what should i do?????

[jax13]

one of the dogs caught yet another rabbit today. this is the third in as many days they have got. they will retrieve them for me even if they have hunted and caught it themselves so i can clean them and get them in the pot.

my problem lies here..... nobody on our land shoots rabbits with a shotgun anymore... it is left up to me and the rapid all 3 of these rabbits this week have been wounded by shotguns. todays example had a broken leg and a lot of shot in its back leg.

I know for a fact that there would be a big issue with this if it was shotgun shooters picking up wounded animals by an air rifle so do you as a community think i ought to approach neighbouring landowners to see if anyone has been out and is having a pest problem that they want taking care of BUT more to the point, is it my place to give them a verbal slapping for not taking clean kills???

[JJSTEALTH]

you wouldn't think anyone would poach with a shottie would you ?
but they do but...it could well be someone on the "next field" that allowed the bunnys to "get away" as you say,
best to have a chat with the owner of the place you shoot just to make absolutly shure that no one else shoots shottie there,
then go round askin the "neighbours",

JASON..

[jax13]

they have been found on our own land!!! thats wahat i'm a little concerned about.

we are surrounded by country estate and council owned farms where the vermin shooting rights are (in each case) stitched up to individuals who see vermin control as (in one case) going round on the last day or two of pheasant and duck season and the other the attitude of 'we only get troubled by foxes.....but the game keepers deal with them'

I did mention the fact that as horticultural land we have the right to control pests rigourously and it is their responsibility to make an effort to keep numbers down but, like i said, the attitudes from both sides seem a bit lapse towards the pests WE suffer with.

my big problem is how do you ask the neighbours if they've got a cr@p shot and why are they leaving wounded animals? I am also a bit puzzled as you can normally hear shotguns from neighbouring land but nobody at our end has heard anyone shooting for quite a while.

[Dean]

I know you can get a moderated 410 shotgun that apparently makes hardly a sound so it could be someone using something like that. Maybe a new shooter or someone who doesn't understand what their effective range is?

I'd make some quiet enquiries down the local pub rather than going around the neighbours to find out if anyone's having a pop at the rabbits first, just to get an idea of who it might be.

[Hurricane]

just mention to them that you are finding wounded rabbits, dought if they are going far if wounded so you must have good idea which farm they are from, ask if they are having same problem

[Beagle Boy]

I know you can get a moderated 410 shotgun that apparently makes hardly a sound so it could be someone using something like that. Maybe a new shooter or someone who doesn't understand what their effective range is?

I'd make some quiet enquiries down the local pub rather than going around the neighbours to find out if anyone's having a pop at the rabbits first, just to get an idea of who it might be.

Had a shot with one ahes ago, the spread i awfull at 25-30 yards with it, quiet as though would be good for 25 yards, thats pushing it abit, does make it spread alot

Makes me wonder why you would go with a shottie, shurley u'd be better with a silenced air rifle??

ATB Rob