How to Hunt Rabbits at Night?
A Comprehensive Guide
Rabbits are pests known for their availability throughout the year and for being hard to catch because they are small and fast. They may look all cuddly and sweet, but they are almost worse than any pet. Hunting them helps to reduce the level of their pestering on farmlands. They are known to burrow deep into the ground. This single activity causes the undermining of field margins. Their holes are potential danger zones for horses and other farm animals. When a hoof gets lost in a rabbit’s hole, it naturally would result in a broken leg and that equals a disaster for any farmer.
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Also, rabbits breed very fast and in large quantities. Farmland populated by rabbits equals the end of farming activities for an unlucky farmer. This is because these creatures consume vegetables in high quantities and qualities. Apart from curtailing their devilish activities on farmlands, it is highly rewarding to have a rabbit’s meat as a meal. It is a source of vitamins and minerals. It contains an excellent balance of fatty acid and it is a diet recommendable for almost everyone (pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, sports enthusiasts, and the young). Asides from their nutritional values, rabbits are sought after for making several clothing materials like gloves, coats, hats, and others. It is almost easy to hunt rabbits in the day compared to night hunting. This article will touch on the area of how to hunt rabbits at night and the tools used for hunting rabbits.
How to Hunt Rabbits at Night
Identify Their Habitat
When it comes to hunting rabbits at night, the first thing an individual should master is how to track these creatures. On the journey of tracking these creatures, you will first of all, know their likes and dislikes. For instance, they love to burrow into the soil. In other words, you can only find them on drylands. They also enjoy hiding out on grasses. This makes grasslands and bush paths another location to find them.
When it comes to feeding, they love vegetables and soft grasses. therefore, be on the lookout for damages to vegetables. In addition to that, while researching where to find rabbits, bear in mind that rabbits live in holes. Therefore, there is a need to observe every hole. When observing a hole, if you notice that there is food debris at the entrance, and this debris is beginning to grow, that hole is bound to be vacant.
Look for Signs of a Rabbit Hole
However, when the entrance of a hole looks cleared or the grasses pushed to one side there must surely be a good catch in it. You can further lookout for droppings, tracks, and chews around the hole. After learning some things about rabbits like their likes and dislikes, food and location, what follows is the hunting proper. However, before hunting, there is a first rule of knowing where warrens are. This is because rabbits go in front of these obstacles at night.
Be Invisible
In addition to that, it is advisable to go on moonless and a bit windy night because it will help you to be unnoticed. The wind will wipe out any noise that may come with your footsteps or branches as you walk towards the rabbits. When you begin to search for rabbits, do not shine your torch on fence-lines because the rabbits here would run away. Rather, shine your light into the field. When you spot a rabbit, it either runs away or crotches down to hide.
Do not turn off your torch and begin to walk close to it. Stable your light on its face even when it attempts to turn to the other side and continue to move closer to it slowly. When you feel like you are close enough, quietly raise your rifle to your shoulder, arm, and take your shot. When it comes to discussing how to hunt rabbits at night, the tools involved are another important thing to know.
Tips for Hunting Rabbits at Night
Wear camouflage or something of dark green clothing from head to toe: This will help you blend into the environment and make you invisible when you creep up to rabbits from behind.
Use soft bullets: This is because rabbits are small and have soft skin. It will help to make the kill neat. You don’t want to have a shattered dead rabbit.
Consider what the target is looking at when it stares in your direction: If you cast an awkward shadow, your target would run away.
When hunting a rabbit generally, be sure of the position of the rabbit you want to shoot: If the rabbit is flat on the soil, go down on your stomach. If it is a standing position, be on the same level as them.
On how to hunt rabbits at night, silence is a key factor: If you have your phone with you, put it in silence. If your bundle of keys is with you, put it in a place where it does not jingle. Also, when walking to your hideout, make sure you avoid branches that can make any type of noise. Remember that rabbits have sensitive ears, any slightest noise can set them running.
Furthermore, make sure that a rabbit does not see you first. When this happens, you may go home with nothing.
Tools Required for Hunting Rabbits at Night
Light
Hunting at night is more of a technical business than hunting by the day. It requires special tools for any kind of prey involved. One of these techniques is lamping. Lamping is the process of using a source of light to find and target your prey in the dark. For ages past, it was always a complicated business as the technologies available then weren’t sophisticated enough for the activity. However, in this age, when it comes to how to hunt rabbits at night, there are varieties of tools available for lamping. The gun-lamp is a torchlight mounted on a rifle.
It is usually bright enough to provide illumination on your prey who is about 70 to 100 yards away before you move in closer to take a shot. This lamp is also adjustable from full light to medium and lowlight because each of the positions usually comes in handy at a different point in time while hunting. When it comes to hunting rabbits at night, the ThruNite TN405 is good enough for this job. The torch is known for its ability to turn down the brightness of the beam when there is a need for it. It covers long-range. It has a lifespan of 20 years. It has a high output of 4450 lumens and ultra 1151 meters.
Guns
Guns are also another instrument required for rabbit hunting at night. Shotguns are majorly used for hunting cottontails in thick cover. Shotguns with improved cylinder choke plus 6 or7 ½ shotshells are preferable. A perfect gun for this is the Remington Model 870 pump action. Besides, there is a need to go along with a first aid kit, coyote call (an electronic or mouth call)
FAQs
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
While hunting with either a bow or a gun, to attract a rabbit, you will have to call it. You call a rabbit by mimicking its sound. As you call it, be alert and be ready to shoot it immediately if it is within range, on a spot, and a little bit confused.
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
When hunting rabbits with a rifle aim for the head. When you are hunting with a bow, consider a lighter draw because of the size of the animal. Aim for the body right behind the front shoulder. When hunting with a shotgun, aim slightly low in front of the front feet.
Important Note:
Any activity using a firearm has the potential to be harmful and can lead to death, serious injury, permanent disability, or property damage. Only general educational and informational purposes are served by the advice, graphics, photographs, videos, and information found on Ballachy firearm reviews. The knowledge provided about guns, gun handling, tactics, training, legal issues, and marksmanship skills on this page is the author’s opinion based on his experience and education. This knowledge, which includes advice and training methods, is applicable only in a given set of conditions that the reader cannot precisely recreate. The author disclaims any liability for improper use or incorrect interpretation of the information on this website. Use of this website as a replacement for training or any information found on this website is not legal advice of any kind.
Rabbits are usually active at dawn and dusk. Low light before dawn shades them from their predators and also hunters in the evening. However, if you hunt with dogs, you can hunt during the day. Also, before scheduling time for hunting, check the Solunar calendar. Rabbits are known as prey for animals like owls, falcons, wild dogs, eagles, and hawks. Due to this, rabbits tend to be less active when the moon is full.
Furthermore, in terms of whether, rabbits are much more active in light fog or drizzle than they are during heavy rain, declining temperature, and high wind.
Conclusion
When it comes to how to hunt rabbits at night, it is important to bear in mind knowing the locations to find rabbits, what they eat, and observe their holes to know which is occupied and which is not. It is also important to have a torchlight that covers nothing less than 70 to 100 yards away. When it comes to shooting a rabbit, it is very vital to use a soft bullet, so as not to have messy meat. I hope this helps you while hunting.
Author Profile
- Gabriel Tackett is an experienced shooter and hunter for over 15 years with a degree in Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is also a certified National Rifle Association (NRA) officer for 10 years And his passion lies in teaching others how to safely enjoy the hobby by recommending the best practices & products in the gun industry.
