Thread: How to hunt rabbits?

Some good advice already. Sounds obvious I know, but you simply need to know where the rabbits live. Once you've established where their warrens are, whether its a proper one, or under a building, or in hedgerows, then you can nut out a plan of attack. The best way to do this is to recce the farm a few times, watch where they run to, then go have a look for their home. As soon as you find holes, you're in business. Most rabbits will remain within a shortish dash of home but some will venture further, usually younger animals being pushed out from the warren.

Productive rabbiting is all about anticipating where you'll see rabbits, and being prepared. For rifle shooting, the best method is to work out the best places to shoot from, and set them up in advance. I've placed two stacked milk crates with a plywood top in likely places under trees, with good cover, good field of view from slightly elevated positions. I them there for the spring & summer, so I can walk in, sit and have a ready to go rest. I have a half dozen spots set up like this on the farm at the end of our road. Makes it so much easier. Knowing your ranges from each spot, remembering them for each shooting position, makes .22LR shooting a much higher percentage game than having to constantly range (or guess). Rabbits that know you're there will give you a chance, but not for long.

I had the wife laminate my drops table for the .22, a dozen copies, and I've stapled them to the posts or crates and they stay there... otherwise I'll forget it. Its very satisfying knowing you can reliably pick off 100m++ bunnies without too much bother.

If the grass is a bit long, it makes it very hard if you just plan on walking around, you'll spook them and they'll run. Good fun if you have a shotgun but useless with a rifle. But if you know roughly where they'll be, you just have to sit up and glass the grass... you'll see them, even if its just ears. I love picking off rabbits when all you can see is ears.

I do occasionally shoot rabbits at night but to be honest its not my preference, just a personal thing. Used to do it for hours on end as a kid with a ute and lights and shotties, a blood bath. Industrial level rabbitting. These days a late afternoon/ evening is more fun for me, with a good plan and some advance prep.