Does a gunshot frighten rabbits more than a ferret?

RABBIT SHOOTING
Edward Cook
Strange, I’ve always found the opposite to be true where guns are concerned.

Normally rabbits, which are ferreted then shot by a 12-bore, bolt better than those when purse nets are used on their own.

All I can put this down to is the fact that netting a burrow can be a lengthy process – especially in cover – and the vibration of thundering feet overhead might deter rabbits from leaving home.

It might also give them the chance to find dead ends which they deem to be safe.

This is very different to bolting and shooting when the ferret is slipped quietly into the hole and the Gun stands back from the burrow waiting for a shot.

The only time rabbits might be reluctant to bolt is if their feeding grounds are lamped regularly at night with shotguns; they may well resent being shot at again and rather take the risk of staying at home and being pursued underground by a ferret!

Why not try using a long net instead – its a happy medium!

About the author

Edward Cook

A professional rabbit catcher and ferreting expert, he served for many years on the Shooting Times question-and-answer panels, answering readers on ferret feeding, welfare and working, and wrote features on rabbit control, including shooting alongside the combine harvester.

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