Airgun Hunter: Rabbit clearance

It sometimes feels like I’m living a double life if I’m honest. A dyed- in-the wool ‘towny’ from London, now happily residing in deepest Lincolnshire. Not to everyone’s taste I’m sure, but if you take away the lack of choice of top restaurants and quality drinking holes, compared to Metropolis Central, day to day existence is all rather civilized. For one thing, the curse of the traffic jam rarely surfaces in these parts; but another major benefit of more rural living has to be connections within the country community; meaning I now have several hunting permissions from which to choose from. I’m lucky on that score; the product of a small familiar community, and the increased opportunity that goes with it.

FIELD OPS

Mrs Martin is a sweet elderly lady on the outskirts of my village and as the friend of a friend; I’ve got to know her along the way. Giving her a hand with trimming her hedges a while back and spending much of the duration being taunted by the local rabbit population, I couldn’t resist popping the question. “I don’t suppose I could help with keeping the rabbits down could I?” “I run a club and I’ll be super safe” etc… ‘As long as I can’t see it being done, of course you can’, was the reply, and I couldn’t believe my luck.

This was some while back, and the main prong of attack was centred around her lawn. This time out, in a bid to cause her as little disruption as possible, I confirmed that the back fields bordering her property would be the battle ground.

Some basic kit really makes a difference in the field and a pellet pouch keeps ammo not only safe, but quiet, with no rattling tins to ruin your chances. My other top piece of kit and I actually forgot it on this occasion, is a laser range-finder. Using technology helps minimize wounding anything, so it has to make sense; especially with the looping trajectory of your average hunting air rifle!

GETTING IN

Approaching the venue from the main road, I could just back in off the highway, into the small lead in. Open one large latched gate, and I’m there. However, the latch being heavy metal and tightly jammed, due to the gate having dropped some while back, was never going to go quietly!

Having hunted on many occasions over the years, I know only too well that the scene on arrival could quite often be the most bountiful opportunity of the lot. If the area has been undisturbed for some while then there may be a surprisingly large number of prospective targets waiting. Spook the residents, and you may not get another opportunity for some time.

If I’m honest I’m no dedicated hunter, mainly due to the fact that I often lack the patience - so basically, I need to make this initial encounter period work in my favour. Back to that latch and despite a heavy metallic squeak and a couple of bunnies white bobtails instantly disappearing into the undergrowth, I could sense that the sheer distance between my din and the main target area was enough to minimize my clumsy entry.

BE STILL

Freeze! In my experience the biggest factor in spooking quarry is movement. Much is made of camouflage kit and of course it helps the cause, but stealth and field craft are equally if not even more vital! The first field was now looking sadly free of my furry friends, so a really slow and sidle-up to the large opening in the hedgerow would be my first task. If I could make it to there with no unnecessary movement or noise, I would be in a perfect vantage point, with an outlook back into the main field, and a good view into the back sectors, either side of another central hedge. A corn field sits to the right side, so there’s plenty of cover for our pesky friends.

Slowly does it and at the corner, I stole a glance without actually moving my head in the direction. Freeze again, two, maybe three rabbits froze too, yet maintained their position in the field. One of them sat bolt upright and was looking right at me. A quick estimation of range made it 30 yards if that. Nicely in range, but hold on; he’s running straight at me! Slowly, very slowly, I drop to a kneeling position virtually in the open, but with a small clump of nettles just masking my left side. Between us, we’ve closed the distance to no more that 20 yards, and I take aim with intent.

Cross hairs just under the eye, a slow trigger release and thwack! As clean a kill as could be wished for with just a small kick of the nerves indicating it was all over for him. This wasn’t a fully grown rabbit, but with a labyrinth of warrens covering much of the field and horses regularly sharing the land, Mrs Martin is happy with a ruthless approach, for the safety of the horses as much as anything. Ground can give way under their feet so my task was a contribution to clearance, with no room for sentiment. I picked up my quarry, and laid him by my case for the return journey.

CLOSE SHAVE

My base was now back in the front field and at a point where a good view was possible over a low section of the dividing hedge. 20-minutes past, then half an hour, then just as I rose to leave another fully grown rabbit bowled into view, in the back field. If I was to take him on, it would have to be a standing shot. Wait, wait, damn! A miss, as anticipation got the better of me and failing to even register a fairly strong breeze coming in from the left, my shot had cleanly missed its target. A salutary reminder of how many elements need to come together when taking on live quarry. I was lucky this time, but it’s all too easy to take a snatch shot. If I’d waited, a far easier shot may well have presented itself. Ho hum.

NEXT TIME

Next time out, I reckon a proper stake out, with a comfy shooting mat on which to lie in wait will be the master plan. Until next time then, happy hunting, be well prepared, and wait for the right shot to arrive for those clean kills!