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

[Liveonce]

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.

Sounds good but in practice I find if you walk about disturbing the area trying to retrieve the first shot rabbits whist others are still visible through the thermal spotter but need to be stealthy approached to be within range they will be gone after the disturbance of retrieving the first shot rabbits.
I prefer to mentally mark the first lot and move on the job is pest control rather than harvesting every rabbit, so if I do occasionally lose one so be it. They stay detectable by the thermal after being shot for awhile, but it is short grass, golf courses and horse paddocks.

 

[Chris Richardson]

I’d shoot till they’re no longer sat out then use a thermal spotter to find them

 

[sikasako]

Sounds good but in practice I find if you walk about disturbing the area trying to retrieve the first shot rabbits whist others are still visible through the thermal spotter but need to be stealthy approached to be within range they will be gone after the disturbance of retrieving the first shot rabbits.
I prefer to mentally mark the first lot and move on the job is pest control rather than harvesting every rabbit, so if I do occasionally lose one so be it. They stay detectable by the thermal after being shot for awhile, but it is short grass, golf courses and

Agreed, regarding the disturbance aspect.
But the OP has expressed an interest in harvesting as many rabbits as possible in this case.

 

[rab19]

Bring up an oldish thread.

Scratched my head and came up with this little setup.

Cheap Flea Bay laser in a clulite torch mount on my homemade sticks.
Just set up on the fifth leg (also home made from a hiking pole attached by cheap bike torch mount as I am tight arse).
You don't need to have the laser spot on the knocked down rabbit, I just have it on a general line and walk down the laser and spot with the thermal. Needed it twice last night.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

I used to note the distance and any features against the hedge line. Although now, just take a compass reading. I would leave my bag with a flashing red light then walk out to where the shot rabbit was. And of course, you reading is minus 180 when you are out there, so you should be able to be pretty accurate.
But short grass is much better. lol.

 

[Nickb]

Who cares if the odd one is not picked , they will feed the other wildlife.

I try and pick up straight away , I know its easier said than done sometimes.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Who cares if the odd one is not picked

Nick, you must be diligent and pick every wabbit... just think that wabbit wot you leave could provide a meal for a poor hungry refugee who has just floated ashore in his rubber boat....

 

[Nickb]

Nick, you must be diligent and pick every wabbit... just think that wabbit wot you leave could provide a meal for a poor hungry refugee who has just floated ashore in his rubber boat....

Rather leave them in the hedge

 

[EMcC]

A small hand held Seek Reveal isn't al that expensive and would do the job I reckon.

 

[Tikkat1x]

if i could get £2 a rabbit i could quit my job and shoot rabbits every night,

 

[Overlay]

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

Ha haha Thats a problem when you put teckles over the ground the next morning, they’ll all be dead, thats for sure, but the time of their demise could be a bit
cloudy or out a wee bit at best

Depending on how many areas you can shoot, pick a few at a time and move to another area shoot that then come back later, last thing you want is to be clambering about for an hour after you’ve finished then you got to empty them out

 

[sauer]

A small hand held Seek Reveal isn't al that expensive and would do the job I reckon.

I was shooting rabbits in grass paddock and it was ankle to mid shin deep and I struggled to see rabbits lying with a helion xq38f

1. Seek reveal are utter crap anyway
2. Doesn't matter how good a thermal you have undergrowth can hide a heat signature

Paul

 

[Motard]

I thougt one tousand time at a short range drone with a thermal eye on it. It could
probably map every dead or alive bunny (foxes or whatelse) on the grond. But I never whent on exploring if it is doable and at what a price just because I am not willing to increase the bsttery related items I jet bring with me on hunting. May be the boblov nv lrf that has also an inner compass could do the job? With thevfiggybfeatures it couldn't act as ir better tha a thermal lrn at short ranges.They appears now and then on aliexpress from vendors tha havevno idea on whst theyvare selling. Or a
Habrock multi channels binos?

 

[EMcC]

I was shooting rabbits in grass paddock and it was ankle to mid shin deep and I struggled to see rabbits lying with a helion xq38f

1. Seek reveal are utter crap anyway
2. Doesn't matter how good a thermal you have undergrowth can hide a heat signature

Paul

I find the Seek Reveal very good indeed. I sometimes use it to follow my dog at night when she goes for a wander.
There is an up graded one, so I've been told, so perhaps that is what I've got.

 

[Smellydog]

Has anyone suggested eating more carrots yet....?

 

[Klenchblaize]

View attachment 433482

Seeing this brings a tear to the eye as back in the 80's and very early 90's I could shoot a similer number between Friday and Sunday in daylight and sell them at Sevenoaks Market on the Monday.

Today, taking a rabbit with a rifle in my part of Kent is something to celebrate and brings as much fulfilment as stalking a roe buck. Well, nearly.

K

 

[rab19]

Seeing this brings a tear to the eye as back in the 80's and very early 90's I could shoot a similer number between Friday and Sunday in daylight and sell them at Sevenoaks Market on the Monday.

Today, taking a rabbit with a rifle in my part of Kent is something to celebrate and brings as much fulfilment as stalking a roe buck. Well, nearly.

K

Visiting the outlaws in Tonbridge and was down at Sevenoaks market not long ago, couldn't move for Veggie Burgers, Vegan stalls and other nefarious type stalls.
If you pulled out any rabbits now you would probably be pelted with lumps of Tofu.....

Did lose count of the amount of Fallow around Tonbridge/Sevenoaks/Southborough.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Visiting the outlaws in Tonbridge and was down at Sevenoaks market not long ago, couldn't move for Veggie Burgers, Vegan stalls and other nefarious type stalls.
If you pulled out any rabbits now you would probably be pelted with lumps of Tofu.....

Did lose count of the amount of Fallow around Tonbridge/Sevenoaks/Southborough.

The market I'm referring to was where offices now stand opposite the railway station. It was a full-on livestock market with several pubs; the Railway & Bicycle will for ever remain in my heart for reasons I'll spare you, opened early AM.

The Christmas Fat Stock Market Day was a thing of legend and never to be missed.

Happy days!

K