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hi all,

 

I'm new to the site and to the world of hunting itself. As a kid I was around rifles with my granddad, but i didn't shoot at anything but plastic bottles.

 

I want to start hunting in my local area (the pennines around rochdale), mainly for rabbits.

 

But, and it's a big but, I have no idea where to start. I've so many questions, such as... is ther licenses recquired? are there specific areas where you are allowed to hunt and areas where it's illegal? also, i'm not familiar with rifles anymore, so are there sites or books that anyone can recommend?

 

Amusing as it sounds, I'm quite proficient with the black widow catapult....is this suitable for hunting rabbits?

 

Phew...this is alot of questions. Is there any websites or books people can recommend for general rabbit hunting?

 

any help or general information would be fantastic,

 

cheers, mike.

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Hi Mike,

 

I will try to briefly guide you in the right direction but to answer all your questions in detail would not be practical and I only have knowledge in the areas of shooting that I practise, but this is how I see things......

 

As you have very little practical or theoretical knowledge at the moment I would strongly recommend that you look into air rifles as your first step into shooting for several reasons.

 

Firstly, you can get set up at a relatively low cost (£200 - £300) for a very good first gun and associated equipment. Second you do not need to hold a license in order to buy one (providing it is at the legal limit of 12ftp) and Third it will teach you all the key aspects of shooting that you will need to learn in order to progress.

 

If you take a look at this link http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/index...amp;s=&f=60 and the pinned topics listed you will find a lot of answers to your questions and many very knowledgeable people to ask more detailed questions to at a later date (after you have done some preliminary research)

 

Your other option would be to look into applying for a shotgun license, this is a very different type of shooting to that of an air rifle but would be equally well suited to your intended quarry of rabbit.

 

As you have already identified, the most important step to take now is to do a LOT more research on both of these types of shooting and read up on any relevant posts on this forum (specifically the airgun section and shotgun section). I would also strongly advise that whichever option you choose you join your local gun club first. They will be able to teach you all the basics in a controlled and safe environment and its essential that you master the basics before stepping foot outside to shoot live quarry!

 

I will briefly answer the other two questions you wrote....

 

Regarding the catapult, in my opinion that's a definite NO, in the unlikely event that you would actually hit the rabbit (no offence to you or your black widow skills here ;) ) it is more likely to maim and injure than kill cleanly and the sight of poor bunny limping off to a slow death is probably not what you want to see from your first outing on live quarry. Regarding where you are allowed to hunt, you MUST have the permission of the land owner in order to shoot the land you are on and it is strictly illegal to shoot where you do not have permission.

 

There is a lot to learn but don't let this put you off, as long as you put the time in, do your research and apply a bit of common sense you should be fine.

 

All the best,

 

Aleks

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I would also strongly advise that whichever option you choose you join your local gun club first. They will be able to teach you all the basics in a controlled and safe environment and its essential that you master the basics before stepping foot outside to shoot live quarry!

 

 

Aleks

 

 

Excellent advice there. I completely agree.

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