Artilleryman's Guide to Stone-based Rabbit Hunting

Having trouble acquiring cute rabbits for petting or other... uses? This handy guide will help you even the odds.

Synopsis

The key point of this guide is: Crouching and waiting for the rabbit to get close to you helps a lot.

Target Acquisition

The easiest way to find rabbits is to happily wander around the wilderness and then make sure to stumble across some bunnies right when you start getting hungry.

If that doesn't work for you, you could always look at maps to find rabbit spawn points breeding grounds.

Know a better trick? Share it in the comments.

Setting Up Your Firing Position

Killing Acquiring a cute little rabbit is easiest if you are fairly close to it. As you have no doubt experienced, the little furballs can be quite jittery and run off right away when a big, scary explorer comes running towards it. Cause that's pretty much what you do, right? Run towards it. At least that's what I usually did at first.

The trick to getting close to a rabbit is to let it get close to you. You do this by trying to predict its path, and then getting close to where it will pass. When they aren't scared, rabbits usually follow fairly straightforward movement patterns. Make sure to crouch when you get close, to avoid scaring the little thing. You can often circle around it while standing up at maybe 20 m distance, and then crouch once you're in position.

Do not underestimate this, as crouching is virtually make or break in my experience. While crouching, the rabbit will often run right past you, passing as close as a meter or less.

If you do this right, they can hop blissfully right by you.

Calling in the Artillery

The trick to hitting the rabbit is to use your fingers as a reference. You generally want the rabbit to be slightly above your thumb. (This is called the 'rule of ...') Remember also that both the rabbit and the rock move, so you want them to occupy the same point in space at the same point in time. This is colloquially referred to as a 'hit'. (I hope you're taking notes, there'll be a glossary test at the end!)

I'll give a few more pointers below, but this is best illustrated with pictures to help you get a feel for it.

Leading the target is important, but this shot would probably pass in front of the rabbit. The height should be roughly right, though.

A little further away, but moving more or less directly away from me. I threw the rock at this point, and it was a kill (or technically, a stun).

General tips

• It's easier to hit a bigger (closer) target.
  
• It's easier to hit a target moving directly toward or away from you. That means you won't have to compensate for lateral movement (sideways).
  
• The stone drops fairly quickly at first, but often maintains decent momentum while traveling along the ground -- especially if the ground is ice in that particular location. (Rabbit Scientists call this 'The Hockey Effect'.) This makes it easier to gauge the height correctly.
  
• Drop a water bottle or something to use as target practise if you have a hard time getting a feel for the arc of the throw. [Cred to El Che for suggesting this.]

Bomb Damage Assessment

Immediately upon releasing your mineral-based ordnance, perform target inspection using your nature-issued visible light spectrum electromagnetic wave measurement sensors, often referred to as 'eyes'. If the rabbit is on its back, it is either suffering from a bad hangover or, more likely, has recently had a brief date with an impacting stone.

This is your cue. Quickly dash forward and interact with the rabbit, picking it up into your protective hands. (Note: You might need to 'unequip' the stone in your hands first.)

TooTall1 warns:

Originally posted by TooTall1:

[A]t the time of this writing [5 August 2017], you must only click once on the rabbit to pick him up. Then after you see him in your hands, choose his fate. If you rapidly left click during that window, trying to grab him, your game will lock up with reloading as your only option :/

If you manage to aim and time it right: Congratulations! You have now mastered the art of rabbit acquisition. The fate of the cute pet is now -- literally -- in your hands.

Best of luck.

(Note: The stones don't disappear after hitting the rabbit, so you can pick them back up afterwards.)

[M.C.Gitzi]

Where is my glossary test?

[Lstor]

@PH03N1X P3R50N: What do you call it when the rock and the bunny occupies the same space at the same time?

[PH03N1X P3R50N]

I was promised a test at the end

[JenoJames]

Awesome guide, helped me get my first rabbit (and not starve)

[Lstor]

Haha, thanks Momo! That means a lot.

[Momo The Cow]

You're my kind of mad, Lstor.

[Lstor]

@vonRies Thanks, I'm glad you like it! My impression is that picking them up in time has become easier with more recent updates (i.e. the last six months or so), but it may just be me getting more practice. The hands-down easiest way to get the rabbits is to crouch in their path and just let them get close to you, and then hit them when they're a few meters away.

[vonRies]

I love your guide! I don't know why I didn't think to crouch. I always do then firing a gun or when I finally reach a high enough level in archery, I will crouch with a bow. My problem is the same as with so many others, picking them up before they run away. I agree the game should give you more time, at least at lower levels.
Great writing, thanks so much.

[Applo]

It also always easier to throw down hill than uphill as uphill the stone will often bounce away or (this happens very often to me) goes straight threw their legs (at least it looks like it)

[Lstor]

@Monty Python: Haha, thanks! And, you are of course right. I believe the way to achieve the strength lies in these immortal instructions:

First shalt thou take out the Holy Rock, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less.

Once the number three, being the third number, be reached,
then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Stone of Rabbitkilling towards thy cute bastard,
who being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.