In autumn, rabbits receive special attention from the long-net
poachers. On a night not too dark or windy, yet windy and dark enough,
the long-netters find all omens propitious. To begin with, the rabbits
are now in prime condition. Then there is no fear of a hard frost to
make the fixing of net-pegs a difficulty, or to allow the sound of
footfalls to be carried far through the silence of night. And rabbits
are plentiful; as yet their ranks have been thinned by no serious
covert shooting. To crown all, the market is ready and expectant,
for the chance of a sale of stolen rabbits has not been spoilt by
the large surplus bags of genuine sportsmen. A warm night best suits
the poachers' object, with the wind blowing towards the side of the
selected wood--enough wind to prevent a panic among the rabbits through
sound or scent of danger while the gear is fixed, yet not enough to
deter them from turning out in goodly numbers, and journeying some
distance from the wood to feed. The nets are set up all along the side
of the wood, then poachers with dogs or drag-lines make a circuit and
drive the feeding rabbits home, and to their doom.
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