Shooting rabbits with a shotgun

Double Barrel

"best sporting shooting is rabbit in light rush" over a steady gundog.

Thats the ticket.

"Steady spaniel" Contradictio in terminis :rolleyes:

Could not resist.:pac:

ZappaFrank

Rabbits do be full of young this time of the year. Also rabbits breed twice a year, some time 3, therefore a doe can be and does be pregnant during the summer. For me theres no sport in that.

So if you guys want to be machomen and shoot young and pregnant rabbits fair enough. Or you can be sportsmen and wait till the autumn/winter were lamping with lurchers or ferreting are alot more enjoyable.

marlin vs

I only shoot the one's that wear trousers.

Story Man

Frank

That's great if you don't have an infestation of the blighters like I do.

Quite frankly (no pun intended!) I'll bring their numbers down this summer if I need to. It's either that or pay to have my gardens re-shrubbed and their holes filled in.

SM

Story Man

Wadda ya mean contradiction?

Only a non-spaniel man would come out with that craic!



SM

Hezz700

ZappaFrank wrote: »

Rabbits do be full of young this time of the year. Also rabbits breed twice a year, some time 3, therefore a doe can be and does be pregnant during the summer. For me theres no sport in that.

So if you guys want to be machomen and shoot young and pregnant rabbits fair enough. Or you can be sportsmen and wait till the autumn/winter were lamping with lurchers or ferreting are alot more enjoyable.

Its called Vermin control, Frankie boy.

Summer is when its done and its quite necessary, where i'm from at least. And god bless the little buggers, they're back with a vengence every summer.

Ya know they actually DO "breed like rabbits"

jwshooter

at his point it should be noted that all effort is made not to shoot pregnant or lactating does.

very close obversation with binos or the scope just before the shot will tell you is your rabbit is shot able .

big scruffy looking rabbits or rabbits out in the field lying flat ,have a good chance of been pregnant or lactating.

i always try to shoot young rabbits that are noticeably smaller than a mature bunny

Hezz700

jwshooter wrote: »

i always try to shoot young rabbits that are noticeably smaller than a mature bunny

Totally agreed.

At any rate, the young uns are much better for the pot.

lucky-colm

ZappaFrank wrote: »

Why you shooting rabbits during the summer? very unsporting

rabbits are dangerous and should be kept under control if you ever see a rabbit coming at you with a knife turn grab your children and run best to keep them under control by shooting them when they are lazing around inthe sun and eating grass

Hezz700

lucky-colm wrote: »

rabbits are dangerous and should be kept under control if you ever see a rabbit coming at you with a knife turn grab your children and run best to keep them under control by shooting them when they are lazing around inthe sun and eating grass

Hey sunshine, Do you grow crops????

pullandbang

lucky-colm wrote: »

rabbits are dangerous and should be kept under control if you ever see a rabbit coming at you with a knife turn grab your children and run best to keep them under control by shooting them when they are lazing around inthe sun and eating grass

There are people out there who think we shouldn't shoot rabbits or any of God's little creatures.

If they had their way there would be no hunting, shooting, fishing or any killing at all of these poor creatures.

These people are sick, cruel and completely indifferent to the suffering of animals and birds. They would rather see us put a live bunny or pheasant straight into the oven without killing it first! Have you ever tried it? Can't get the buggers to stop squirming and fluttering. Much easier to shoot them first then cook them

bunny shooter

I shoot rabbits and I eat them during the summer.

So someone with a lurcher and/or ferrets objects to me shooting rabbits................I'm not so narrow minded to object to his sport though

dwighet

pullandbang wrote: »

There are people out there who think we shouldn't shoot rabbits or any of God's little creatures.

If they had their way there would be no hunting, shooting, fishing or any killing at all of these poor creatures.

These people are sick, cruel and completely indifferent to the suffering of animals and birds. They would rather see us put a live bunny or pheasant straight into the oven without killing it first! Have you ever tried it? Can't get the buggers to stop squirming and fluttering. Much easier to shoot them first then cook them

there is plenty of room here for all gods creatures...Right next to my mashed spuds and gravy

Dusty87

ZappaFrank wrote: »

Rabbits do be full of young this time of the year. Also rabbits breed twice a year, some time 3, therefore a doe can be and does be pregnant during the summer.

Judging by the young bunnys i seen mid febuary whilst lamping foxes they were pregnant juring the winter this year too. Its maths, they carry bunnys for 28 to 30 days, young dont leave there nest for two weeks and at least another 2 before they leave the burrow. The ones i seen were about six weeks old out running around. So maybe when your ferreting (nothing against it whatsoever, its an effective way of controlling them too) there is young in the burrow. This winter was a lot milder and maybe they bread through the winter. The woman breeds rabbits and this was the first year any of hers bread in the winter. I personally have noticed the numbers coming back to what they used to be.

Story Man

I saw Watership Down!

I didn't cry though.

Does that make me a bad person?

SM

jaffa20

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7rGzCAMuUFA/SD3LhiUARtI/AAAAAAAAAyY/ci4No1SguPE/s320/evil.jpg

bunny shooter

Story Man wrote: »

I saw Watership Down!

I didn't cry though.

Does that make me a bad person?

SM

Bet ya cried when Bambis mum died though

pullandbang

Story Man wrote: »

I saw Watership Down!
I didn't cry though.
Does that make me a bad person?
SM

I remember seeing a photo of a butcher's shop in England, think it was Liverpool. Anyway, Watership Down was on in the cinemas at the time and he had rabbits hanging in his shop window.
Beside them was a big sign that read;

Watership Down.
You've read the book.
You've seen the film.
Now eat the cast!

Brilliant marketing!

dwighet

pullandbang wrote: »

I remember seeing a photo of a butcher's shop in England, think it was Liverpool. Anyway, Watership Down was on in the cinemas at the time and he had rabbits hanging in his shop window.
Beside them was a big sign that read;

Watership Down.
You've read the book.
You've seen the film.
Now eat the cast!

Brilliant marketing!

class

Dusty87

Was thinkin of goin out in the morning early. Heard thers going to be a frost so i dont think theres much point. Will i leave it till tomorrow evening and hope for the best or take a chance in the morning?

It wasn't me!

The hard weather is not conducive to shooting bunnies. was out the other day and only shot two, the only two I saw, so they're sitting tight underground. By all means take the dog and the gun and have a ramble, but if you're going out looking to kill rabbits rather than enjoy the walk, I don't see you getting too many. Of course, I could be completely wrong, in which case, good luck and have fun.

jwshooter

its still very early to be shooting rabbits crops are just in the ground ,i like to leave them for another month or two for any serious hunting .
summer eve s stalking bunnys ,will we ever grow up .

marlin vs

pullandbang wrote: »

Watership Down.
You've read the book.
You've seen the film.
Now eat the cast!

I was thinking of going out in the morning to shoot a few, now i'm definatly going out.Break a leg.

Dusty87

Ah yea, do often just go around the fields with the dog. Actually two weeks ago was out just for a walk. He rose 3 pheasants. If it had only been in season:D. Left after that as i didn want him to disturb any hens. Sometimes its just as good going for the walks.

Dusty87

jwshooter wrote: »

its still very early to be shooting rabbits crops are just in the ground ,i like to leave them for another month or two for any serious hunting .
summer eve s stalking bunnys ,will we ever grow up .

The shoots of the corn or barley, whatever it is, are out of the ground. Thought they might be at them. Yea looking forward to when the weather gets finer:D.

me_right_one

Hi all. Please excuse my ignorance, I'm new to shooting, but when is the official season for rabbits? When is the season for anything for that matter?

jwshooter

only sowing around my house now ,i have a deal with most of the local lads the will not poison them if i can keep them shot .
i live next door to one of the biggest cereal growers in ireland so pigeons and rabbits are a plenty .
long eves next week roll on the summer if we have one this year

Dusty87

http://homepage.eircom.net/~jamesanthonyryan/new_page_3.htm

Everything you need to know is there. good site

jwshooter

me_right_one wrote: »

Hi all. Please excuse my ignorance, I'm new to shooting, but when is the official season for rabbits? When is the season for anything for that matter?

ignorance can never be excused,

rabbits have no season as there classed as vermin ,but for many including me they are the back bone of hunting in ireland .
i would give them total respect as a quarry .
where needs be i would shoot them hard .
but i would have 4-6 in on the lawn every morning and enjoy looking at them over a coffee .

me_right_one

Thank you both kindly Dusty and JW