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Had a few hours out in the early morning on a new spot i have aquired. The new land comes as part of a rabbit clearance job im undertaking.

Before i can get on the job, which consists of 3 large gardens and grounds, the adjacent farm land which holds much of the problem rabbits needs thinning, i would normally use traps at this time of year but the farmer isnt too happy with this aproach, Yet!

The land i had a look at last night was around 30 acres in total, just confirmed another 170 this morning which holds a good amount of rabbits, hidden away under hawthorn and prickly thicket hedges.

Landed on the fields at around 11pm, suited and booted, had a zero check and away. The land itself is summer grazing for a small number of dairy cattle. the grass was low with sporadic clumps of thistles, no breeze, fairly light considering it was supposed to be dark. You could have heard a flea fart and seen where it was coming from!

Bonus was the rabbits were very green and had not seen a lamp for a long time. Using a red filter they were not phased in the slightest and it was easy to make up the distance between. The odd few were unsettled by our presence and made haste but the majority sat and awaited, for what was coming their way.

A couple of hours shooting produced good numbers but due to the numbers being fairly plentyful and not picking up the rabbits as you shoot them as to been distracted for another close by shot, then another, then another etc, meant that not all the rabbits were not found and collected. bonus for the local fox that was kicking about.

The rabbits will be left now for a week or two as to not spook them too much with the lamp and ensure a good bag next time.

43 rabbits end of night bag from what i could find, most of which were a good size and after pulling out the puddings none were in young and only a few were milky does.

28 in the pic before any smart arse says i cant count!

 

There will be more to come :thumbs:

 

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Apologies for the quality of the pics, it was getting light and my phone didnt know what the feck was going on, either that or i had the dt's from the night before :laugh:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well with the farmer still not being very accomodating with traps, i have had to sneak the odd hour or two each evening this week to continue with the thinning and keeping up apearances until i can get on with the ferrets and nets next week.

I have been landing on around 8pm each night and sneaking around until light is lost. Accounting for a bag of a dozen or more each night, to date i have taken 99 rabbits and yes mickeyblue my freezer is crammed.

Admittidley young rabbits have made up a percentage of the tally but they still need to go and they provide a meal for the ferrets.

 

There is a variation of coloured rabbits about, plenty of blacks and dutch marked, heres a pic of last nights bag :thumbs:

 

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