Result of my wanderings this morning. Actually got 6 but one ducked down a warren hole and I couldn't reach it. Lots of fur and bits on the ground though so I would say it died underground.
Another one I shot from behind. I think the bullet raked along the belly line opening up the intestinal cavity before penetrating behind the shoulder and exiting on the opposite side. Some intestine, some liver and a heap of fur at the impact point. Amazingly this Rabbit flopped about 15 yards to it's burrow before dying in the entrance. Easy recovery.
Saw a few others but you never get them all.
Sako M591 .243W

Haven't done it in ages, but used to love an evenings bunny hunting. Especially with a .22 they can be quite good fun to get within range of.

have been out shooting possums the last few nights. getting about 25-30 a night.

Great outing and pictures, thanks for sharing.
Pete

Good sized little buggers! Fun stuff.

Dave Manson

You skinning the possums shanks?

Plucking them. You get less money overall, but its quick and you dont have to worry about carting bodies or fleshing skins. Price is low right now, but have about 5-7 kg in the bag.

how many $$ per kilo shanks?
You could knit me a jumper ha ha ha

About 90 at the moment. I work on 20 possums per kg.

You are doing NZ a favour and helping your pocket too.No frigging about pegging them out just plucking is good.

How hard are they to pluck Shanks?

If you do them straight away then not too hard. can do one in a couple of minutes. But if you are greedy like me, and there are 7 to be shot, then by the time you get to the 4th one they are getting colder and your fingers are starting to feel it. usually I try and do no more than 3 at once if I can help it. They tend to sit tight if treed, but if on the ground they run, so you have to nail everything grounded pretty quick.

shanks at the height of the fur days old Tassy mate Kelvin shot 400 in one night and kept 200 as the rest were downgraded skins he labelled "rumpy"

Couldnt do it here, as most of this country you have to walk over to hunt. Big night could probably do 100.

Bakes, is there a way to split this topic from the original? As Im feeling like we have distracted the discussion from 30-06's hunt. Appologies Grant.

I`m sure Grant hasnt taken offence.

I know. Just didn't mean to change the subject.

Guys,
No problem whatsoever.
I enjoy varied input from everybody, on or off topic. Interesting what can sometimes be learnt.
Seems to be the AR way.
Carry on if you like.

Nice of you Grant. To get back on topic then, I really have to fine me a place to hunt rabbits. I do miss it. Won't be using a .243 however I'm looking at a air rifle for my grandson, I may try that out on the bunnies.

Yep cheers Grant.

Next time im out Ill try get some photos. We are too wet here for rabbits, and if we do get a dry spell and they start to breed, the Calici virus wipes them out. Always like to see the few that survive, so tend not to shoot them nowadays. But we have heaps of hares, which are pretty good eating.

The hares aren't effected by the virus?

The place I shoot most Rabbits is a farm on which there is a rifle range. It's maintained by a small local club but I have club and landowner approval to use it as long as I shoot my own targets and don't cause any interference of club use. The farmer / landowner is a very decent guy and let's me shoot whenever his cows aren't in those particular paddocks. One or two other individuals also periodically use the range so occasionally we meet and work around each others programmes on the day but most of the time I've got the run of the range and can take my time.
Some years ago I offered to help the farmer with Rabbit control and did some night shooting. Never huge numbers but always good outings, then the Rabbits seemed to just disappear for several years ( Calci virus ? ) and I wasn't shooting any. I switched to mornings and continued shooting a few Hares here and there which I am not as hard on as they are fewer and a bit less damaging than Rabbits, here at least anyway. Over the last two years particularly Rabbits are making a noticeable comeback. Maybe dry Summers help and when they get going numbers increase quickly. The farmer renews his pasture regularly which entices them perhaps ? Probably not good for the farmer but great for my morning jaunts. I'll shoot any Rabbit I see that presents a safe shot. It doesn't matter how many as when they are breeding strongly you never keep up. In my younger days I did a lot of Rabbit shooting with a Ruger 22 Win Mag and close stalking. These days I both stalk in close and snipe out to 200 plus yards. That's where a good .243W shines with an accurate load. Despite the shot report a small group of Rabbits often won't scatter giving a chance to pick off one or two more. It's also a great substitute for bigger rifle handling, keeping muscle memory and trigger familiarisation. At least, that's what I tell myself . We don't eat Rabbits at home so no concerns about .243W meat damage, which can be considerable. So, helping the farmer, getting rifle use practise but mostly just enjoying something I love - wandering and hunting.

quote:

theback40
posted 14 June 2021 09:21 Hide Post
The hares aren't effected by the virus?

No, I don't think so. Shanks would know for sure but from my observations of where Calci Virus decimated Rabbit numbers the Hares seemed to still be about. Where I shoot I think Hares actually increased numbers somewhat when Rabbit numbers were very low.

Shirley just called me into the bedroom and I thought I was in luck on a wet day but she had seen a rabbit in the garden. I shoot them on sight but when I watched the bunny smaller than my fist looking miserable in the wet nibbling our lawn I put the rifle back in the safe.
Must really be getting old!

The new K strain of the virus is touted to jump to Hares, but the original strain doesn't.
Not sure which it was, but either that or Myxomatosis has jumped species in the UK I think, and is starting to affect the hares? I think.

3006, I agree. Its a great way to practice. Im always shooting better after a stint on pest control. Small targets. And if you can hit a possum in the brain at 25, you can hit a deer at 100.

Looking across my driveway.

Do you run a rabbit sanctuary?

Geez Gryph !
I heard you don't own a lawnmower !

Do they come running when you rattle the carrot bucket ?

quote:

the Pom
posted 14 June 2021 12:22
Shirley just called me into the bedroom and I thought I was in luck on a wet day but she had seen a rabbit in the garden. I shoot them on sight but when I watched the bunny smaller than my fist looking miserable in the wet nibbling our lawn I put the rifle back in the safe.
Must really be getting old!

Sounds like the Rabbit had more luck than you did. Being summoned to the boudoir like that can over excite and confuse a guy. Oh well... God loves a trier !

My nieces roll them with a 17 HMR or a 22,head shots only. They love to eat them besides shooting them.







Fattening young `uns.

Excellent. Much more like it.
Great seeing girls and ladies involved in shooting sports.
Good of you to encourage that Gryph.
Cheers

06 the two nieces (mum + kid) will be here in the school holidays. Mumsie can bring her own .270 and hopefully crack her first deer along with some `berts.

Awesome!

Kath can show us the shooting training you have been doing lol.

As promised I took a couple of pics from this evenings possum shooting. First two were as soon as we left the car. Second pic, there is a tree in the area we hunted tonight that always is good for a few. It didnt disappoint tonight either. Photo is of kathrin starting to pluck them... Im a lucky guy!
27 picked up and two lost for the night.

Fuck yeah they are big and very fat possums shanks,obviously at the expense of your native flora and fauna.Good job cobber.

Btw did you ever see the news reports of the certain "ethnic" community in Vic that were buying possums from Tassy to use in their commercial restaurants? No one knew at the time lol.

Yep, and our paddocks. this will be 70 shot in two nights.

Go a bit harder and crack the ton mate.

Trouble is i have to work next day. Try and limit it to 2 or 2.5 hours a night.

And as for eating it. I got stuck half way up a mountain with no way back to camp one winter night. Found a good dry log to sleep under and keep the snow off me, and got a fire going. Silly old possum comes too close and there is dinner..... Bloody greasy shit that actually the fat kept catching fire. Not my first choice of meat for sure.

better than a ferret ha ha