Where to hunt rabbits around Victoria?

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arizonaicedtea

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I'll be acquiring an air rifle soon (not quite old enough for a PAL...) and would like to begin hunting rabbits and other small game. Does anyone know of any spots that are better than others? Could I simply walk off the highway once out of the city and look in the forest? I really have no idea where to look or how to start so any help or info would be much appreciated.
 
blasted_saber said:
No idea. But I will point this out - female rabbits are either pregnant or just had babies. If that bothers you, you may want to reconsider hunting at this time of year.
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Hmm... unless I can learn how to differentiate between male and female rabbits from a distance of twenty to forty yards (not sure if it can even be done) I think I'll leave them be. Don't want to deny the rabbits of a childhood or a mother before they end up in the stew pot.
Thanks for the info.
 
Hawkeye said:
last time i was in the area the hospital has tonnes of wabbits
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I'm assuming you mean the general hospital? I think stalking through the Jubilee hospital area with air rifle on back and muttering like elmer fudd under my breath would scare most people in the area into calling the police.
Thanks, I'll be sure to bus out there and have a look.
 
jaydog said:
Not any more.... :p

Shooting an airgun is prohibited by bylaw in Victoria (each sub-city of Victoria that is) so you will have to range a bit farther. Check the Saanich bylaws and start asking farmers if that works for you.

In NS I hunted rabbits so much I had a special outfit for it! I miss those days.....:(
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I thought there was a bylaw like that :(
I somehow picture the outfit looking like a police officers uniform, only with a rabbit emblazoned on each shoulder and a small arsenal of air rifles and pistols in a tactical vest.
I checked the bylaws, I sounds like I need to be hunting on private property of someone who has a pest control permit.
Time to make some connections with some farmers :D
 
arizonaicedtea said:
I'll be acquiring an air rifle soon (not quite old enough for a PAL...) and would like to begin hunting rabbits and other small game. Does anyone know of any spots that are better than others? Could I simply walk off the highway once out of the city and look in the forest? I really have no idea where to look or how to start so any help or info would be much appreciated.
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take the core hunting course even if you are too young for your pal permit.
There will be people there that will take you out with their kids.
That way you will not find yourself in trouble with the cops or neighbors.
 
arizonaicedtea said:
Hmm... unless I can learn how to differentiate between male and female rabbits from a distance of twenty to forty yards (not sure if it can even be done) I think I'll leave them be. Don't want to deny the rabbits of a childhood or a mother before they end up in the stew pot.
Thanks for the info.
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Just watch them for a bit.
The ones that crawl up the backside are the males....;)
 
I've hunted around Shawnigan (Koksilah), Sooke, Diversion Resevoir, Nitnat, Jordan River etc and have yet to see a rabbit. You do however see a lot of them around Elk/Beaver lake and the Saanich Peninsula. By the Saanich fairgrounds you always see those buggers, I just don't know if you can shoot animals there, maybe if you were on a farm you'd be alright?

It's funny how we go out of the city, where there's way less game, while people in Oak Bay complain about their gardens being overrun in the papers.
 
Rocket Surgery said:
I've hunted around Shawnigan (Koksilah), Sooke, Diversion Resevoir, Nitnat, Jordan River etc and have yet to see a rabbit. You do however see a lot of them around Elk/Beaver lake and the Saanich Peninsula. By the Saanich fairgrounds you always see those buggers, I just don't know if you can shoot animals there, maybe if you were on a farm you'd be alright?

It's funny how we go out of the city, where there's way less game, while people in Oak Bay complain about their gardens being overrun in the papers.
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... oak bay...
f:P:

Thanks for the advice, I don't know if I can hunt around Elk Lake, but if I can its awful convenient because the lake isn't far from the North Saanich Rod & Gun Club.
Shoot some targets, bus back, then shoot some rabbits (hopefully)
Sounds like an ideal day to me.
 
I don't know where you live in Victoria, but you can hunt in parts of Sooke. The only restriction is no firearms, which I'm guessing your air gun isn't? Would have to look that up. I know for a fact that there are pheasants and grouse there, they eat the needles and clover, you see them all the time. The best part is, you can bus out there.

My advice to you would be to put your bike on the bus, break your air gun down into your backpack, and learn where you can hunt in sooke. European cottontails don't require a hunting license, but grouse do. You can also shoot as many gray squirrels and house sparrows as you'd like, which means good times even if you don't see a rabbit. If you're tempted by a crow or a jay, don't, it's a pretty serious offense.

Do you have one of those 495fps .22cal air rifles that were on sale just recently?
 
Rocket Surgery said:
I don't know where you live in Victoria, but you can hunt in parts of Sooke. The only restriction is no firearms, which I'm guessing your air gun isn't? Would have to look that up. I know for a fact that there are pheasants and grouse there, they eat the needles and clover, you see them all the time. The best part is, you can bus out there.

My advice to you would be to put your bike on the bus, break your air gun down into your backpack, and learn where you can hunt in sooke. European cottontails don't require a hunting license, but grouse do. You can also shoot as many gray squirrels and house sparrows as you'd like, which means good times even if you don't see a rabbit. If you're tempted by a crow or a jay, don't, it's a pretty serious offense.

Do you have one of those 495fps .22cal air rifles that were on sale just recently?
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I'm heading down to Island Outfitters to peruse the air guns this weekend. I'll be looking for a 495 fps .22, but what's this about a sale?
Good idea about breaking it down, in going to have to check the BC transit regs on transport. I'm pretty sure if no one sees the air rifle its alright, as long as it is not in operational status.
 
Rocket Surgery said:
I don't know where you live in Victoria, but you can hunt in parts of Sooke. The only restriction is no firearms, which I'm guessing your air gun isn't? Would have to look that up. I know for a fact that there are pheasants and grouse there, they eat the needles and clover, you see them all the time. The best part is, you can bus out there.

My advice to you would be to put your bike on the bus, break your air gun down into your backpack, and learn where you can hunt in sooke. European cottontails don't require a hunting license, but grouse do. You can also shoot as many gray squirrels and house sparrows as you'd like, which means good times even if you don't see a rabbit. If you're tempted by a crow or a jay, don't, it's a pretty serious offense.

Do you have one of those 495fps .22cal air rifles that were on sale just recently?
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Kill as many rats as you can.
You know the kind I'm talking about those big ugly water rats.
 
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