No Dawn, I'm well used to those around here, but they're not half as loud as this, although having said that, the ones I used to ride past on the horse were quite horrific sometimes, but still nothing like the sound of these gunshots! I actually thought that the first time I head it in the middle of the night, but it would stop after 1 or 2 and yes, I WAS still awake to have heard anymore!

The gas ones are like bombs! Ive never heard gun shots to the extent you are speaking of to shoot Rabbits! Dependant on where the scarer's are positioned will determine how loud they are. They should also be surrounded by straw bales, many are not.

When we lived a few miles down the road, in the middle of nowhere, we were often surrounded by those gas guns.......it was like world war 3 sometimes and as Helena said, not funny when trying to plan a ride out. They were never surrounded by straw bales by the way! Horrible things.

Anyway, we were well used to the sound and yes, at times they did go off in the night but we knew what it was - however, some nights we were woken by gunfire which rivalled if not outdid those gas guns, and on looking out of the window would see lights in the orchards, or in the fields on the hill, and could hear the sound of an engine.

They may indeed have been using too much gun, and perhaps the sound was amplified by the utter quiet in the dead of night, but there is no doubt what was going on.