Ian Burns turns on the fireworks when his brother-in-law visits Phillip Island.
By Ian Burns
MY brother-in-law Tom is 81. He lives in a village at Dingley with his wife Marilyn. They also own a unit at Rhyll in the complex where my wife and I live. Tom loves to “go for a shot”. So, whenever he and Marilyn come to the Island, I arrange permission for that with one of the property owners I know.
We are after rabbits. The Island is now officially fox-free, so it’s mostly feral cats that are a predator problem for our small mammals and birds.
Over the past couple of years thriving colonies of eastern banded bandicoots have been established on the Island. Some of these are on the properties I shoot on; you need to be particularly careful before shooting that the “rabbit” you are looking at is not a striped one with a pointy nose!
MY brother-in-law Tom is 81. He lives in a village at Dingley with his wife Marilyn. They also own a unit at Rhyll in the complex where my wife and I live. Tom loves to “go for a shot”. So, whenever he and Marilyn come to the Island, I arrange permission for that with one of the property owners I know.
We are after rabbits. The Island is now officially fox-free, so it’s mostly feral cats that are a predator problem for our small mammals and birds.
Over the past couple of years thriving colonies of eastern banded bandicoots have been established on the Island. Some of these are on the properties I shoot on; you need to be particularly careful before shooting that the “rabbit” you are looking at is not a striped one with a pointy nose!
Although Tom is quite an accomplished shot, and holds a current shooter’s licence, he generally likes to do the driving and I do the shooting. I think he enjoys driving my D-Max diesel over the wash-outs and rough terrain.
We go spotlighting, and with daylight saving, it means we don’t leave to drive to the property until around 9pm. I have a “Wolf-eyes” light attached under the barrel of the Brno, with a Weaver variable on top. In addition to this, I have two 9-inch LCD spotties on the bull-bar. The latter provide most of the light we need to shoot, aided by the Wolf eyes when need be.
Arriving at the first property at around 9.30pm, we spotted our first rabbit sitting at around 30 metres, an easy shot to start the night. POP, right through the 3KZ.
We go spotlighting, and with daylight saving, it means we don’t leave to drive to the property until around 9pm. I have a “Wolf-eyes” light attached under the barrel of the Brno, with a Weaver variable on top. In addition to this, I have two 9-inch LCD spotties on the bull-bar. The latter provide most of the light we need to shoot, aided by the Wolf eyes when need be.
Arriving at the first property at around 9.30pm, we spotted our first rabbit sitting at around 30 metres, an easy shot to start the night. POP, right through the 3KZ.
In all, we shot nine, the longest shot being around 75 metres. It’s not the longest shot I’ve done with the Winchester subsonics. My brother says it’s near impossible to hit a rabbit with any acceptable accuracy (head, neck or shoulder) at over 80-90 metres with this ammo. But I disagree, I’ve done shots regularly at distances in excess of this. It’s a long way, so a little hold over is needed, and a very steady hand. But once you’ve done it, you know you can do it again! Confidence is a wonderful ally.
Eight head shots and one shoulder shot (the long one). That’s enough, we need to get home and skin them. I field dress every rabbit in the lights of the truck immediately after shooting them.
We have a bit of a ritual when we get home to skin the bunnies. Tom grabs a couple of stubbies for us both, I head into the laundry downstairs where I’ve previously prepared a chopping board, towels and buckets.
I do the skinning, Tom does a bit of washing and tidying up little tidbits, we finish the first bunny and have a drink. When we’ve finished nine rabbits, we sit down on the steps and finish our beers.
What a great night! I sincerely hope that when I’m in my eighties, I’ll have someone to do this with!
Eight head shots and one shoulder shot (the long one). That’s enough, we need to get home and skin them. I field dress every rabbit in the lights of the truck immediately after shooting them.
We have a bit of a ritual when we get home to skin the bunnies. Tom grabs a couple of stubbies for us both, I head into the laundry downstairs where I’ve previously prepared a chopping board, towels and buckets.
I do the skinning, Tom does a bit of washing and tidying up little tidbits, we finish the first bunny and have a drink. When we’ve finished nine rabbits, we sit down on the steps and finish our beers.
What a great night! I sincerely hope that when I’m in my eighties, I’ll have someone to do this with!
Bunnies and beer ... a perfect night out. Tom, left, and Ian.