320 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



whether the shot was well or ill timed. That is to say, the best 

 sport is when the bushes take up a lot of the pellets and the 

 rabbit is out of sight before the snap shot is off. 



Gas tar is as good as anything to keep rabbits out of their 

 holes. It is not bad when properly employed to get them out. 

 But as strong-smelling stuffs are generally used, they keep the 

 rabbits in their holes for one, two, or three nights, until hunger 

 compels an exit past the paper dipped in tar. It is a good plan 

 to put the paper down the holes only on the windward side of 

 the burrows ; this has the effect of blowing the smell through the 

 whole of the compartments, but leaves open bolt holes where 

 nothing will impede. The next day the other side of the 

 burrow can be doctored, and this will prevent re-entry. After 

 this, shooting may take place without many uninjured rabbits 

 going to ground, but the wounded will go in and die there; 

 consequently, there is nothing like stopping out if the rabbits 

 can be got out. A very effective plan for this is the use of a 

 line ferret. It is best not to let the ferret try and bolt the 

 rabbits ; that takes too much time. But if it is run through the 

 holes one day and tar-paper is inserted the next, most of the 

 rabbits will be found to have had pressing business elsewhere. 

 Consequently, they can be shot, and give better sport than if they 

 had been subjected to back-scratching by the ferret's poison 

 claws. But probably the best way of all, where the holes are 

 not amongst rocks, is to fill up all entrances with a clod of soil 

 or turf and sprinkle the latter with gas tar or spirits of tar. 

 Twenty-four hours later the process has to be repeated, for the 

 rabbits will have scratched out. This should be repeated every 

 day until the shoot occurs, but only the first stopping will be 

 much trouble; there will be few holes to stop afterwards. In 

 trying to make a big bag it is very necessary to put down 

 netting to keep the rabbits off the beaten ground. Stops will 

 do, but are not as effective as the net. 



The preservation of rabbits implies, of course, the destruction 

 of vermin, especially cats. The next necessity is fresh blood in 

 January or February, and early and close shooting or trapping. 

 Rabbits degenerate quicker than most animals, and in-breeding 



