Methods of taking rabbits

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Methods of taking rabbits
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Downsizer Forum Index -> Shooting and Trapping for the Pot

What method would you prefer to take rabbits?

Trapping (snares, cage, fenn traps etc).

[ 1 ]

Dogs (long netting, lamping etc)

[ 1 ]

Ferrets.

17%

[ 3 ]

Shooting (day or night - shotgun)

11%

[ 2 ]

Shooting (day or night - firearm)

35%

[ 6 ]

Shooting (day or night - air rifle)

23%

[ 4 ]

Total Votes : 17

Author

Message

leebu

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 418
Location: east yorkshire

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 4:58 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Is it the shock or do they asphyxiate them, or what?

Bit of both I believe. In Russia, eagles have been used to hunt wolves for centuries (not sure if it goes on now, though). The birds were trained to hit the wolf high up on the spine, usually killing them on impact. Amazingly, if an injured wolf lived, the birds were powerful enough to hold down its muzzle until the rider came to dispatch it. Given that a wolfs jaws are designed for cutting through solid bone, thats a pretty impressive feat.
I know a falcon is smaller but the principle is the same.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45665
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 5:04 pm Post subject:

leebu wrote:

thats a pretty impressive feat

Not half

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 5:07 pm Post subject:
Predators don't have particularly strong muscles for opening their jaws. Holding their mouths closed is easy, holding them open is the difficult bit.

leebu

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 418
Location: east yorkshire

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 5:19 pm Post subject:
A good point Sean. Their neck muscles however are a different matter. It's still pretty hard to hold 70kg of injured, angry wolf to the ground and not get savaged! According to the book I read on this (Of Wolves and Men if anyone's interested, it's fascinating), the eagle's talons have incredible binding force and manage to subdue their prey very easily.

leebu

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 418
Location: east yorkshire

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 5:23 pm Post subject:
Anyway I voted for air rifle. I don't think a shotgun is neccessarily any more humane way to kill from 35/40 yards and is very poor for stalking. I would consider a rimfire except that I don't like the idea of owning something and shooting something with lethal power (for humans, I mean)

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 5:33 pm Post subject:
I didn't mean to imply that holding down an annoyed/injured wolf was easy. I accept no responsibility for the consequences if anyone decides to try this as a result of anything I might have written.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 6:58 pm Post subject:
I think I'll try and train a budgie to take out a gerbil as a small scale practical exepriment. I voted for ferrets, I think it's the most humane. I actually use a shotgun which I think is as humane but less successful.

leebu

Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 418
Location: east yorkshire

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 8:01 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

I didn't mean to imply that holding down an annoyed/injured wolf was easy. I accept no responsibility for the consequences if anyone decides to try this as a result of anything I might have written.

Oh you back pedal away my irresponsible friend! But if some young and impressionalbe teen loses an arm tonight trying to clamp shut the jaws of a timber wolf using an elastic band, I hope you feel suitably ashamed.

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 05 8:04 pm Post subject:
Back on topic you lot, or I'll throw you all to the wolves!

DarrenG

Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Lincolnshire Fens

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 05 5:45 am Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I've chosen shooting with a firearm. If I had access to the land and a firearm that would be the way I'd do it. I can choose the rabbit to take, shoot from a reasonable distance and be as certain as I can that the rabbit will die quickly.

I also don't mind admitting that I would find it easier to shoot a rabbit than to catch one live and kill it by hand.

I

I dont shoot anymore, because what you say is wrong, with say a lurcher lamping the rabbit is either caught and dispatched or free to live another day, with shooting its either dead, free, or injured to die a slow painfull death jmo

DarrenG

Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Lincolnshire Fens

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 05 5:48 am Post subject:

Gervase wrote:

Wot about shooting over ferrets? That can be good sport - earth up the warren apart from a few pop holes downwind , introduce the ferret on the windward side and wait for the flush while you stand on top at the ready.

the only problem with blocking up some of the holes is the fact that the rabbits and ferret may not have read the script, if a rabbit runs to a blocked entrance and the ferret is behind it then you've got a dead rabbit without the bolt, and if you do shoot any bolters you'd probably end up with a skulking ferret who isnt going to come out with all that noise going on

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 05 1:05 pm Post subject:

My first choice would be shooting with a rifle, as the animal would most likely be dead or not hit, but for the possibility of injury, I would certainly not shoot without also using a gun dog to retrieve, so the animal can be dispatched and not linger somewhere. Second choice would probably be ferreting or a falkon, fairly quick too.
Does the new proposed legislation stop you from using gundogs for retrieval, or does it only apply to using dogs for a chase?

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 05 1:24 pm Post subject:
No, just using two or more dogs to hunt mammals.

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 05 1:35 pm Post subject:

Deerstalker wrote:

No, just using two or more dogs to hunt mammals.

Do you think the suits would notice if you stuck some feathers on a rabbit?

deerstalker

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 589

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 05 1:38 pm Post subject:
Don't think most would know the difference without the feathers.

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