A much delayed rabbit hunt!

So, as some of you may be aware, I’ve been without a property to shoot rabbits and other such furry things on for quite some time now. It’s been driving me bonkers to be honest, because rabbit shooting has to be one of my favourite pastimes. There is something that is just so satisfying and brilliant about tagging the little buggers, as most of you are aware.

Fortunately, through the family business I have quite a lot of contact with rural property owners in the area. Being something of a ‘food bowl’, most of the properties are former or current farmland. Chickens, deer, fruit and market gardens predominantly, but cattle are also run on a few blocks and there are some very expensive horses around too!

In fact, there are not many properties that don’t have the remnants of an orchard on them, and the conditions are usually such that vegetation is rampant and therefore, rabbits are too. Lately, Calici and to a lesser extent myxamatosis have put a serious damper on rabbit numbers, but given the especially wet Summer we’ve had, and the fact that the diseases are running out of steam, rabbit numbers are higher than what I’ve seen them for a long time. As a result, foxes, cats and even wild dogs are benefiting from both the increase in food, not just rabbits. 

Not much good if I can’t get among the action though!

I had given up on this couple getting back to me after asking about the rabbit problem they had. Turns out they were very keen, they just were busy. At any rate, I checked out the property and was pleasantly surprised to find what I thought was quite a small block be significantly larger than I had expected. The lay of the land was very positive for shooting – sloping land downhill with thick wooded areas bordering kept the noise down and shots safe, and there were no end of rabbit warrens to sit over. This place is a former farm for both chickens, citrus and vegetables, so there is no lack of feed for the rabbits, that is for sure!

Several old sheds, as well as some brand spanking new ones mean that there are some nice clean lanes of fire, and the beautiful thing is that the rabbits are down the back anyway which means that along with the slope shooting is pretty much no dramas at all. When I get some photos up, it’s quite an interesting blend of old and new.

Anyways, the rabbits. I haven’t been rabbit shooting for months – I was definitely excited. I parked in a paddock, overlooking a well used thoroughfare. Time was of the essence – I had a family get together to get to, and it started on rabbit time...

Sitting there for a fair while listening to the radio on a nice late summers day is always nice. I was nearly asleep when I saw him run out. He was quite large, and very light in colour. He ran full tilt as fast as he could between the lantana he was burrowed in and a shed, sitting in the open. Interestingly, I saw him straight away but the missus was playing on the phone and didn’t see. He was sitting right up, fully exposed and well contrasted, but the way our eyes work meant that he didn’t pop out until he twitched his ears.

At any rate he was probably confused as to the V8 ute sitting in his paddock. I leant out the window, the 17HMR rested on a towel on the mirror. It was a perfect shot – I lined the crosshairs of the Leupold on the rabbits eye, and gently squeezed the aftermarket trigger on the Marlin.

I missed.

The rabbit did a full back flip in the air – probably around about a metre in the air. It landed and was off like a shot, while I sat there looking stupid.

“Ha! You missed.”

Supporting, eh?

On the plus side, I’m sure I’ll find a rabbit with a .17cal hole through each ear sooner or later.

To add insult to injury, it was time to go, and as I checked out the neighbours orchard I could see a few fearless rabbits grazing. On the way out, we also saw a whole bunch run off the road...

There is always this weekend.

Been a while!

Well, it's been a month and 4 days since I last posted anything - I've been very busy, not at all with hunting or other pursuits, but that is how things are right now and how they will be for a while more to come!

What I have been investing in is a way to cut down on gear and get an ideal, low-weight, streamlined package to maximise my on-foot hunting potential. Sounds all very good, doesn't it?

With the addition of a new .308 Gunsite Scout Rifle into the mix, giving me the potential to take some game that I simply wouldn't dare or be comfortable with with the Ruger Hawkeye in .223rem, I've decided to update my gear somewhat. My usual rig when varminting on foot or even in a vehicle is a BlackWolf Titanium 35L daypack.

Mine is in a dark green, but you can read more about the pack here.

Essentially it is about as big as you'd ever want to go in a daypack for most purposes, but the beauty is the air suspension harness that keeps the bulk of the pack off your back, meaning that it is much cooler and more comfortable than a regular pack. I cannot recommend this setup enough.

For my purpoes though, it is no longer suitable as a day rig. The issue I have is that I tend to pack too much stuff in it and for a quick day trip all I need is water, food, navigation gear, first aid, and bits and pieces such as a rifle pullthrough and not much more. While this pack is obviously capable of carrying all that I would prefer to have an option of having something more streamlined. That, and the BlackWolf bladder I had inside packed it out after around 12 months due to the use it was getting.

Take it from someone in the industry - all bladders are not made the same and you want one made from Nalgene or a similar plastic that is BPA and therefore taste and smell free. The easiest way to tell is price and to stick your nose in the bag it comes in. Smells plasticky? That's how it will taste and it won't last the test of time. While BlackWolf make such a bladder Camelbak are by far the most durable in every department and the various valves and whatnot are easily replaceable. In the long run, they are a much better option and not that much more expensive.

A backpack like the Titanium can have a bladder put in it, of basically any kind, but I prefer a bigger one as you can always simply put less water in a bigger bladder but can't put more in a smaller one.

So, I decided to foray into something I have wanted for a while but only recently gotten around to buying - a Camelbak dedicated bladder.



This Thermobak 3L bladder has an exceptionally rugged plastic construction, with a shutoff valve, dust cover, high-flow hose, insulated outer and absolutely no storage whatsoever, something I didn't really realise when I got it. Oh well, never mind. It can be attached to most hiking packs via the retractable straps, you can choose what side you want the hose to hang (not your shooting shoulder... trust me...) and it has a great warranty. I can also use it when fitness training outdoors, or with the straps retracted sling it in the car/ute/kayak/whatever.

So, the water issue is sorted. What about the gear? I will need to take gear.

Inspired by Dagga Boy's setup, I've bought something similar to this (but older and apparently discontinued...)



The idea behind it is that I can put an extra bottle of water to top up in should 3L not be enough, or jam any old junk in there. There is also a mobile phone pouch (used to jam stuff in) and enough storage to put a days worth of snacks and food in there.

It also has a good belt I can sling a first aid kit on, ammunition bandolier/magazine pouches, and any other junk I might carry along. I will of course have pockets for everything else as well.

Binoculars go around the neck, maybe in a harness if I get that advanced, and I still have to figure out where the map case goes... maybe slung off the back or attached to the bladder? We will see.

At either rate I've cut down on bulk and weight, while still having everything I may need.

Another time I'll write about my new first aid kit, but it's fairly comprehensive and should cover me in almost any situation I come across while still being considerably smaller than a box of tissues.