rabbit

[Ogri the trog]

Hi Quaterstaff,
Emptying the bladder is quite straightforward - hold the rabbit up by the neck in one hand, and with the other - squeeze the stomach area from top to bottom - kind of a strong stroking action - to expell any urine in the bladder.
Emptying it reduces the likelihood of puncturing it during paunching and hence reduces the chance of spoiling the meat.

I normally paunch when the body is still warm.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[led]

any tips on empting the bladder mate or am i ok paunching asap.

Holding the rabbit upright, and with a hand just above the bladder, grip around it and squeeze down should do the job.

 

[spamel]

Now I've never skinned a rabbit, although a bloke I work with is getting some in for his pot soon, and he's going to show me the works. Something he mentioned was cleaning out the rabbit poo from the rabbit after you have skinned and gutted it. I was told that the part of the inards that pass through the hips needs to be properly cleaned out or it will ruin you rabbit when you cook it, you push your finger or a small stick through to expel the 'raisins'!

Can anyone explain this better? I will obviously learn this, but others on the site may not be aware of this.

 

[anthonyyy]

i was able to shoot 20 - 30 rabbits in an evening ,they had no fear and the ground was like honeycomb and unsafe to graze cattle in.
I reduced the numbers in one summer and they have been maintained reasonably well since ,but this year i haven't had as much time so they are back in force.

Rabbit populations seem to explode and fall like lemmings. A few fields near my house, where nobody shoots, were full of rabbits last year and this year there are hardly any. I suspect that disease reduces the numbers when the population density is too high.
By the way; can you hunt rabbits with a bottom of the range air rifle?

 

[pumbaa]

That all depends what you call "bottom of the range" !
Any 12ftlb air riffle will do at a range upto 40/50yd that should leave a good 6ftlb to penetrate the rabbit .
Springer or PCP ,doesnt matter , but Pre charge have less recoil and the bonus of a second shot if you only wound it . You should be able to hit an inch target at all distances upto the maximum killing range before you contemplate going hunting but sometimes it happens !
Pumbaa

 

[Ogri the trog]

Now I've never skinned a rabbit, although a bloke I work with is getting some in for his pot soon, and he's going to show me the works. Something he mentioned was cleaning out the rabbit poo from the rabbit after you have skinned and gutted it. I was told that the part of the inards that pass through the hips needs to be properly cleaned out or it will ruin you rabbit when you cook it, you push your finger or a small stick through to expel the 'raisins'!

Can anyone explain this better? I will obviously learn this, but others on the site may not be aware of this.

Spamel,
You'll pick it up soon enough, but basically.....
Once the guts are out, I find it easier to "twist" off the tail - its quite a brutal action but necessary. You are then left with the tube and "raisins"! Poke your little finger through from the body cavity to expell the contents, the tube should come out as well, just grab and pull. Personally I wouldn't use a stick for fear of contaminating the meat by puncturing through the tube into the meat.
Rabbits have a scent gland at the base of their tails and this area can be a bit pungent depending on the age/sex/season - you might want to cut this "stink-bone" out at the same time.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[CLEM]

Great post RB,great pics too.

 

[quarterstaff]

Thanks for the advice guys,i was worried about pee and now i am worried about poo!
I have just picked me rifle up after a year or so and only shot pigeons before that,my old shoot only had them(area was prone to flooding),me new shoot has rabbits by the bucket with the added bonus of woodies to.
cheers

 

[Ogri the trog]

Good luck to those of you about to embark on rabbit shooting. Please remember that no matter how dead we want the quarry to end up, the act of killing should be quick and as accurate as we can possibly make it. Practice on paper targets first and try not to push you own limits till you are confident of a kill at the extended range.
We all aim for the old addage of "One Shot, One Kill" but occaisionally it does go wrong and we have to deliver a Coup-de-grace in difficult conditions.
Don't let this put you off, and if you need any pointers, there are plenty of us on the board who can offer assistance if needed.

All the best

Ogri the trog

 

[Westnorfolk]

Rabbit populations seem to explode and fall like lemmings. A few fields near my house, where nobody shoots, were full of rabbits last year and this year there are hardly any. I suspect that disease reduces the numbers when the population density is too high.
By the way; can you hunt rabbits with a bottom of the range air rifle?

i use a webly exocet springer with BSA storm .22 pellets, these seem to suit the gun very well and are nice and soft so as soon as you hit the head they pancake out and give you a cleen kill. if you are going to kill things then you need to get yourself some cheap soap and a selection of pellets as the same model of gun using the same pellets can have different results. shoot the soap at varying distances and dig out the pellets to see how much they have deformed. i never use pointed on a .22 as they are never very acurate (have not tried on 177) you can get tester packs of pelletts from http://www.pellpax.co.uk/

the law says that anything over 12flb must have a firearms certificate (6flb for a pistol) so its worthwhile sticking under that. i like springers mainly because they are easy to repaire andservice. having said that thr BSA hornet is very popular.

 

[AlexRowan]

I've got an issue....I'm a pretty good shot, I could stalk to get close to the rabbit but once it's in the cross hairs, I don't think I could pull the trigger!!! If I see them dead in the road it pulls on the heart strings and when I see them running about it makes me smile....So how am I sposed to shoot them??

I'm also a complete hypocrite because I'm by no means a vegitarian and would like to be able to say that I would only eat an animal that I would be willing to kill myself....

To me, rabbits are pets (sic - not pests) and it really goes agains the grain to shoot them...but I feel I should be able to!!

Anyone got any thoughts on that?? Anyone else had to go through the same moral issue?

I'm sure to those of you that regularly shoot rabbits that it seems a bit pathetic, so I'd be interested on hearing your thoughts too!

 

[pumbaa]

I had a similar problem , in that my twins were born at 26 weeks and spent a lot of time in the Special Care Baby unit . In the incubators they looked kind of like skined rabbits . Made it difficult to shoot one for a while . Still went out with a mate shooting though (just didnt take my rifle ) . After a while i found that i had hardened to it again and wasnt seeing one of my Daughters in the crosshair every time i aimed at a bunny .
Pumbaa

 

[ilovemybed]

I've got an issue....I'm a pretty good shot, I could stalk to get close to the rabbit but once it's in the cross hairs, I don't think I could pull the trigger!!! If I see them dead in the road it pulls on the heart strings and when I see them running about it makes me smile....So how am I sposed to shoot them??

I'm also a complete hypocrite because I'm by no means a vegitarian and would like to be able to say that I would only eat an animal that I would be willing to kill myself....

To me, rabbits are pets (sic - not pests) and it really goes agains the grain to shoot them...but I feel I should be able to!!

Anyone got any thoughts on that?? Anyone else had to go through the same moral issue?

I'm sure to those of you that regularly shoot rabbits that it seems a bit pathetic, so I'd be interested on hearing your thoughts too!

Why not do it when you're really hungry? Like you say, it is noble to only eat an animal you'll be willing to kill, but it equally stands to say only kill an animal that you're going to eat. No point in killing something for fun or a trophy . I know a lot of people get pleasure out of it, but I look at it like fishing for sport - should someone really get satisfaction because they managed to outwit a Fish? Much more satisfaction from a full belly!

Or shoot on land where they're a real pest. I know someone who has to keep the rabbit population down because they're eroding the top of his hill at a rate of knots. The justification is there, and there's plenty of ways to ensure the carcass doesn't go to waste.

 

[elma]

Totally agree there is never any justification to kill any creature for the pure pleasure off it.
I've fished and hunted for many years and only take what I need. I used to beat on a local pheasent shoot and was suprised and saddened by the total disrespect many of the guns have for the birds they shoot, they would shoot up to 300 birds in a day and would'nt give a toss what happened to them.
There are moral issues involved in hunting.
Use the best tool for the job
shoot to within your limits
take only what you need
hunt as nature intended, take only the young, the slow and the old.
most important of all always treat your quarry with respect (alive or dead)

Good hunting

 

[Stew]

I've got an issue....I'm a pretty good shot, I could stalk to get close to the rabbit but once it's in the cross hairs, I don't think I could pull the trigger!!! If I see them dead in the road it pulls on the heart strings and when I see them running about it makes me smile....So how am I sposed to shoot them??

I'm also a complete hypocrite because I'm by no means a vegitarian and would like to be able to say that I would only eat an animal that I would be willing to kill myself....

To me, rabbits are pets (sic - not pests) and it really goes agains the grain to shoot them...but I feel I should be able to!!

Anyone got any thoughts on that?? Anyone else had to go through the same moral issue?

I'm sure to those of you that regularly shoot rabbits that it seems a bit pathetic, so I'd be interested on hearing your thoughts too!

Think of the greater good.

You're not buying into the mass produced rather unethical meat that I and many other people buy on a daily basis. You're eating pure free range meat.

If I could, I would happily bag myself some rabbits...

 

[Ogri the trog]

AlexRowan,
I agree with everything said so far and would like to add that you'll feel a whole lot LESS hypocritical if you kill and butcher your own meat! I think that sometimes I feel the same way, there is no joy in killing for the sake of it, but when you can justify ridding the farmer of a pest and providing yourself with a free range, organic feast in one fell swoop - things are different.
The act of pulling the trigger might not be for you long term, but I think that if you can justify the action in your own mind then you owe it to yourself to try. Go along with another shooter who can show you how to paunch the quarry as its not a thing to attempt without being shown first.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[AlexRowan]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I totally agree with you all that it is much kinder, satisfying and natural to hunt, skin and cook your own meat. I categorically know that if it came down to either shooting/trapping an animal and not eating, that I would take great pride in being able to fend for myself. The issue I have is that in our sterile, supermarket wrapped world, I haven't got the stomach to shoot a rabbit or deer simply because I enjoy seeing them running wild so much!

Do you think I should put up or shut up and either go vegetarian or go and find a rabbit for the pot?

Also, Ogri, I would like to give skinning/preparing game a go so do you really think it is something to learn from a more experienced hunter?? I must admit, I would have tried it on my own (albeit with the use of a lot of research from this and other sites)

 

[Ogri the trog]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I totally agree with you all that it is much kinder, satisfying and natural to hunt, skin and cook your own meat. I categorically know that if it came down to either shooting/trapping an animal and not eating, that I would take great pride in being able to fend for myself. The issue I have is that in our sterile, supermarket wrapped world, I haven't got the stomach to shoot a rabbit or deer simply because I enjoy seeing them running wild so much!)

Alex,
If you feel that you don't have the stomach for it, then don't do it - neither I nor anyone else would want to force you into a course of action that many find objectionable. It is why I added the piece about helping a farmer clear pests from his land. I do not have any direct experience of cattle/horses having to be destroyed after breaking legs down a rabbit hole, but I can imagine the angst of those animal owners who might loose a beloved familly pet for instance. Thus I view my shooting as accomplishing two goals with one activity. There is a line of thought that man is grossly disrespective of the animals he consumes, by leaving the acts of killing and butchery to persons unknown deep in the overcomplicated food chain.

Do you think I should put up or shut up and either go vegetarian or go and find a rabbit for the pot?

Certainly not, your point of view is equally valid as anyone elses. The fact that you posted the question mearly shows that you would like to gather some information before considering whether to carry on with a course of action that is new to you.

Also, Ogri, I would like to give skinning/preparing game a go so do you really think it is something to learn from a more experienced hunter?? I must admit, I would have tried it on my own (albeit with the use of a lot of research from this and other sites)

RapidBoy posted a very good tutorial a while ago and if I could find it, I'd post a link. It showed all the important steps and some of the easier ways of avoiding the pitfalls. My suggestion of being with someone else is that there would be another person present to offer encouragement should it be needed. It is not a job that I would have liked to attempt to do, having just looked at some pictures or heard it described. It might also help if that friend could cook the first one for you as the convincing step for me was the tasting. It is very easy to falter at any of the steps involved, and then spend an eternity cursing yourself for killing without good reason.
I am comfortable with the way that I do things, and I can talk about it to many folk, but in the end it is ME that I have to convince. You must make up your own mind and be comfortable with your own descision before moving on - if that point of view happens to closely resemble mine, then I'll encourage as mush as you want.

All the best

Ogri the trog