It is not a question I have ever been asked, but if anyone were to enquire as to what I think the greatest tragedy of the sporting scene has been over the past 50 years, they would get a long and passionate ramble about the sad decline of the rabbit. Most people agree — and there is archeological evidence, mainly from East Anglia, to support the view — that the rabbit probably arrived with the Romans in around 100 BC. The Romans farmed them for meat and fur and they were very keen on a bit of coursing.
Later, the Normans brought more rabbits and began to farm them a bit more industrially by providing protective warrens that allowed the bunnies to acclimatise to the less than-Mediterranean conditions.
It was these new, acclimatised, hardcore bunnies that went forth and multiplied, creating the basis of today’s current wild population.
Lockdown easing
I am intrigued by the ways that the Romans and Normans would have cooked rabbit, and I had all sorts of images of spits and grand feasts in my mind as I headed to my friend Greg Page-Turner’s farm to make an armed ramble about the hedgerows in the gloaming.
Greg’s land is typical of east Devon, with beech hedges bordering undulating fields, which is ideal for sneaking up on a few bunnies with a shotgun. Perhaps it was because we are not that good at keeping quiet, or that we struggled to spot the bunnies until they hopped safely away out of gunshot, but it didn’t turn into the fruitful, fur-flying, bunny-tumbling experience we would have liked. Greg was surprised we didn’t see more rabbits, telling me “there were plenty a couple of years ago”, which is something I often hear.
Denne historien er fra June 10, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra June 10, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside