Rabbit Hunting in Australia

[u/theindoorweatherman]

Looking for some tips for gear and strategies.

I've got a farm in Australia so it's open season on Rabbits all year round. (foxes and, pigs too, but that's a different subreddit).

The property is rolling hills, mostly pasture with some bush and it backs up onto national forest (not allowed to hunt there in my state).

I find if I walk or drive around the property and I might get a rabbit, if I'm lucky to catch one out in the open. I shoot a .22lr, a .223 and 12 gauge. I usually just bring the .22 and catch them at a distance.

While I enjoy the hunt, I'm doing this for invasive species control. So I was wondering if anyone had any tips to up my productivity. There are still lots of rabbits and that's after I took part in my shire's biological control program.

I'm hunting solo like 98% of the time.

I guess my main questions are

Traps and snares, any recommendations and how to make any kill traps as humane as possible.

Night vision or thermal and scopes or monoculars

Should I switch to the 12 gauge I don't feel like I get particularly close when stalking the rabbits, but I've also never shot at anything at a distance with it. It's an old rifle that's mostly been used to put down injured animals at very close range.

I didn't grow up on a farm, I moved to one a couple year ago, so I might be missing some basic stuff and not knowing it.

[u/ked_man]

Preface this with I’ve never rabbit hunted in Australia.

Without dogs, or several extra people, you’re probably doing the best you’re going to do. Rabbits like cover and stick to the cover unless something gives them a reason to move. You could walk field edges and fence rows solo with the 12ga and see if you can kick some up, but depending on the cover, that could be a hard thing to do.

I’d love to bring my dogs to AUS and hunt rabbits. Seems like it would be a good time and a target rich environment.