Air rifle rabbit hunting in the dark

With each passing night the bright full moon became smaller in size and its glow subsequently weaker over the countryside. The period of the new moon would soon be here, with its dark nights, whereby the land baths only in the light of the stars. These darkened nights provide the perfect opportunity to approach rabbits within air rifle range while hunting on foot. I had a place in mind and was keener than a fox in a chicken coup to get among the action. Here was my chance.

I had been having issues with the pressure gauge on my Air Arms S410, so I borrowed my brother’s air rifle pump to ensure the correct pressure of 200bar was reached. With the correct pressure, I returned to the old faithful RWS hollow-point pellets and sighted-in my rifle. Now, I was ready for the new moon and our promising rabbit patch.

As usual with hunting, the stars rarely align and on our chosen night the wind was blowing at 40-60km/h. Getting a tiny 14gr pellet to travel in such a wind and connect with a target area the size of a 10c coin wasn’t going to be easy!

As Hayden and I drove up the meandering driveway between rows of tussocks and trees that swayed in the wind, rabbits darted left and right, promising a target rich night. We were in the right spot. Since airgun hunting isn’t really Hayden’s thing, he was happy to use the thermal monocular to locate rabbits for me to approach before turning the torch on to shoot and then back off again. By using this technique, we hoped for less disturbance and better use of the darkness of the new moon.

Before that, however, we had a couple of rabbits sitting within 30yds of where we parked the vehicle. With the wind straight in my face, I wouldn’t have to worry about left or right wind drift. The two bunnies then lay over with barely a kick while the minimal sound of the shots was muffled by the wind. Well at least the wind would help with stealth shots and footsteps.

The owners arrived while we were collecting the two rabbits and organising our gear for the night’s hunt. They were rapt to have some help with the rabbits and drove off happily up to the house with the sound of gravel crunching beneath their tyres.

We were ready to go before complete darkness had arrived and Hayden wanted to get going while the sunset was still glowing. Reluctantly, I surrendered to this and off we went into the gathering gloom. I would have preferred to wait until complete darkness fell, hiding our approach to rabbits. However, I was soon reminded it would be the wind that was the problem as my first few opportunities went begging, with pellets straying amid a strong crosswind.

The paddock we were hunting consisted of a gentle slope and summer grass that reached knee height in many places. This made taking shots over a bipod impossible and sitting using shooting sticks not much better. Consequently, I was forced in many cases to shoot standing with the legs of the shooting sticks fully extended. This facilitated seeing the rabbits among the long swaying grass but also made for challenging shooting as the strong wind gusts pushed me this way and that. Despite numerous rabbits being illuminated by Hayden’s thermal monocular and approaching within 30yds before switching the torch on to shoot, I continued to miss. We managed only four rabbits out of the first paddock to go with the two we got at the vehicle. Something needed to change.

Back at the car, the air rifle’s barrel was cleaned and the pressure gauge refilled. We headed off over the other side of the hill that consisted of slashed grass and a bit less wind. Easing over the hill we came across a cluster of feeding rabbits. Their heads rocked gently side to side as they chewed upon the fresh shoots of growth. I sat down and shuffled into position behind the shooting sticks. The stillest, closest rabbit was the first option as a muffled thwack had it kicking then a rifle bolt being worked. Onto the next, thwack! A quick move down the hill was in order as the remaining rabbits began moving off out of sight. Thwack, number three out of that bunch. This was better. The rabbits were gutted and left by a fence post as we moved back over to the windy side where most of the rabbits reside.

Cresting the hill, trees rustled and swayed as the wind slapped us hard in the face. Again, I quickly went back from hero to zero as rabbits hopped about and airgun pellets missed their mark. I decided to get as close as possible before shooting to minimise wind drift. The white bellies of rabbits again lay on their side. Even I can hit them at 15yds. Between carrying my daypack, pellets, shooting sticks, rifle and torch it was good to have a helper to not only spot the rabbits and direct me to within airgun range, but also share the load of rabbits taken.

Back at the vehicle again the rabbits were offloaded and counted, with the number rising to 18. We need another two I said to Hayden, and he reluctantly agreed. The Air Arms was again charged with air to 200bar and the rifle’s magazine reloaded before sweeping an unhunted paddock with the thermal monocular in search of a couple of rabbits.

One rabbit sat 30yds in from the driveway fence post that provided a suitable rest, and he soon lay still. The other was further out and required us to jump the fence. With the fence safely behind us we collected our prize and headed over to the other rabbit sitting in the grass. On arriving we could now see four rabbits, with one being half white and a no go as far as shooting was concerned due to the landowner’s wishes. His companions however came under no such restrictions and soon rolled over onto their sides with gentle kicks. Collecting our last three rabbits, the pied rabbit was left sitting in the paddock looking a bit lonely.

Apart from three myxo rabbits, the rest were either to be used for ferret food or in the case of the half-grown rabbits, our fry-pans. Now with some butter, herbs and garlic salt we’d be able to sit back and chew those rabbits nice and slow while remembering our hunt during the new moon on that windy night.