Some horrible person has shot 30 rabbits

[Cubist]

All these technicalities and legal arguments detracts from the reason for this thread about some nutjob killing these animals. You just can't drive into a cemetery and start shooting rabbits because they've eaten some flowers.

OK then. When you go into the police station to report this matter you will be asked the following questions.

How do you know that 30 rabbits have been shot?
Did you see them being shot?
Have you seen any dead rabbits?
Do you know whether anybody was employed or engaged to reduce the numbers of rabbits in the cemetery?

So far we've only seen assumptions that this has been done unlawfully, and you are actually offering nothing to prove or even flesh out your assumptions.

 

[Accy cyclist]

[QUOTE 4545995, member: 9609"]It may of well been the vicar, don't confuse people of the cloth with care towards creatures great and small[/QUOTE]


If the cemetery was a C of E one like the adjoining cemetery i could understand that but it's a local authority one. Vicars and priests are only seen in there when they're picking up 250 quid for a 30 minute service.

 

[Accy cyclist]

OK then. When you go into the police station to report this matter you will be asked the following questions.

How do you know that 30 rabbits have been shot?
Did you see them being shot?
Have you seen any dead rabbits?
Do you know whether anybody was employed or engaged to reduce the numbers of rabbits in the cemetery?

So far we've only seen assumptions that this has been done unlawfully, and you are actually offering nothing to prove or even flesh out your assumptions.

Yes i know what you mean. I think i'll go and see the cemetery bloke tomorrow and ask him about it. Then maybe contact the council IF this "cull" has taken place.

 

[snorri]

If that's the case and the council have called some pest controller in they should make this public knowledge. After all, if there's nothing wrong in it why do it early in the morning and not publicise it?

Because the control of wildlife can be upsetting for some townies it is better to do the work when they are not around. Members of the public have been known to intervene when they have had advance warning of control activities, so best not to publicise time and place. ok?

Edit Reg got in a few millisecs before me!

 

[Cubist]

If that's the case and the council have called some pest controller in they should make this public knowledge. After all, if there's nothing wrong in it why do it early in the morning and not publicise it?

Why should it be public knowledge? Unfortunately the world is full of people who anthropomorphise pests and would seek to interfere and demonise.

Rabbit control is best done at night because of the feeding g habits of rabbits.

Rabbit control in the early morning also means the activity is less likely to be witnessed by people who anthropomorphise pest species and who would either be offended or upset by witnessing the activity.

Edit...ooh, cross posting!

 

[slowmotion]

If that's the case and the council have called some pest controller in they should make this public knowledge. After all, if there's nothing wrong in it why do it early in the morning and not publicise it?

They cull the deer in Richmond Park every year. They do it at night so they can close the park for safety reasons without causing too much inconvenience. Also, some of the public are a bit upset by the cull so they try and keep it low key.

 

[Pale Rider]

A farming uncle of mine used to shoot rabbits for the pot.

Farmers are not known for spending cash, so the attraction was a free meal - give or take the cost of a cartridge or two.

I suspect he used a .410 shotgun.

His wife would skin the rabbit and prepare it, which included removing lead shot from the bits she wanted to cook.

I had it once minced as cottage pie.

Inevitably, one or two bits of shot would slip through.

I recall a couple of the other diners picking out the shot and leaving it on the side of their plate.

Myxomatosis interrupted the supply of free meat for a few years.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Because the control of wildlife can be upsetting for some townies it is better to do the work when they are not around. Members of the public have been known to intervene when they have had advance warning of control activities, so best not to publicise time and place. ok?

Edit Reg got in a few millisecs before me!

If you're calling me a towny then you are wrong. I was brought up 5 minutes walk from farms and countryside, and still live a few minutes walk away. My uncle used to take me "haymaking" in the 1960's and 70's.ok?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

How do you know that 30 rabbits have been shot?

Feel free to count...

 

[Cubist]

One of the advantages of using a rifle rather than a shotgun is you're less likely to break your teeth...

Less likely to shitbag the bunnies as well. My game dealer will only take headshot bunnies.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Why should it be public knowledge? Unfortunately the world is full of people who anthropomorphise pests and would seek to interfere and demonise.

Rabbit control is best done at night because of the feeding g habits of rabbits.

Rabbit control in the early morning also means the activity is less likely to be witnessed by people who anthropomorphise pest species and who would either be offended or upset by witnessing the activity.

Edit...ooh, cross posting!

It should be public knowledge because the killing was done on public not private land. Like i said, i'll ask the cemetery worker and if he said it was the council who were behind it i'll ask them to explain.

 

[Pale Rider]

One of the advantages of using a rifle rather than a shotgun is you're less likely to break your teeth...

I don't think uncle claimed to be much of a shot, so if he tried to use an air rifle to shoot a rabbit he would still be standing in the field now.

He had two guns, a single barrel .410 and a side-by-side 12 bore.

I only know this because they were stored hanging from beams in his kitchen - it was long before the days of secure cabinets.

Cartridges were kept in a built-in cupboard next to the Rayburn, partly because that was one of the few places in the farmhouse where they wouldn't get damp.

Might still have worked even if they did, but I think the cases were paper which presumably was more susceptible to moisture than the plastic cases I've seen more recently.

 

[Cubist]

I only tend to take what can go in the pot/freezer if I'm shooting by myself. If I get an oversupply then they go to one of my neighbours who has a Harris' hawk...

I used to take some of the surplus to a petting zoo that had a beautiful python.

Most of our outings are large scale control requests. Although we eat plenty, we can have dozens to deal with. Farm shops pay well, but only take twenty or so at a time. Game dealers don't pay as much, but will take as many as we give them. In terms of benefit, we just about break even after diesel and ammo costs, but I hate to see them wasted.

 

[Accy cyclist]

[QUOTE 4546036, member: 9609"]The quicker our society outlaws guns the better.[/QUOTE]


Here here!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Are going to demand that they publicise when one of their chaps is going to kill a few rats? What if they're going to despatch a few grey squirrels (which are simply rats with good PR) - will you want a referendum on it?

Rabbits are seen as acceptable animals whereas rats aren't. If there has been a large scale killing of animals that many members of the public feed and regard as "cute" then it needs to be made public knowledge. I can just see the headlines now. Hyndburn Council Sanctions Rabbit Slaughter!