Thread: What little pesties did you bowl over today?

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Anybody from the Manawatu noticing a lack of rabbits around at the tie of year.
Been out shooting a couple of times this month and their has been sweet fuck all rabbits around on the farm I live on .
Dont know if I have shot all the silly ones or they are all tucked up in their burrows .......

Just about to head out to a mates farm now. Will let you know the findings.

Awesome, thanks very much for the info. Nice rifle you have there. I’d like to find one in 204 ruger.
Cheers

Originally Posted by Horsenabout

Just about to head out to a mates farm now. Will let you know the findings.

Just got home. 9 possums & 8 bunnies/hares. Probably saw another 5 of each that bolted before I could shoot.

Rabbits were very hard to see in the long grass and were couching quite low.

I went out at about 4.30pm till dusk and saw one rabbit. I have been hitting the farm pretty hard for a few years now .
I assume you were spotlighting , i need to give that a jam and see what the numbers are like.

Originally Posted by Jusepy

I went out at about 4.30pm till dusk and saw one rabbit. I have been hitting the farm pretty hard for a few years now .
I assume you were spotlighting , i need to give that a jam and see what the numbers are like.

Yeah definitely spotlighting is the way to go. We usually go in a pair, one driving the quad/sxs with the spotlight and one shooter.

Nice man ! where abouts are you in the manawatu.
Im in the Kairanga area.

Originally Posted by Jusepy

I went out at about 4.30pm till dusk and saw one rabbit. I have been hitting the farm pretty hard for a few years now .
I assume you were spotlighting , i need to give that a jam and see what the numbers are like.

You'll be amazed what you see with a spotlight. I got to the point where I'd see no rabbits in a week when spotlighting, and thought I'd won the battle.
Got a Digital NV scope, and the buggers were everywhere. Got to the point where I also saw no rabbits for a week using the NV. Guess what I saw when I got a handheld thermal - rabbits everywhere!

I've just resigned to the fact that they are magic, and cannot be exterminated, just controlled.

Id love to get a thermal or NV gear.
Im going to give spotlighting a jam in the next few weeks. Rabbits are little magical bastards.
Have you guys noticed any change in the rabbits while its been duck shooting season ?

Some might say nearly a miss but I say a win for the 22-250, could only see its head and neck. Its mate came back and got a blitzing to the chest for its trouble

Fattest rabbit ive ever harvested so far. Look at all of that fat. And an owl perched nearby to watch.

A couple of Hares and a Possum to the Leshiy Pard combo last night.

First night out with my recently aquired Pard NV008.

I spotted the rabbits with my Maxtoch with a bit of red cellophane secured over the lens with a rubberband

Then turn the torch off and shot with the IR nightvision.

Seems to work just fine

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Got these (and a few more) in the southern Bay of Plenty a couple of months ago. They were mangy and not in as good condition as the Bennett’s that we got in Otago last year. They were less flighty than the Bennett’s and carried on eating as their mates fell around them.
Last years Bennett’s.
(Yes I know, my rifle is aimed at my toes! I got my mate to confirm it was clear as well before the photo so 200% NO chance an unexpected round would surprise me.)

The power of the Cometa Fusion.
Went out the back of my house tonigth,about 10 on the hill 40yds away,walked along the track about 100yds,then into the pine forest about 10mtr.About 15 rabbits scatttered into the distance dark,but 2 didnt,just hungard down,thinking they were hiding.But my thermo clip on was watching them about 20mtrs away.I lined one up on the sholders and squeezed off the trigger.He just round over,didnt moved.I took him home for the cats,but they were not interested so i thort il clean him up and just see where that pellet went.
Woow the pellet went thru the sholders, just sitting under the skin on the op side.The Cometa got some killing power.Our first rabbit dinner for many years coming up.Entry on the rigth,exit on the left.10.3 gr pellet

Originally Posted by Harry Horsesense

Attachment 170376
Got these (and a few more) in the southern Bay of Plenty a couple of months ago. They were mangy and not in as good condition as the Bennett’s that we got in Otago last year. They were less flighty than the Bennett’s and carried on eating as their mates fell around them.
Attachment 170377Last years Bennett’s.
(Yes I know, my rifle is aimed at my toes! I got my mate to confirm it was clear as well before the photo so 200% NO chance an unexpected round would surprise me.)

Good stuff, ive never seen a Wobbly in NZ, keen as to shoot some. I must get around to arranging a trip to rotovegas