Bunny boom or bust: feral foe or fine asset?

Rabbits occupy a unique position in the shooting world. Treasured by some and reviled as a pest by others, they are always on the move in the sporting consciousness. It’s possible to love rabbits and hate them in the space of a single half-hour; when their numbers rise to a maddening abundance, it’s the perfect therapy to spend a morning ferreting or walking the bunnies out of rushes or bracken.

When I was growing up in Galloway, the world seemed full of raddits. I could snoot 50 or 100 in a single evening, and steady work with an iron-sighted BSA.22 rimfire seemed to be inexhaustible. There was no limit to the number of rabbits I could bag and my family was overwhelmed by the tide of fresh meat that came into the house. I sold