Icon Logo Gun Mart

Pest Control Diary: Rabbit Riot

Pest Control Diary: Rabbit Riot

I think I have just blown the theory that if you leave what some would call the natural or main food sources for the fox then they will leave game birds, chickens, and lambs alone! It’s not just animal lovers that want to believe that, as I have come across the odd game keeper and shepherd who also think along the same lines, However, the proof was all too clear for one land owner when he rang me about a rabbit problem he had and we made arrangements to meet up a couple of days later. So I could see the damage and walk the boundaries to come up with a plan of action.

NATURAL BALANCE

While talking to the gentleman in question he made it clear he’s not really against pest control but would rather leave nature to balance itself out. But also realised it was time to give nature a helping hand when the rabbits started to destroy the plants in the garden faster than they could be planted. But he had a bigger shock when we walked the boundary, rabbits and signs of rabbits were everywhere but it was when he started to add up how many bales of hay or silage he’d lost that really hit home. Then, to add insult to injury, we came across a fox earth with a wall-to-wall wool carpeting as far down as we could see the cubs had been feeding on.

While all around was littered with leg bones and lamb’s tails, some still had rubber rings on, all right in the middle of a heavy population of rabbits (the fox’s natural prey). Proving beyond doubt that not only is the fox an opportunist but will take whatever is easiest- so much for nature balancing itself out! It looks like I have some more foxing to go at but right now it’s the rabbits I have to get on top of.

My plan of attack was to make every shot count using my 22 rimmy, as it wouldn’t be long before they got wise to a man with a gun walking down the fence line posing a threat. Then it would be a change tactics and try the waiting game, hoping they wouldn’t see me waiting for them to pop out. Next the traps, snares would be good, if it wasn’t for the young rabbits that would knock them rendering them useless.

IMAGE-CONCIOUS

story continues below...

Not only that but anything that may cause suffering would cause upset and damage to the pest control industry and shooting sports in general, so snares are out! As is the drop trap - a barrel dug into the ground with the rim level on a well used run. You then fit a narrow board with a hinged trap door fitted with a return spring; the board then forms part of the run. The number of rabbits you can catch live in one sitting is remarkable; I even caught a cat once, which was interesting; especially releasing it, to say the least!

But that’s the beauty with live catch, you can release non-target animals unharmed but I had nowhere suitable for a drop trap. The one trap I could use was the body grip, which is guaranteed a quick clean kill; the only thing was I had to convince the land owner only the target animal, the rabbit, would be caught. This is possible by not setting the trap on a hair trigger and by making a wider than normal wire tunnel to house it, allowing me to place it half on the run, half off. Hopefully such things as stoats and weasels will follow the sent trail passing the trap’s trigger, whereas a rabbit being larger will have to pass directly through the centre.

FLEXIBLE TACTICS

Everything agreed, I received a key for the gates and got going that evening, accounting for 20 or so large and small rabbits. Knocking off as the light faded, the idea behind calling it off before night fall was once they got used to me, as they no doubt would, diving for cover as soon as they saw me walking the fence line. I will then push my patience to the limit, waiting in ambush for them to pop out again. When they get used to that, I can then introduce them to the lamp, this way I maximise my efforts every outing; as long as I can shoot straight that is! As for every shot taken, there’s another six that couldn’t be taken; self-discipline is the key.

Keeping within the range the rifle’s zeroed for, is probably the hardest rule; especially when there’s not much happening, usually after you’ve done the rounds a few times and the rabbits are wising up. Every shot taken at this stage of the game serves as a warning for them to keep their heads down, which is the time to change tactics and brave the midges, sitting tight, waiting for them to come to you. I must say everything was going to plan with the number of rabbits in the bag dwindling every outing as expected, not due to my marksmanship but my persistence. Bag numbers picked up again briefly by taking some at longer ranges with my 6mm BR out to 200 yards. The ones that sit there thinking they’re out of range (wrong) the interesting thing is that one or two shots taken with the 22 rimmy were enough to send the rest darting for cover. However, with the 6BR they just sat there, totally at ease while I picked them off!

LIGHT ATTACK

Again, it didn’t last long, three afternoons of long-range sniping soon tuned them in to the crack of the 6BR; that was it, and so with everything exhausted, I switched to the lamp. That didn’t go as well as I expected, possibly they’d been educated by poachers. By now I was only averaging 12 per night, though every one counts, it would have been good finishing on a high, now their numbers are down. I will have to keep on top of them, which is easier said than done now that they have been educated, but if left we could be back to where we started within weeks. As the warrens are in dense brush on a railway embankment, where I can’t go even if I could, it would have to be with a shotgun trying to pick them of along the sidings. Ferreting would be a waste of time, as the rabbits would never break cover and I would no doubt lose the ferrets- this is where the body grip traps could be used along the fence line, it’s times like this I need help!

 

  • Pest Control Diary: Rabbit Riot - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Pest Control Diary: Rabbit Riot - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

Arrow