If one thing has characterised our Winter / Spring this year it's been rain, rain and more rain. That's seriously cut into hunting opportunities resulting in fewer outings than intended. Finally the forecast for yesterday showed a brief spell of good weather and I obtained the farmers permission to walk for Rabbits and Hares followed by a short spell on the rifle range to verify the scope setting on my Tikka T3 30.06 Timing my arrival perfectly I was into the paddocks and glassing just as the grey dawn lightened enough to pick out any Rabbit movement. I concentrated on a large paddock running up to the neighbour's boundary. The neighbour doesn't control Rabbits and has problem numbers, some of which spill over onto my guy's side through the rickety boundary fence. I caught Rabbit activity about 350 yards away and began sneaking in to get to a good distance to shoot my newish Ruger Predator .243W I would shoot prone with the bipod and set up on a small knoll with short grass overlooking the area of interest. Picking up two Rabbits out to my right I lasered 205 yds, lined up and shot. Rabbit 1 went straight down. Happy with that I immediately lined up Rabbit 2 which hadn't moved, and missed clean ! Damn ! Still sitting there I tried and missed again ! WTF ! This is uncharacteristic. This time the Rabbit disappeared. I stayed prone for about ten minutes, watching, but nothing else appeared. So I picked up the Ruger and stalked quietly towards the boundary fence. 72 yards out two Rabbits in high grass suddenly sat up. Quickly going prone I promptly shot number 1. Again, I missed number 2 after it moved a couple of hops and sat up nicely. I walked over and picked up my kill. Then along the fence, walking quietly over a little rise I spied a another Rabbit right on the fenceline, about 40 yds. A good shot resting elbows on my knees put that one down for good. I picked up that kill too. No sooner had I stood up than the Rabbit I missed at 205 yds reappeared out to my right, but now only 67 yds away. Big mistake. A prone shot again did the trick and I had 4 bunnies in less than 20 minutes. I was low an ammo now but looked around briefly for more opportunities. Seeing nothing I processed the bunnies for salvageable meat. In this Ruger I am shooting Hornady V-Max 87 gn bullets which puts Rabbits and Hares down resoundingly. Rabbits particularly are usually partly disintergrated by these bullets even when bullet placement is less than ideal. The .243W has a great advantage with those longer shots and the V-Max almost eliminates concerns about follow up shots. Hares get seriously damaged with these too but take them better than Rabbits.

Not pretty, but very effective. Rabbits shot with 87 gn V-Max. .243W


I walked back to the truck, put the Rabbit meat in the back, gathered a couple of rounds and headed off uphill for the higher part of the block. I had put up Hares around here before and thought I might find a shooter. Up near the top is a small basin like depression I had spooked Hares from before. I sat for several minutes and glassed and began thinking I would not be lucky today. A disused track runs around the higher side of this basin. I headed that way, wanting to reach another big hollow on the other side of the main vehicle track in this block. I noticed movement on the top of the bank. A Hare - loping along away from me ! I thought I had spooked it. Leaping up to the top of the bank I quickly went prone when the Hare stopped about 160 yds away. But he took off again before I could line up. I though he was running from me. I saw him cross the main track and I ducked out of sight and scurried after him. When I saw him again I saw what was happening. Another Hare, female I suspect, was in that paddock and my Hare had intentions ! Well, she was not interested and kept moving away as I went prone again trying for a shot. She actually saw me and took off with my guy in tow and they disappeared aver the rise towards the big hollow. I was cursing my luck but thought I might as well follow in case they stopped down the side somewhere. I went high, wanting the best view downwards when I looked over to my right. Suddenly I saw a Hare on the fenceline directly ahead at 97 yds. Thinking it was my guy I immediately went prone and took him with a clean shot. Yes, success ! Happy, I picked him up and thought I might at least look into the hollow for the other Hare. I loaded my last round. Angling down into the hollow along a cattle track a Hare suddenly sat up in long grass below me and took off down hill. I went prone and waited. The Hare went right to the bottom and started up the opposite side, then stopped. I knew I had to shoot quickly but at only 73 yds the shot was true and I had a brace of Hare. Thinking I had shot the pair I walked down to retrieve this animal and was very surprised when yet another Hare leapt away from under my feet as I helplessly watched. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Brace of Hare.


The area hunted. Pics taken on a nicer day.




This farm has the rifle range I regularly use when developing handloads and sighting in rifles etc. After recovering some Hare meat and packing stuff into the truck I drove over to the range to shoot the 30.06 and this Ruger .243W I put targets at 200 yds. Everything was good with the Tikka T3 30.06 but the Ruger was shooting a little high and I think my earlier misses were probably shooting over the top. I adjusted the scope down a couple of clicks. Before I could verify that some guys belonging to a rifle club arrived as they had arranged a shoot that day. The farmer had not informed me but I immediately packed up and cleared the way for them to gat organised. I wasn't bothered. I get pretty good access to the range and certainly have no cause to complain. So I headed for home, happy with this very enjoyable and productive outing, which was very overdue because of our overly wet weather pattern this year.

I am occasionally asked what I do with Rabbits and Hares I shoot. I have eaten both but don't enjoy either. Nor does my family. But animals are not wasted. Interestingly, both make quite useable fish bait for our Snapper and I make up packs of baits for the freezer. The meat is reasonably dense and stays on the hook quite well.

Hare in the fridge awaiting processing.


( H+ R ) Frozen pack Hare + Rabbit bait.

Great story. More please !

Pete

Many years ago, I had a large ranch/farm available to hunt Jack Rabbits and Squirrels. It made for good practice at moving and stationary targets. I would load some 90 grain HP for my .270 Win. It would clean a rabbit running away from you. All you had to do was skin it. Squirrels were counted as dead if you found a small piece of anything or a splash in the hole below where they stood.
Unfortunately, the owners sold out to a conservancy and moved to Alaska. That ended any hunting or access to other landlocked properties.
10's of thousands of acres of land in my area has been taken out of animal agriculture and feed production due to purchase by conservancies.

Good one, Grant!

That looks,like good fun in beautiful country!