Lamping Part 3

The common rabbit, otherwise known as Oryctolagus Cuniculus does some £100,000,000 worth of damage to crops in the UK each year! Consequently there are few farmers who object to people taking rabbits by whatever means available, whether that be by ferreting, long netting, or shooting. Obviously permission needs to be sought from each landowner in turn but a good team of rabbit shooters who get the job done can expect to easily acquire more ground as word of their prowess spreads.

Times Move On

Mark and Rob have been shooting rabbits for many years and this evening we will be visiting some of the farms in Somerset that they have been charged with protecting from the scourge of the long eared munchers. Although rabbits can be seen feeding throughout the day, they are at their most active during the hours of darkness, therefore making lamping one of the best methods of control. Shooting from the back of pickups using shotguns was once a popular pastime, however the practice has declined in recent years. Partly because game dealers prefer to buy rabbits shot with a rifle and also because careering around fields in the middle of the night at full speed with a loaded shotgun was not the safest or most effective means of pest control.

Consequently nearly all rabbit shooting is now carried out in the manner that we will examine this evening, i.e. the use of Rimfire rifles in a far more sedate and stealthy approach than the rip roaring shotgun shoots of yesteryear. 

The humble .22 rimfire has for decades been the popular choice for the rabbit hunter, being easy to moderate, it can operate near silently when using subsonic ammunition. It’s also accurate and effective up to 90-yards (in the right hands) and delivers enough killing power without causing undue carcass damage. However there are a couple of negative points that have reduced its popularity; the bullet has a propensity to ricochet. Anyone who has shot a box of 22s will be familiar with the whine of a flyer shooting off in random directions; not a good thing, especially if you are shooting near livestock or housing.

17 V 22

Secondly the accurate/effective range is short and the .22 sub has quite an arcing trajectory, meaning that in most cases people limit themselves to around 60 yards maximum distance. The relatively new kid on the block is the 17HMR which is putting a big dent in .22 sales. The 17 is fast, flat and has a much greater effective range and is far less prone to ricochet due to the more frangible nature of the projectile. However, even when moderated the HMR is nowhere near as quite as a 22 sub-sonic and never will be!

Reason enough then for Mark to have chosen a CZ 452 American in 17 as his bunny basher, fitted with a varmint barrel and 3-12 x 56 Nikko Sterling Eurohunter scope it makes a deadly combination along with Remington 17-grain ballistic tips. As we arrive at the farm Mark readies the rifle while Rob checks out the remote control roof lamp. This too is a massive step forward from the hand-help units used in the past. Now, firmly ensconced in the warmth of the cab Rob can pan the lamp across the field at the touch of a button while Mark shoots from the back of the truck. 

It does not take long for our first victim to be spotted in the form of the bright orange reflection of the torch beam in a pair of rabbit eyes; however before he can take the shot he spots another bigger set in the distance. Mr Fox is on the prowl, and Mark quickly shifts position hoping for a shot, Rob dims the light as Mark starts to call the fox in but when the light goes back on a few seconds later Charlie is nowhere to be seen “probably been called and shot at before” offers Mark in explanation, it’s no surprise as those that escape the lampers beam are often reluctant to fall for the second trick twice.

Harvesting Harvey

We drive on a few yards and a pair of long ears appears in the grass, quickly followed by the sharp crack of the 17 as Mark takes his first crop destroyer of the evening. Rob drives slowly with the truck on tick-over as he scans the fields for sign of our quarry, there is a BANG BANG on the roof from Mark telling us that he has spotted something we have missed, so we stop, reversing the sweep of the lamp until a pair of telltale eyes fill the beam. The routine of this experienced team continues like this for the next three hours, Mark shooting from inside the truck, the roof and even across the bonnet to get an extra bit of stability for the longer shots.

The rabbits at this particular farm have been under pressure from Mark for some time and their numbers have tailed off noticeably. Consequently they are now a little on the twitchy side so caution needs to be exercised when approaching them. No headlights are used on the truck, just the roof-mounted light to which Mark has added a red filter, although such coverings do ultimately shorten the range of the beam they make us far less disturbing to the rabbits.

This means that although Mark still has to take some shots out at 140-yards or more, in the majority of cases we are able to get to within 60 or 80 yards. Not that it seems to make any difference to the result with Mark consistently getting head shots at all ranges. Those that are still lamp-shy even with the filter attached are not always safe. Running for the safety of the hedge they can often be stopped, courtesy of a quick squeak from Mark, which can make them pause, standing up on their back legs to seek out the source of the danger, only to find it too late.

Decent Bag

At the end of the night Mark paunches out his kills, removing the internal organs, bladder and intestines to prevent any tainting of the meat. A total of 42 rabbits are in the bag and will soon be heading off to his local game dealer; a good nights work indeed. However for Mark and hundreds like him they are engaged in a battle that will never be won, eradicating rabbits completely from a farm is incredibly difficult. Now in early spring he has finally got the numbers on the wane, but with the coming of summer there will undoubtedly be resurgence; just as well then that he enjoys his rabbit shooting.