Rabbits are making a steady and very welcome comeback around many of my West Country haunts. Not so long ago, rabbit haemorrhagic disease had more or less completely wiped them out. While several of the more ruthless landowners were pleased to see a reduction in the damage they cause, the majority were saddened to witness the sudden decline of a species that plays such an important role in our local ecosystem.
The rabbit is a resilient creature with a reputation for rapid breeding, and those characteristics have resulted in numbers bouncing back a little too successfully on several of the farms and estates over which I shoot. While it is a relief to see them doing so well, their recovery has resulted in the return of the usual
