FLAT-OUT RABBITING
WHY WE SHOOT
• Loss of crops to hungry rabbits can be costly to farmers, so pest control helps the rural economy.
• Reducing rabbit numbers on equestrian holdings reduces the risk of horses and ponies breaking legs in their burrows.
• Rabbit meat is lean and very tasty, so any time spent controlling them is rewarded with healthy free-range meat.
• Ambushing rabbits is a great way to unwind and enjoy watching wildlife.
THE QUARRY
RABBIT
Oryctolagus cuniculus
PEST STATUS: This burrowing rodent undermines banks and field margins, eating grass, cereal and vegetable crops. It also causes damage to lawns and golf courses.
HABITAT: An animal of the open countryside, rabbits usually establish their burrows on hillsides and embankments.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Rabbits are liable to breed very quickly, and their meat is also good to eat.
I wrote in the previous issue that rabbits were making a welcome return to the countryside where I live in the South West of England. Although it is heartening to see numbers of this mammal bouncing back after several years of
