Stupid question

[secretagentmole 1,701]

The field I intend to shoot in tomorrow has zero cover, absolutely zero, there is a pile of earth 150 yards in, about 2 feet high, if I lie in front of that, and stay prone, but move in by 150 yards, will the rabbits feed on the field even with me there? I am after that black rabbit! Edited to say that I will be in camo!

Edited March 11, 2011 by secretagentmole

[redeye jedi 39]

The field I intend to shoot in tomorrow has zero cover, absolutely zero, there is a pile of earth 150 yards in, about 2 feet high, if I lie in front of that, and stay prone, but move in by 150 yards, will the rabbits feed on the field even with me there? I am after that black rabbit! Edited to say that I will be in camo!

 

yes mate they'll still come out to feed, keep all movement to a minimum and you should get a chance. remember sun and wind and you'll be good.

 

ATB

 

Dom

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Right well I will get onto this field then, minimal movement is not a problem! The RAF and the USAF might be, lol. I have studied this permission hard, I have had the oppourtunity on this pair.

[pianoman 3,587]

Never mind the bloody jet fairies aloft moley. Keep the breezes towards you, movements to the bare minimum and watch your shadows if there is a bright low sun. Fieldcraft is about convincing your quarry that you are not there. Have your rifle zeroed and get yourself comfy and settled well in advance of time they start emerging from their warrens. Good luck!

 

Simon

[jackinbox99 41]

What i do in this situation is make sure the wind is blowing towards me. Lay prone and wait until the rabbits are eating, then slowly (very slowly) edge forward like army man style. If the rabbit stops eating and puts his head up then STOP. Wait until he`s back eating again before carrying on.

 

It works for me, but you have to be strict. Dont try and rush it. And dont try and shoot from too far - make sure your in range. The hardest bit is once you are in range trying to get your gun in position and lined up without spooking them. No end of time ive had them leg it at the last minute. Very frustrating when you have taken 15mins to get into position.

 

If you have patience, just get into position within range of where they come out and just lie there and wait. Ive done this plenty of times and next minute you see a set of ears and a bunny has snuck out and is having a feed without you even noticing. I even had it once where i was lying there watching for them to come out, and i decided to have a look behind me and there was a cheeky rabbit sitting there behind me litterally 10ft from my feet having his tea.

Edited March 11, 2011 by jackinbox99

[markha 99]

Shape, shine, shadow, sillhouette, seizmic, absence of the normal, presence of the abnormal, all that stuff.

 

If your open field has hedge boundaries, why not just move slowly round them as the warrens may be in the hedges?

I have loads of places that I shoot at like that, just open fields, I just stalk round the edges, walk very slow, stop when I see a pair of ears, crouch and sight up in one movement, then decide if its a shot, or I need to get closer.

As Simon says, 'wind in yer face bud' if at all possible.

Its always that 'sentry' rabbit that needs extra special attention

 

Have fun and get some pics.

[secretagentmole 1,701]

No hedges, just electric fences and rabbit warrens are in the banks of the drainage ditches that surround the field!

 

The doctor ready for surgery...

 

The Optics (sorry about quality but I have not got a scope cam)!

 

Look at the runs in that!

 

Busy corner this...

Edited March 11, 2011 by secretagentmole

[lighthunter 81]

good luck mole,you got some top advise thier pal.happy bunny bashing

[matt_hooks 188]

No hedges, just electric fences and rabbit warrens are in the banks of the drainage ditches that surround the field!

 

 

Firstly, lose the fags. Bugs will smell smoke on you a mile off!

Secondly, what's with the foamy mat? Real men don't use shooting mats!

Thirdly, ditto the above, but shooting bag.

Fourth, why do you have a bottle of lube? Surely the idea is to shoot them, not shag them to death?

 

Nice shiny rifle (there's one of your s's) with lots of straight lines (s for shape)

 

You can wear all the camo in the world, but movement is still going to catch bugs' eye. They don't bother too much if you're still, but those eyes have had thousands of years of natural selection that says they are good at spotting movement.

 

Can you approach with the hump BETWEEN you and the bunnies? Use it as cover. A two foot high hump can provide you with lots of cover if it's close enough to them, and far enough from you!

[secretagentmole 1,701]

That ain't lube, it is hand steriliser, I am a diabetic and have to inject insulin in the field, I like to make sure that is all I bleeding inject! That mat is to stop damp, it was still bleeding soggy in that field, usually I lay on the ground, when it is dry, pneumonia not good! Fags, took them out of the pocket so when I waled round they did not rattle or get folded in half when I crouched, lighter removed to lessen noise too, thats why they are behing the gun rest, hide em out of sight!!! I dunno how many a day bunnies smoke

 

Edited to say use a shooting bag so when I inject insulin, eat etc, I don't have to lay the rifle on the damp ground! Also the hump is not 2 foot, more like 6 inches, perimeters are surrounded by ditches with water and loads of holes. Ground other side of ditches is covered in nettles, brambles and about 2-3 feet lower than the permission, ditches immediately behind fence, filled with green and brown liquid, that does not smell very nice! Trust me! Been down wind of that ditch!

 

Edited to add been diabetic since I was 10 by the way! Pain in the backside, arm, leg, stomach, wherever else you can hit a muscle on a subcutaneous injection....

Edited March 11, 2011 by secretagentmole

[19powell90 89]

That ain't lube, it is hand steriliser, I am a diabetic and have to inject insulin in the field, I like to make sure that is all I bleeding inject! That mat is to stop damp, it was still bleeding soggy in that field, usually I lay on the ground, when it is dry, pneumonia not good! Fags, took them out of the pocket so when I waled round they did not rattle or get folded in half when I crouched, lighter removed to lessen noise too, thats why they are behing the gun rest, hide em out of sight!!! I dunno how many a day bunnies smoke

 

Edited to say use a shooting bag so when I inject insulin, eat etc, I don't have to lay the rifle on the damp ground! Also the hump is not 2 foot, more like 6 inches, perimeters are surrounded by ditches with water and loads of holes. Ground other side of ditches is covered in nettles, brambles and about 2-3 feet lower than the permission, ditches immediately behind fence, filled with green and brown liquid, that does not smell very nice! Trust me! Been down wind of that ditch!

 

Edited to add been diabetic since I was 10 by the way! Pain in the backside, arm, leg, stomach, wherever else you can hit a muscle on a subcutaneous injection....

 

 

Ditch the bag and get sum bipods matey they will help loads.

 

Also how many rabbits have you seen on the land? Have you been day and night?

 

Atb

 

Scotty p

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Quite a few rabbits, the drainage ditch that runs the entire field length is basically mined with holes. Added to that the access track to reach my other permission has earth dumps, decades old, these have been turned in swiss cheese by burrowing coneys. There is a house garden to the right as you walk up the track, that is surrounded by a Leylandii forest. As well as another drainage ditch to the right of the track. The rabbits are coming from the bunny earth complexes, crossing the track goign to the garden, or coming out of the drainage dtitch sides and going onto the field. Rabbit evidence eveywhere in the field, hard black droppings, scrapes, run holes in the surrounding vegetation.

Edited March 12, 2011 by secretagentmole

[watchman 256]

id be dug in on that drainage ditch,ok they not going to come out from the holes your sitting amongst but you have a left and right arc to cover when they come out and your less likely to be spotted if at all,as said ditch the bag just get comfy in the prone position,less movement to get your shot off the better

[secretagentmole 1,701]

I am not sitting in that ditch for anybody! It is a biological hazard that may test my suits NBC capabilities to the full! It is full of green/brown aqueous slurry/sludge that reeks a hell of a lot! Anydoy sitting in that ditch would come down with typhod/diptheria/some other Dickensian illness, man it is awful! I am going to have another plunk on the track! Up from brambles one there is the first bunny megatower, immediately in front of this on the track is a rise of about 2 feet, this makes an ideal spotting bunker for the trackside rabbits. If the wind is in the right direction and not blowing down the tarck. Another good position is the bales of straw near the bunny megaplex at the ent of the track, bales, one serves as a break uptrack, and one for a break on the field. They pwere put there as the farmer had someone drive on his land and set 2000 bales of hay alight! They were road blocks before they were moved, so I know that he does own the track land! There are plenty of rabbits about there, just not had ideal conditions.

 

Bright Idea!! Groundbait! Use my old coarse fishing brain, go to Jollyes, get a couple of scoops of cheap rabbit grub, sprinkle on track where bunnies like to cross, my god, I am behaving like the tattoo I have got on my left arm, Wile Coyote.

 

Edited to say I will go down to the permission on a dusk/night shoot, on the track, got my torch with proper torch mount now, groundbait at ideal targeting point (right in the middle of a run), see what happens!

Edited March 12, 2011 by secretagentmole

[watchman 256]

I am not sitting in that ditch for anybody! It is a biological hazard that may test my suits NBC capabilities to the full! It is full of green/brown aqueous slurry/sludge that reeks a hell of a lot! Anydoy sitting in that ditch would come down with typhod/diptheria/some other Dickensian illness, man it is awful! I am going to have another plunk on the track! Up from brambles one there is the first bunny megatower, immediately in front of this on the track is a rise of about 2 feet, this makes an ideal spotting bunker for the trackside rabbits. If the wind is in the right direction and not blowing down the tarck. Another good position is the bales of straw near the bunny megaplex at the ent of the track, bales, one serves as a break uptrack, and one for a break on the field. They pwere put there as the farmer had someone drive on his land and set 2000 bales of hay alight! They were road blocks before they were moved, so I know that he does own the track land! There are plenty of rabbits about there, just not had ideal conditions.

 

Bright Idea!! Groundbait! Use my old coarse fishing brain, go to Jollyes, get a couple of scoops of cheap rabbit grub, sprinkle on track where bunnies like to cross, my god, I am behaving like the tattoo I have got on my left arm, Wile Coyote.

 

Edited to say I will go down to the permission on a dusk/night shoot, on the track, got my torch with proper torch mount now, groundbait at ideal targeting point (right in the middle of a run), see what happens!

 

man up and get in there whats up with you, do you want to shoot them or not