BUNNIES OFF THE BIPOD
This evening I am shooting over grassland that is managed for cattle grazing and as pony paddocks. The lush meadows and sandy soil create perfect conditions for rabbits, which have bred rapidly through the spring.
Although a growing population of rabbits may sound appealing to shooters, it is bad news for the landowner here. As most people who keep livestock know, rabbit burrows pose a serious danger to large animals. When a misplaced hoof goes down a hole, the result can often be a broken leg.
As the rabbits here multiply, their excavations become larger and more abundant, and the chances of an accident increases. Both the landowner and horse owners are eager to see numbers reduced.
Towards the start of the summer I did most of my shooting on the move, stalking around the fields and picking off rabbits as I encountered them. Those tactics yielded some good bags, but it’s getting harder as the remaining rabbits grow older and become more educated.
It is not at all unusual for
