Disappointing Is An Understatement

[Chris Harrison 21]

Hi all.

 

Been over the fields since 6 am and just got in. Not a bloody thing. Walked all round the fence line and over by their water source. Nothing. No pigeons landing anywhere and certainly no rabbits. Me and my mate have a big list of farms, garden centers and fisheries in the area in hope we get at least one yes on a decent bit of land.

 

I haven't been This disappointed since I bought a box of condoms on the same day my Mrs dumped me.

[RemyBolt 420]

Alright Chris.

 

We've all been there mate.

 

You think that's bad....you've clearly not ready any of my rabbit shooting posts. I had a big fat zero for 3 or 4 session in a row. The trick with rabbits, lay there and wait for them to come out. But you need to be SILENT! If your friend starts talking to you, then he's the reason no rabbits are coming out. When they start coming out, that's when the fun starts.

 

I'd say that around 90% or more of your time out hunting will be spent sitting there waiting. Standing and walking around is a good way to not see much until they are running away.

 

The human eye is especially good at spotting movement. The problem is, when a rabbit is sat there eating, it's not really moving. For the highly skilled hunter (not myself) having spent way too long in the field their eyes have adjusted and they spot the shape of still rabbits. Crazy sounding, but true. A very high percentage of people will not recognise a rabbit in a field until it moves. So spending a huge amount of time just sat/lay there, doing nothing, will bring out more rabbits than walking around. Don't forget, they'll be able to feel the vibration of you walking if you're anywhere near them.

 

My best stalking system got me within 10 meters of a rabbit, where the hold-under screwed my shot and gave the rabbit an ear piercing. That system is the effortless-stalk....basically get a good position along the side of a fence/hedge and fall asleep.

Edited October 1, 2014 by RemyBolt

[Chris Harrison 21]

This is the first field I have to work on mate. When I went years ago with my mate and his dad you didn't even have to get out the car they would just be roaming around. Apart from runs in the long grass there is nothing to say there are even rabbits on there. We sat in the long grass by the holes for about half hour but my knees couldn't take anymore water so we moved on. Plenty of magpies etc flying about but none come into land where we can shoot

[j j m 6,540]

It happens to use all at some point mate .keep cracking on things will soon come together mate

[RemyBolt 420]

This is the first field I have to work on mate. When I went years ago with my mate and his dad you didn't even have to get out the car they would just be roaming around. Apart from runs in the long grass there is nothing to say there are even rabbits on there. We sat in the long grass by the holes for about half hour but my knees couldn't take anymore water so we moved on. Plenty of magpies etc flying about but none come into land where we can shoot

The first time you pop around a field, having a gun with you can actually distract you. If it's your first field, leave the gun in the car and ignore the field. Walk the edges. Take 3 steps, then stop for a minute and look around. Look for rabbit runs, fence holes, grass gaps behind fences or in hedges, and things like that. Walk all the way around the field like this. It'll take AGES! But do it in the heat of the day in good light. You are not looking for where to shoot from. All you're doing is practicing fieldcraft and checking for signs of rabbit activity. Is it boring? Yes! Is it an important skill to learn? HELL YES! There will be guys that can pick these things up straight away. The real trick is to learn about these things early on. That way your learning curve will be nice and quick. Taking a gun out with you will be a distraction if it's going to be a regular site. Over time you'll be able to go out with the gun straight out and take shots while also absorbing all the information the field is providing you.

 

I knew of a guy who would be able to track animals (and people) and could literally talk you through everything that went on according to the tracks. But he was phenomenal. A real freak of nature.

 

Learn the basics, and don't get distracted by the desire to take a shot. Find where they'll be, what they're eating, and where they're sleeping, and then adjust your shooting to that. Think of these 3 situations and few questions and you'll see what I mean about 'guns are a distraction on a first walk'.

 

1. First walk of the field with a gun. You find a kick arse shooting position! Perfectly hidden from the rabbits, but you'll have a good field of view to shoot from.

Question: Are there even rabbits in that field of view?

 

2. First walk of the field with a gun. You think you see a rabbit and line up for a shot.

Question: If you miss, have you just screwed yourself because you don't know where the other rabbits are going to be and you've just scared them off?

 

3. First walk of the field with a gun. Are you busy looking for a shot or are you reading the field? (newer shooters usually cannot do both at the same time)

Question: Do you know where the rabbits are, what they're doing, and there they're hiding?

[Chris Harrison 21]

I'll give that a try. Your right mate I'm so hooked on looking for something to shoot I'm not looking much at the area.

 

Been out a few hours now looking for more land but no body wants to know

[RemyBolt 420]

If you can do a good job on one piece of land, you'll build a rep and add permissions much faster.

 

Check your land, see what's around, learn the basics on there.

 

What you don't want is a massive piece of land, then to do a crap job. The farmer will not be happy with you, and you risk him giving you a reputation that you'd rather not have.

 

The manager of the main farm I go ratting in, took over another farm and is now managing 2 sites. Because I've given him his best year of rats in his time at the farm, plus saved him A LOT of money getting equipment fixed, and reduced down-time and technician call out's (£300 just for the call out), any guesses who he called and asked if they could help out at this site too...... :toast:

 

By the sounds of it, you have a bit of land to practice and learn on. Take full advantage of that. Learning to shoot is 100% critical. Learning fieldcraft is 100% critical. I don't care how good a shot you are, if you can't get close enough to the rabbits to take the shot...you've got nothing. It works both ways, if you have expert fieldcraft, but can't consistently hit your 10p target zone...you've still got nothing.

 

Use the field to practice sneaking up on rabbits, tracking them, and things like that. That'll teach you the skills you'll need for when you have more land to work with. Start small, work smart, have fun.

[Chris Harrison 21]

I wish there was some life to practice on mate. I've seen more meat on a vegetarians plate than what's walking about that field

[treecreeper 1,136]

If you can do a good job on one piece of land, you'll build a rep and add permissions much faster.

Check your land, see what's around, learn the basics on there.

What you don't want is a massive piece of land, then to do a crap job. The farmer will not be happy with you, and you risk him giving you a reputation that you'd rather not have.

The manager of the main farm I go ratting in, took over another farm and is now managing 2 sites. Because any guesses who he called and asked if they could help out at this site too...... :toast:

 

 

Your wife going off your other post lol.

Edited October 1, 2014 by treecreeper

[The one 8,481]

Get out at night with a lamp and you will see if theres much on the land

[David.evans 5,323]

Good advice by all !

[Chris Harrison 21]

Get out at night with a lamp and you will see if theres much on the land

 

thats my next try mate. done sunrise, mid afternoon and sunset. theres only night i havent tried over there yet. got that planned for friday .

 

i have a bright lamp i can use. shall i just go over when its just gone dark or late at night say 11pm?

[bigmac 97kt 13,796]

Some good advice there off the lads and remybolt especially, learn your field craft and get to no your land just because you did not see any rabbits dose not mean there not there here is a tip for you from a skilled hunter that i find works for me look for there sh*t and see if its fresh if its been there for a long time it will be dry and hard to crush between your fingers but if fresh it will look wet and very easy to crush and darker in colour ,.

 

plus look for signs of them digging as they don't just dig burrows they dig for food to look where they have been digging and see if the dirt looks fresh ie,wet or a different colour from the rest of the ground ,you will no when you see it ,what im talking about .

 

Like RB has said walk the field and along the hedge line stop look and listen as you some times here them running along in the hedge .

 

Some will hide and move off as you get near them so you will hear them i can promise you that.

 

And if you go lamping and you do light up the rabbit and it takes off and runs into the hedge line don't just think its one that has got away , but stand still switch your lamp off for a min-nit or two then lamp the hedge but not directly where it went in but a little to the left or right and scan past where it went in slowly and look for eye shine better if its a red beam as there eyes glow red and its easier to see .

You will have to look for the eye shine as when it runs into the hedge its body will be hard to see in the darkness of the hedge but there eyes gives them away not all dive down there burrows .

 

We all have to start some where Chris when i first started i was 8yrs old and fired my first shot gun at 11 bloody thing put me on my ass and my dad and uncle were on there knees laughing then as life go,s on i stopped shooting for a few years and when i came back i could not hit a barn door if i threw the bloody gun at it and all i had learn,d went out of the window i had to learn it all again granted a lot came back to me as time went on but the one thing i had to learn was to walk QUIETLY its the most important thing to learn when hunting here are a few things to help you.

1,dont wash your hunting gear in any detergent or any thing that smells NOTHING AT ALL JUST WATER.

 

2 Dont where any thing that makes a noise when walking they have not got them big ears for nothing.

 

3 Boots get a good pair some that you can walk quietly in as even a pair of boots that squeak when walking even the quietest of squeaks will give you away

 

They can smell you

 

hear you

 

see you

 

sense you (vibrations when walking)

 

long before you will see them

 

the trick is to out wit them and to do that is easy

 

LEARN and become good at it

 

But as rb has said laying in wait for them is a good way to get them and is mint if the sun is out nothing better.

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[RemyBolt 420]

For an extra bit of fun, get your phone out and take 5 photos of thing you think could be evidence of rabbits, then upload them here. It could be a hole dug under a fence, a burrow, gaps in the grass by a fence, chewed plant stems, etc. If you're forced to take a photo it'll make you pay more attention.

 

You'll get feedback on the pictures and what you're looking at. You'll also get bits of helpful information that you might not have expected.

[Chris Harrison 21]

i'll go over in abit, just to walk and listen. i'll take pics so you can see what im shooting on and various places on there i think may be of interest (but could be wrong) where rabbits may of been.

 

the grass is far to long to look for droppings but the runs and holes in the ditch sides look interesting.