RABBIT SHOOTING 321 



and stale ground are the worst causes. On some soils lime- 

 dressing seems to be absolutely necessary for the continued 

 health and reproductive powers of rabbits in warrens. Out of 

 warrens, and especially where they are not wanted, nothing 

 seems to injure them. Neither disease, vermin, nor the school- 

 boy's gun will do them any damage where they are not 

 encouraged. This is probably because they are most healthy 

 where they are most scarce, and it is only nature's justice that if 

 they poison the grass they should poison themselves also. 



Shooting rabbits over ferrets requires much more attention 

 than it is worth. The rabbit always seems to bolt well when 

 the shooter is not attending; when he is all expectation, the 

 rabbit comes and looks at him, pokes his head out of the hole, 

 where to shoot him would be to destroy his value. Then, just 

 as the ferret must be getting up to the quarry's tail to make him 

 bolt, the head disappears and is seen no more. Then in ten 

 minutes or half an hour the experienced person says it will be 

 necessary to dig, because the ferret is lying up, or if he is muzzled 

 he is probably pounded, with rabbits' backs to scratch on all 

 sides of him, but no rabbits to bolt. Then, when the most 

 unexpected event does take place, and the rabbits do bolt well, 

 those you wound are sure to go to ground with a broken 

 leg or shoulder, and so stop proceedings, either by detaining the 

 ferret or by informing their fellows. Ferreting is not nearly as 

 good sport as shooting stopped-out rabbits. When beaters for 

 the latter are used, they should make no noise. The object is 

 not that the quarry should quietly canter along in front of a line 

 of guns, but you will want them to lie well, so that when dis- 

 turbed in close contact with some beater's stick they may run well. 

 The former they will do if there is fair covert to lie in and no 

 noise, not even " tapping " of sticks. The latter they will do 

 if they are poked up with a stick instead of being thrashed up 

 with a stake. The biggest record of rabbit shooting is that of 

 5096 rabbits to nine guns in the day. This was in 1885, * n 

 Mr. J. Lloyd Price's Rhiwlas warren. The load of shot 

 best for shooting warren rabbits, or any others if other game 

 is not to be bagged, is % oz. of No. 3 shot. This saves 

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