Paul arrived at my house @ 10:00am, despite the horribly wet weather.

By 11:00am the rain had eased off a bit and the sky was beginning to look a bit brighter, so we set off to the farm.

My youngest son (Nathan 11) and eldest daughter (Becky 9) came with us,

Paul took his air rifle, I took my air rifle, 2 of my ferrets, ferret locator and a big bag of purse nets (about 60)

When we arrived at the farm, the rain had eased off a bit more, so we wandered round the land with the air rifles for a bit.

There were a few rabbits out, but they were very wary, and getting within range was a challenge.

We walked around the farm, and got soaked from the rain, so I suggested we split up for an hour, meet back at the farmhouse, then providing the weather had improved, we'd try the ferrets.

When we met up @ 1:30, both Paul and I had managed to shoot 2 rabbits each, but only 1 was retrieved before it made it underground, the buries are everywhere and being new to the land I hadn't found them all yet.

The wind picked up, blew the clouds away, and the sun came out, this was looking better, so after a flask of tea and a chat with Jim (the landowner) we headed to the nearest warrens.

As we approached we saw 2 rabbits dive down the holes,

so we knew some were at home.

I showed Paul, Nathan & Becky how to set the nets, and we netted the 3 warrens together.

Then came time to enter Jilly (my 5yr old ferret) with a collar on.

Into the 1^st warren (6 holes) but nothing came out, so we moved about 10 yards along the banking to the next set of 8 holes.

Within 30 seconds of Jilly entering, we heard a rabbit squealing, and it just poked its head out of a pop-hole, then was dragged back in again by Jilly.

There were a few more thumps & bumps, then all went quiet, after a couple of minutes the thundering sound of rabbit was heard again and rabbit #2 hit the net and it pursed nicely.

I swiftly grabbed the rabbit in the net, and despatched it with my cosh, while my foot blocked the hole.

While removing it from the net, I heard thundering again, and another hit a net, I dropped the dead rabbit, still pursed in the net, and quickly despatched #3.

Another rabbit hit a net, the peg wasn't deep enough in the shale-like soil and the rabbit rolled down the banking, pursed in the net.

I dropped #3, and tried to grab the trailing chord & peg, but the rabbit found its footing and ran back up the banking and slipped the net just before the brow.

We now had 3 holes un-netted, so I went to the 1^st, got rabbit #2 out and quickly reset the net, then onto rabbit #3 and quickly reset that net too.

We now only had one hole un-netted, as it was laying in the grass at the top of the banking, so I sat beside that hole.

Thundering was heard again, and I was sure a large rabbit was going to bolt from the un-netted hole, but it didn't.

A tiny rabbit slowly crept to the entrance, so I scooped it up by hand, despatched it, and tossed #4 down the bank to Becky.

Paul chuckled, as he'd never seen anything like it before.

As I turned back to look at the un-netted hole, another tiny rabbit appeared, so that was scooped up and despatched and tossed to Becky too, that made #5, I was beginning to wonder if a full litter was going to be caught like this, but Jilly came out of the warren, so we moved to the biggest warren.

12 holes we had netted, about 20 yards away, and once again Jilly was entered.

She was in & out of the holes, but there were no sight or sounds of rabbits, and she seemed certain that no-one was home in this warren, so I trusted her instinct.

I decided to try the middle warren again before we lifted all the nets, as I was sure there was still a rabbit at home.

Jilly was entered again, after a few minutes the thumping was heard, then again near another hole, and then again, 7 foot deep, right under my feet.

A minute later the rabbit #6 hit the net, and was despatched.

So we pulled all the nets, and I headed to a 4-holer at the other side of a few trees, while Paul had a roam with his rifle.

As I neared the warren, 3 rabbits were sat outside it, and I scoped on the biggest of them.

35 yards, and the pellet hit home, and rabbit #7 slumped on the spot, the other 2 sat bolt upright.

I quickly re-cocked my rifle, and took aim on the 2nd, sat 20 yards from me, but my aim was poor, and I missed.

Both dived into the warren, so I collected #7 and netted the 4 holes.

I thought Hugo could have a turn at hunting, so I opened his compartment on my ferret box, but he was fast asleep, so I got Jilly out again.

After a couple of minutes, a rabbit hit a net, but was small enough to slip the mesh, and it ran down the bank into another warren.

I knew 2 had gone in, so I waited for the 2^nd to come out.

It wasn't long, and the small rabbit hit a net, and again slipped through the mesh, and went into the same hole at the bottom of the banking.

Jilly came out, so I pulled the nets, and we called it a day.

I'll be returning through the week as the rabbits need removing en-mass.

I'll be taking ferrets, lurcher and my air rifle.

7 rabbits in the bag

(2 with rifles & 5 with ferret)


Many disagree with killing rabbits at this time of year, because of the young. But when a farmer wants the rabbits kept under control (which by law he has to) he is kept happy by a large cull, which in turn keeps you happy because it means you keep the permission.