The weather improved as the day went on, so I returned to the farm for an hour. The late afternoon was dry & overcast and rabbits were out feeding.

I arrived at 3:00pm and as I looked over the banking I could see approx. 25 rabbits sat in the open, so I moved further up the gully to get within range of a large buck I had spotted.

As I peered over the brow again, the buck saw me and stamped his hid foot. The field came alive with rabbits running for cover, all but 1 went straight into the warren. This 1 rabbit paused at an entrance, looked back, then disappeared.

I headed up the gully to the next warren and saw rabbits running for cover, so I crept into position and sat in wait.

It wasn't long before a rabbit re-appeared and...

She rolled down the banking, dead.

I left her where she lay and scanned the banking, there was another rabbit sat out, so I scoped her and gently squeezed the trigger.

She slumped in her seat, rolled onto her side and gave a kick of her hind legs, which made her fall down the banking.

Her kicking made the dying Sting Nettle stems rustle and sway, and as I knew there were many holes at the foot of the banking, I went to collect her before she disappeared down a hole.

As I got to her, I saw she was laying just inside a hole, so I picked her up and stretched her neck to make sure she was dead, then returned to my position.

15 minutes went by, and no rabbit had showed its face, so I went and searched the rest of the land. I used the lay of the land and moved around the field so that the strong breeze didn't blow my scent into the warrens.

There was a large buck sat outside one of the small buries, and he hopped a little closer to the main warren as I approached, then paused. I raised my rifle and sighted in on him and squeezed the trigger.

This wasn't the convincing sound of a headshot, the wind had shifted my aim, and I heard the pellet hit the gut.

He set off running, although not very well, he skirted the main warren and went up the side banking. So I set off in pursuit. As I got up the banking, I saw him sat outside a 3 holer. I paused and raised the rifle, but he saw the movement and disappeared down a hole. I went to see if he'd stopped within reach, but he'd gone.

I carried on around the land, and saw a couple more rabbits running, but didn't get a chance, so I headed back to the gully, where I'd left my rabbits & gun case.

As I approached I saw a tiny rabbit, approx. 5 week old, I froze, but it disappeared down the hole it was sat outside. I moved a bit closer, and saw a very dark, large doe sat on the gully floor, she saw me too and headed through the nettle stems, but paused outside a hole. I took my aim, and fired.

I hit her, and she started leaping about wildly. I paused and waited for her to stop, then went to retrieve her. I'd hit her in the eye, and the pellet went straight through and out the other eye. I'm not surprised she leapt about, I'd made her blind. I stretched her neck to make sure she was dead, then went to collect my gun bag & rabbits.

As I headed towards the car, a large rabbit spooked, and ran straight passed me as I walked down the gully. It went straight into the large warren, and I went home.

I'll be returning again very soon.