Finding Rabbits In The Dark.......

[rab19]

Hi All,

Bit of a rant and whinge.

Have taken on a new permission where the landowner wants the rabbits cleared out (which is leading onto deer and more acreage at a later date). Doing it at night using thermal and the average range is from 50 to 108 yards with the .22lr, with 50 yards about the closest I can get due to the ground conditions.

The trouble is that there is a fair bit of long grass, brambles and deadfall and have lost a few due to not being able to find them once I have knocked them over---and yes they are definitely dead....the Stellar 3 makes it a piece of p**s and using a Pulsar XQ38F spotter which is great at distance but no good at 10 yards.

Done the usual of quietly crashing through the undergrowth with a torch alerting everything with a heartbeat for a hundred yards and getting a bit hacked off, I lost 5 the other night so asking for Top Tips on marking the area of the dead rabbit, was thinking of mounting a laser pointer or a strong narrow beam torch attached to a nordic pole and pointing it into the area then making in quietly to pick up.

I could do with finding them as I am selling them on for £2 a rabbit to cover diesel etc and not there to feed the local fox's.

Thanks

 

[purdeydog]

Experience and a good torch. When on stubble on the foxes or hares it can be hard to find them. Sometimes handy to have a mate mark the spot and you walk out there. Otherwise try and make a good mental note of where it was. Or using a range finder to mark back to your firing position. Then you’re in the right spot ish. You could always make a clearing to make it easier if it’s one area they are in

However no body… doesn't count That’s the rule!

 

[Will the chippy]

Get the land owner to top it, or only shoot them in short grass.

 

[rab19]

Experience and a good torch. When on stubble on the foxes or hares it can be hard to find them. Sometimes handy to have a mate mark the spot and you walk out there. Otherwise try and make a good mental note of where it was. Or using a range finder to mark back to your firing position. Then you’re in the right spot ish. You could always make a clearing to make it easier if it’s one area they are in

However no body… doesn't count That’s the rule!

Was thinking of getting a Boblov rangefinder but they are like hens teeth and are not made anymore.

 

[Liveonce]

use your thermal spotter to locate them immediately after shooting them whist they are still warm, simple

 

[Goingback]

A good Lab would be an asset

 

[Bowland blades]

Hi All,

Bit of a rant and whinge.

Have taken on a new permission where the landowner wants the rabbits cleared out (which is leading onto deer and more acreage at a later date). Doing it at night using thermal and the average range is from 50 to 108 yards with the .22lr, with 50 yards about the closest I can get due to the ground conditions.

The trouble is that there is a fair bit of long grass, brambles and deadfall and have lost a few due to not being able to find them once I have knocked them over---and yes they are definitely dead....the Stellar 3 makes it a piece of p**s and using a Pulsar XQ38F spotter which is great at distance but no good at 10 yards.

Done the usual of quietly crashing through the undergrowth with a torch alerting everything with a heartbeat for a hundred yards and getting a bit hacked off, I lost 5 the other night so asking for Top Tips on marking the area of the dead rabbit, was thinking of mounting a laser pointer or a strong narrow beam torch attached to a nordic pole and pointing it into the area then making in quietly to pick up.

I could do with finding them as I am selling them on for £2 a rabbit to cover diesel etc and not there to feed the local fox's.

Thanks

Get a dog ! there is nothing better than a good dog ! Night or day . The next best is a mate with a good lamp

 

[finbar]

Got a good springer for that job
A no where your coming from hard as hell to find if you 2/3 down

 

[Bo Diddley]

was thinking of mounting a laser pointer

This is what one of the Aussie hunters was doing on YouTube, worked a treat. I take my Cocker spaniel, she's steady and makes it easy.

 

[Bo Diddley]

use your thermal spotter to locate them immediately after shooting them whist they are still warm, simple

Not that easy if the cover is a few inches high. We shoot a good few hares most years on the green stubble from the back of the Gator, you have to go directly to each one as it's shot, then the thermal doesn't always pick them up that easily.
Shot a few from the same position, and you can waste more time looking for them than if you shoot one, pick one.

 

[Jimboblincs2]

I walk my gwp most mornings on a local ex coal pit top, he frequently dives into the undergrowth and comes out with dead rabbits, I think someone is night shooting and having similar issues.

 

[Liveonce]

Not that easy if the cover is a few inches high. We shoot a good few hares most years on the green stubble from the back of the Gator, you have to go directly to each one as it's shot, then the thermal doesn't always pick them up that easily.
Shot a few from the same position, and you can waste more time looking for them than if you shoot one, pick one.

Can see that may be a problem, lucky for me my permissions with rabbits are golf courses and livery yards with nice short grass.

 

[Siggy]

I walk my gwp most mornings on a local ex coal pit top, he frequently dives into the undergrowth and comes out with dead rabbits, I think someone is night shooting and having similar issues.

yeah, but where they dead before he dived into the undergrowth!!!

 

[Rake Aboot]

Had the same problem

Use a thermal spotter to find them asap after shooting

Too valuable to leave in the field these days

 

[sikasako]

It’s easier finding shot rabbits if you work as a team of 2, with one shooting and one spotting.

I tend to range find before taking the shot, to be absolutely sure on distance, as distance perception can be difficult when shooting at night.

Then try to gather up the shot rabbits from that area by getting your shooting buddy to stay at the point where the shots were taken and guide you in. (2 way radio comes in handy)

Don’t be tempted to keep moving on and shooting more rabbits until you gather up the ones you’ve just got, or you’re likely to misplace the earlier ones. (Don’t ask me why I know this !!!)

Recently we were struggling to locate one particular rabbit, which we were convinced was a clean shot.

Thankfully by knowing the range it was shot and by a bit of guiding in it was eventually found 1 foot down the mouth of a burrow. The chance of you locating a rabbit with a thermal under these circumstances would be extremely low.

Also, a good steady dog saves a lot of time when locating and gathering up shot rabbits.

 

[Jimboblincs2]

yeah, but where they dead before he dived into the undergrowth!!!

 

[Jimboblincs2]

Yes, and with the rain a bit manky.

 

[Nickb]

Thermal works but you can still miss some especially when shooting multiple targets.

Best way is to shoot it and immediately keep it in scope and walk straight over and retrieve.

 

[mudman]

Gundog. It’s kinda what they do

 

[Nickb]

Gundog. It’s kinda what they do

What if you haven't got one ?