I've been shooting on a workmate's place for a while now.
He has decent populations of bunnies from time to time and there's some fun to be had when they are they but often things are lean.
Since it's only 15 minutes out of town I usually go there at the end of the day and come back with at least one bunny.
Anyhow, a mate from Sydney rang me on Monday.
He works long rosters and doesn't get a chance to shoot much so as I my workmate wanted some foxes shot I suggested we go out last night.
When Dean arrived from Sydney the sky had already clouded over.
As we were driving out a fine drizzle began to fall and it was cold and windy when we arrived.....unfortunately it didn't improve.
But it's worth sticking it out as there are usually still things out and about.
My workmate said to have a look around, to try on his next door neighbour's place but also to ask the woman on the property across the road because they were having big problems with bunnies.
I should point out here that after numerous trips to my workmate's place where I've been very careful he has just started recommending me to his neighbours........and how it paid off.
We ended up across the road at the alpaca stud and introduced ourselves.
The woman was a little hesitant but told us that they'd had plenty of bunnies around the house and home yards and out at an old stable.
She wasn't lying.
I walked out to the car and looked to my left.
In a small yard adjacent to the house was a big fat rabbit the size of a hare!
I grabbed my rifle but he ran.....and another smaller bunny appeared from behind a post and followed him.
As we reversed around back to main drive a baby popped out of a hedge and disappeared back under it.
From there it was on.
We drove about 25m and then one ran out across the track, under a fence into the next field and stopped.
He copped a 75gn FP from my Martini Cadet sporter in 25-20.
Another ran across the road in front of the 4x4 and stopped just inside a yard......bang! No.2 down.
A third circled behind us when I was about to get back into the 4x4 and stopped in front of an old tractor tyre.....pop! No.3.
And so it went on.
At one point Dean and I were about 25yds apart slowly walking toward some stock yards going shot for shot....his H&R Handirifle 204 Ruger and my Cadet 25-20.
As the light failed we got out the spot and took another 2 with the Cadet.
If there hadn't been alpacas all over the place we could've shot more often.
The tally? 13....8 of them mine.
By then we thought we'd leave it and headed back to my workmate's place and it was then that I bagged my first fox
ever at about 100yds.
He wasn't big, just an adolescent, and it was clear he hadn't been shot at before.
I was kinda pleased I'd taken him with the 25-20 but it isn't ideal as it really requires a head or neck shot everytime due to it's moderate power and in future I'll probably use my Enfield 303/25 with the Hornady 75gn VMax load I'm developing for varmint and predator work.
I also need some more practice.
From there Dean took a hare with my Cadet and a rabbit with his 204.
We saw a couple more bunnies but they were in among the equipment sheds and the stock.
We also saw another fox feeding off a goat carcass.
We scared him off and he returned to the carcass but everytime the spot came on he took to his heels.
Suffice to say it warrants another trip out there, especially to the alapaca stud, say in 3 or 4 weeks to let the babies get bigger and the others to get over any gun-shyness they may've developed last night.
About 4 of the rabbits we shot there were really big fat adults and there were plenty of little ones about so I think we hardly made a dint and still have plenty of fun ahead of us.
I'll post a couple of pics when Dean emails them too me.
