had left my stuff and hocked my bunny.

 

I didn't bother to photograph the bunnies with the rifle as it was almost dark now, but I got a pic of the big Doe that I'd hocked onto a branch of a tree.

Here she is:

 

 

When I got home I decided that the 1st thing to do was skin the bunnies and get their pelts into the freezer. As I opened the pelt on the big bunny, I nearly puked look at the size of this:

 

Closer:

 

No wonder the old girl looked and felt odd, this was under her abdominal muscle.

 

It had displaced her reproductive system which was up near the stomach instead of being down where it normally should have been and the intestinal tract was pushed right up towards the chest as well.

 

The intestines were also bloated as well and as for the liver, well it looks like a well used rubber sponge and certainly was not the dark red-purple that you would expext to find to indicate a healthy animal.

 

Phantom

[Dakaras 3]

Doesnt look good mate Nice write up as always

[Phantom 631]

Doesnt look good mate Nice write up as always

 

Thanks D'

 

I'm used to seeing these tapeworm cyst's on the bunnies from within the cemetery, but this bugger was right across the far side of the paddock, where the worst I've seen was a heavily flea infested bunny.

 

Phantom

[Edgar 1]

Never seen that before. Sometimes seen spotty livers or really foul smelling ones covered in squitters but never seen tape worm cysts. Personally if a bunny looks ill, thin or has the runs I leave it for the foxes if I'm out in the feilds. Nearly all the wild bunnies I shoot seem to be perfectly healthy anyway.

[Phantom 631]

Hi Edgar,

 

I've seen allsorts on the bunnies from the cemetery, manky livers, cyst's, tumours, anorexic bunnies the only thing I've not seen there is Myxie.

 

I would say that 99% of the bunnies I've had from the paddock have been perfect apart from this and a couple of others with manky livers.

 

And so far (touch wood) all the ones from Bunnyland have been perfect

 

Phantom

[garfield 23]

get yourself a ferret Tony then at least there god for something

[markha 99]

Spooky voice " perhaps there's a curse of the bunnies" in that cemetry!

[anthc123 0]

That is sick! Am taking it that got binned!

 

Do you's lads eat bunnies with fleas? Does it affect the rabbit on any way?

[Edgar 1]

Yes it is sick, not very well at all, dead in fact! No fleas don't affect the meat at all, most rabbits have some fleas. Don't feed it to the ferret if it has a tapework cyst. The cyst contains eggs that may well give the ferret a similar cyst. There are lots of healthy bunnies out there so if you shoot an ill one just leave it lie if it's not in the way.

[chris strilciw 1]

good post mate had 1 the same today didnt even bother opening her up as i could smell she was rotten and no good so foxy got a free meal tonight

 

chris

[davyt63 1,845]

That is sick! Am taking it that got binned!

 

Do you's lads eat bunnies with fleas? Does it affect the rabbit on any way?

 

 

hi buddy

i usually have potatoes and peas with mine

 

regards

 

davy

[markha 99]

very quick Daveyt63 and beat me to it!

[RiffRaff 5]

heyup Tony

you need to get ya bike out an go to the other place

 

N

[Phantom 631]

get yourself a ferret Tony then at least there god for something

 

Hey Buddy,

 

Tapeworm are extremely comunicable cross spieces

 

Feed it to any animal and they would then be infected and eventually die of starvation/malnutrition.

 

So its off to either landfill or the incinerator for these

 

Phantom

[garfield 23]

i meant for all that buny meat in your freezer now your going off it :sick: