Hunters may use air-guns to hunt rabbit

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Jun 3rd 2008, 00:26

one thing most contributors failed to mention is that the worst enemy of the wild rabbit is the cat and the rat as they eat the young rabbit and some time even the adult.

hunting is only a form of direct pet control of this species it never had a negative effect on rabbits as it is only allowed in very few areas, whist rabbits are present all over Malta.

they suffer more damage from cats and rats then they do from hunting.

But then again it is the hunter that seems to be the target.

Raymond Sammut

Jun 1st 2008, 11:52

Come to think of it, these rabbits are not wild actually, but feral. Domesticated rabbits are mysteriously released into the countryside, and then there is an excuse to go and shoot at them with air-guns. I wonder what the police are doing with these applications. What about the logistics for monitoring this activity? Technically, an air-gun can propel a pellet at Mach 1. Imagine that at ground level.

Ramon Casha

Jun 1st 2008, 07:49

Why not try to organise airgun hunting for rats? They are numerous, are not an endangered or endemic species, and most non-hunters would be glad to have their numbers reduced. They also tend to congregate in areas where there will be few families out to enjoy what little countryside is left.

RITA SPITERI

Jun 1st 2008, 07:16

And what next? Shall it be a license to hunt stray cats and dogs? Not a bad idea maybe I wont have such a smelly porch.

Anyhony A. Mifsud

Jun 1st 2008, 06:44

He who does not understand wild life finds this sport as bad as Bird shooting, what we are talking about, is a Pest and a treath to the Farmers, I see nothing wrong in this Pest Controlled Sport.

After all this is an old tradition of the Maltese Hunters.

Tony

Frank Fenech

Jun 1st 2008, 06:25

What a shameful proposition

Raymond Sammut

Jun 1st 2008, 01:52

This cannot be right. Traditionally, wild rabbits are hunted using the Maltese hunting dog pedigree and ferrets, but not shotguns, let alone air-guns. Also, as far as I know, rabbit hunting is carried out at night when there is barely enough moon-light. Firing shotguns at ground level during the night in a small place like Malta would certainly amount to a safety issue.

Patrick Camilleri

Jun 1st 2008, 00:15

Oh dear,

There go our hedgehogs!

Angelo Vassallo

May 31st 2008, 23:39

We should protect the wild rabbit.

If rabbit hunting WAS, which means, it is not any more a popular practice abroad, why we Maltese should be the "cowboys" and reinstate this horrible habit?

If the Maltese hunters appreciate that they could now practice this sort of hunting, let them all know that the majority of the Maltese population is not at all appreciating this horrible act.

STOP THIS NEW MASSACRE

godfrey pisani

May 31st 2008, 22:23

While hunting of wild rabbit has been done for hundreds of years , it has never and was never a problem and is considered as sustainable and that rabbit does a lot of damage to crops . air gun hunting makes it more difficult to catch your quarry . the rabbit is considered a pest and is hunted all the year round through out europe , so please lets not make a saga out of something that isn't . here there is a closed season for it and an open season for it and any one who hunts rabbits does not hunt cats or dogs so don't try to blur something that is legally correct and is practiced lawfully .

Mark Pisani

May 31st 2008, 22:06

another fantastic contribution by Effie Carbonaro!!

Well done effie, first of all for your tolerance towards other peoples' point of views and secondly for (as usual) not grasping the concepts being discussed. Our problem is not with killing animals for food but for blasting them just for fun. Do you think that a rabbit hunter will go out, kill one rabbit and go home to eat it? Or is it more likely that this person will spend a morning hunting and trying to increase his/her kill count? Well Mr. Carbonaro, on a finishing note, I will gladly explain the meaning of other articles or bloggers posts if you find any difficulty in understanding them.

Cheers now.
Mark

m.vassallo

May 31st 2008, 22:00

shut up you frustruated lot.let us enjoy our hobbies.we are part of europe now and these practices happen in the eu countries too..you frustrated lot have other things to shot at .

Carola Weitze

May 31st 2008, 21:38

Think about this:

In the future the hunters will no longer shoot vertically into the sky, but horizontal....
.... thus making it dangerous for anybody, who would like to take a walk in the country side!

Mater Dei will become quite busy with this new "sport".

J. Borg

May 31st 2008, 21:38

Could MEPA or government advise whether a serious study has been conducted on the population of wild rabbits and whether the effect of hunting it is going to be evaluated and how.
Rabbits have been hunted for years now, but those who had to contain their 'socio-tradition killing apetite' may now get their 'fair' share of flesh.
At least the rabbit will not end up as a sick display trophy, although no hens, pigs or cows will effectively be spared either.
Surely vegetarians DO IT better!

Andrew Grech

May 31st 2008, 21:37

What pathetic hunters. I suspect that we'll soon have a new species previously unknown to mankind - 'flying rabbits', only found in Malta. For the untrained eye, this is how to spot them; they tend to have a pair of wings, a beak and only two legs!!!

Why don't they take up pigeon clay shooting???

Dear Effie, how many birds do you eat??? The food you mentioned is breed and / or farmed. Are you vegetarian??? Poor lettuce, tomatoes, carrots... :-)

James A. Tyrrell

May 31st 2008, 21:31

As someone who has been against hunters in the past in this instance I have to say I support this initiative. I hunted rabbits myself years ago as my friend was a dog breeder and we used the rabbits to feed the dogs. I used a shotgun to begin with but quickly found that killing a rabbit at 40 yards with a shotgun didn’t feel very sporting.

I switched to a high powered German air rifle and for the first time I really felt that I was hunting. For the first time I had to be more aware of things like wind direction, distance and a stealthy approach, and the end result was one chance of taking out a rabbit with a headshot.

I don’t know what Mark Pisani means about adding another species to your kill list. Practically every restaurant in Gozo and Malta serve your famous rabbit stew. Does he think these rabbits died of old age? What I am totally opposed to is the practice of blasting birds, even rare species out of the sky and calling it hunting. This is not hunting, it is slaughter.

effie carbonaro

May 31st 2008, 20:25

mr azzopardi are cows bulls chicken sheep lambs fish prawns alien species?.why should they be killed so you can satisfy your appitate?why dont you complain that they sholdnt be killed and instead eat vegs and bread.do you know why?because we are a lot of stupid and i mean really stupid people.because something that doesnt hit us is wrong and shameful.but when something hit us it is too wrong and shameful.

Mark Pisani

May 31st 2008, 19:59

You hunters must be happy - you can add another species to your kill list...

Chris Sant

May 31st 2008, 19:39

Are rabbits an alien species ?
well this is quite a good thing no danger to public and kind of tourist 'friendly' (ie; less than bird hunting)
and best of all hunters can get a new slightly friendlier hobby!

Silvan Azzopardi

May 31st 2008, 19:16

And what next? Shall it be a license to hunt stray cats and dogs?Why is it that life has to be blasted out of defenseless animals for the sake of quenching the thirst of trigger happy individuals?

Franco Farrugia

May 31st 2008, 19:09

So, birds are sentinet beings ... while rabbits are not! Hmmmmph!

And since when is wild rabbit in abundance in Malta and Gozo? Since when is ANY LIVING THING in abundance in Malta and Gozo? Yes, except for human beings!