Numbers game
I recently got a permission to shoot rabbits. I don’t want to eradicate the population because I enjoy the sport and getting meat for the table. What’s the best way to control the rabbit population so that the farmer is happy and I can still shoot rabbits?
Ed says: If the farmer has a rabbit problem, he is allowing you to shoot in the hope that he gets free pest control and less crop damage, and won’t have to employ someone like me. He won’t care if you enjoy the sport as long as you remove rabbits and don’t cause problems on the farm. But I’m not convinced shooting alone will resolve a large-scale rabbit problem; rabbits get wise to shooting. So, if you want to keep your permission, do a good job and remove as many as possible. Also, consider ferreting. If you do wipe out the rabbits, which takes time, you could gain more ground.