Rabbits are continuing to make a reasonable comeback on some of the ground I shoot over in Somerset. A lot of landowners will probably disagree with me, but I am delighted to see them. These resourceful little mammals are true survivors, and are an integral part of the British countryside. They provide a valuable food source for countless other species and, when there is a harvestable surplus, they also feed me and my family.
Although they are making a noticeable return, the rabbits’ recovery in my locality does seem to be rather patchy. Fields where they were once abundant on summer evenings are still devoid of them, while places that only held a handful of rabbits before they were clobbered by haemorrhagic disease are starting to become overrun.
I wrote a while back about an evening spent stalking
