First rabbit hunt tips?

[backyard hunter 0]

Hi i purchased a .22 air rifle and all needed accessories and iv'e been prcticing in my garden for over a month now. I have found permission from a friend who owns a field and he said i could use it any time i wanted. i have been to visit it and there are tons of rabbits so i am planning on going there next week and was wondering if anybody had an tips?

[Alex Arrigone 24]

hey mate.

 

in my opinion i would either go at dawn or dusk. thats whe the rabbit population seem to be out in strength. although they seem to pop out all day/ night.

it will take a few weeks before you start to notice a pattern in rabbit activity (where they run to when they're spooked, wether they are lamp shy or not, hot spots...).

when you see a rabbit run into its hole, i would suggest sitting off at around 40 m depending on your shooting ability and weapon type. if its gone in, it will come back out. best chance to get them. start finding decent firing positions, even if you missed the rabbit; because theres a good chance you'll use it again.

 

after a few weeks you'll be able to tell when a rabbit has noticed you and it its about to dart or sit where it is. its up to you to make the decision of how close you will get before you want to take the shot.

 

rabbits on my main farm tend to (in the day) sit close to there holes and only venture about 10 m out, max.

i would suggest, if your sitting off, not to shoot them as soon as they pop their head out of a hole. it has happened to me in the past that i have slotted one and it has wiggled back down the hole purely out of reflex. let them wonder abit as they are also the most wary when they first pop out.

 

on our permission it normally takes from 20-40 miutes for them to pop back out once they're spooked. note that you may be waiting for hours for one shot. you miss and you'll be waiting another 40 minutes so make it count. dont rush it. if your adrenaline is pumping then take a breath. theres no rush. ive had rabbits look at me, notice me, and direguard me as not being a threat. a rushed shot tends to be a missed one.

 

most of the hunts you do there will be a learning curb, learn the ground, firing position, hotspots, and every missed shot is a lesson that needs to be looked over.

 

if you have a shot lined up on a rabbit and are happy to take the shot, yet a kill zone (head) isn't in view because its eating then make a squeeking sound. the rabbit will pop its head up to look at where the sound came from. it will see you so make sure your prepared for the shot because that will be your best oprtunity in that situation.

 

ok, next part is this. it you see a rabbit when your walking round and it has got spooked, it will run towards its warren, if your lucky enough that the rabbit's warren is next to you, try and run to block its path. most of the time it will get confused and freeze, giving you enough time to line a shot up. same goes for if you have seen a rabbit running in the open towards a hole. if you run quick enough it might stop allowing you time to take an otherwise lost shot.

 

if your sitting off in a position you know there are multiple rabbits and you have dropped one but wish to stay put and wait for the other. dont go retreave the rabbit and wait. the other rabbits tend not to be too bothered with a dead comrade.

 

on that note, if you have killed a rabbit and are moving out of sight of it, take it with you or put it out of reach. it has happened that i have come back and founf the bugger missing

 

also, if you have taken a perfect kill zone shot but the rabbit is twitching, dont take your eyes off it. it has happened to me the the rabbit has decided to hop up a run you need to be ready with aim to drop it again!

 

night hunting (lamping) is an easier option. their eyes light up and they are far esier to locate. they also seem to feel more confident to come further out. sometimes even up to 100m away from their burrows. they also tend to freeze once a light is shined on them, unless lamp shy

at night its best to know your permission and be able to walk , knowing all the fence lines and obsticles. you turn you lamp on and you have compromised your position. make sure you only turn it on when you need to.

 

other than that make i dont know what else to say. hope your hunt goes well. good luck. hope this helped!

 

atb

 

alex

[JPTfellterrier 65]

as said above, so many great great hints I dont have time read them all. My personal pet hate is dont slam gates or car doors, sends the rabbits running also (if it hasn't been said above already) take note of the wind direction and make sure that it doesnt carry your sent and in general take notice of your surroundings.

 

Best of luck and hope to hear how you get on soon.

[77 si 21]

All of the above is spot on and also be aware of the ground you are walking on, some surfaces are noisier than others for example when you are walking under trees and there are broken twigs on the floor or when walking on hard mud or wet mud can be very noisy, if you can here your foot steps the rabbit can for sure.

 

ATB with the hunt

 

Si:

Edited April 20, 2011 by 77 si

[secretagentmole 1,701]

If you are daytime hunting where there is lottle or no cover note where there is the biggest amount of activity and lie 30 metres from the burrow entrances. Follow Pianoman's tips on prone shooting. Keep your eyes peeled and lie down and wait. Does it work? My posts in the hunting section seem to indicate that it does. Over a dozen buns and rising! Prone ambush shooting is the better way for daytime hunting. Just remember do every thing in slow motion, no sudden movements!

[backyard hunter 0]

thanks for all of the advice