7 replies to this topic

[crazyhorse]

Been seeing this cottontail up on hill on my property for a few weeks...this morning,I took my 850 Magnum CO2 .177 (8) shot repeater and nailed this bunny from 26 yards shooting uphill...he flipped up in the air and when he landed I could not see him..so I climbed up the hill,and there he was..Anchored in my storm drain.....no blood...so pellet killed him instantly...hit him just foward/above shoulder...This 850 was just tuned and I received it last Thursday...heavier trigger spring,some gun valve porting,etc...it now shoots 810 FPS using JSB Exacts 8.4 gr....I used a Crosman Premeir Light on the rabbit...I had it tuned because I was getting valve lock in 90 F + weather...the tune fixed that......this morning it was 60 F when I took the shot,so there was sufficient power at that temperature...

[THE KNOT]

Nice looking rabbit

[CoyoteHuntress]

ROFLMAO now its pretty bad when you have to scout ahead of time for bunnies LOL... Great shot!

[crazyhorse]

Ha Ha Ha..let me tell you,I've been doing that looking for Jackrabbits in our east county...I'm convinced I;m going to have to ambush them because I've blanked on 4 trips out there so far this year...we have plenty of cottontails closer to the coast,but Jackrabbits have been scarce this year out in the east county...I was talking with a friend yesterday and he is convinced since our wildfires last year,mountain lions,bobcats,coyotes have moved into those areas and are munching on the rabbits...there has been several sightings of mountain lions by locals..and my friend lost two dogs recently...

[mackeralboy]

I too had a conversation the other day with a friend about the fires and the lack of rabbits. We also have noticed a lack of rabbits in and around the burn areas. We were talking more about the lack of brush and food for bunnies in the burn areas. It would make since that if there is less cover and food that they have to take more chances of being out in the open hence more chance for predators. The other thing that we have noticed is that there seems to be more bunnies in the urban areas on the edge of the burns. We're guessing in search of food or maybe they were the only ones left after the fires.

[crazyhorse]

One of the areas I've been scouting for turkeys I found some turkey feathers scattered around including some from the turkeys primary wing...this same area has coyote sign all over...and guess what..??? No rabbits...only seen one in 6-8 trips there...

[PredatorMaster]

I shot a bunny yesterday in the backyard and it was full of FLEAS it had been dead about two seconds and the fleas were jumping off that rabbit so I disgarded that one. Did not want to risk getting anemia or something worse.

[crazyhorse]

When I shoot ground squirrels,I never touch them....reason is two were found recently in our county infected with plague..but all the cottontails I've shot have been free of fleas...and I've shot a bunch...