Mytholmroyd

Jim, a local landowner, has just bought another farm, and as he's going to run it as a plant nursery the rabbits have to go.

So when I got a call @ 10:00am, I arranged to meet him at 12:30pm.

He wanted to show me round the farm, and where the boundaries are.

I took my air rifle with me, and we walked the land as we talked.

We weren't far from the farmhouse when we spotted rabbits sat grazing.

We walked the land together, both familiarising ourselves with the lie of the land, and it wasn't long before my pocket was bulging with rabbits.

As we went to one of the quiet corners of his land, we spotted 2 lads with a pair of Jack Russell terriers and a rucksack.

Jim is a firm believer in "It's my land, I say who comes on it" so he approached the lads, and firmly told them to get off his land.

"We're here as nature conservationists!" one replied

"Conservationists my arse, your terrier has its nose down a rabbit hole!" Jim replied "It's my land now clear off!"

They spotted my air rifle and one spouted "That rifle isn't for rabbits, I'm getting the Countryside Officials up here, cos you're after the deer!"

Jim sharply replied "Send whoever you want, it's my land, it's you who are trespassing and poaching! Now clear off and I don't want to see you n my land again!"

So off they went mumbling and muttering.

We carried on around the farm, and I got 7 rabbits without even trying.

I'm going back tomorrow, with a friend from my Rabbit Hunters website, to cull the rabbits en-mass.

I'll be taking a ferret and my air rifle, Paul will be taking his air rifle, and Jim's son will also be out with his air rifle.

Next weekend, a friend of Jim's will also have permission on the land, so I have a week of the rabbits, squirrels & corvids to myself.

When I dressed the rabbits, 2 were milky does, and were carrying embryos. What I thought was a total of 7, soon became 18. Many disagree with killing rabbits at this time of year, because of the young. But when a farmer wants the rabbits kept under control (which by law he has to) he is kept happy by a large cull, which in turn keeps you happy because it means you keep the permission.