Thread: How soon should I process a freshly killed rabbit?

Heading down to the in-laws property in a couple of weeks and planning on borrowing my uncles .22 air rifle to do some rabbit hunting. I walked the property before and managed to get within ~10m of rabbits so range shouldn't be an issue. Question - how soon should I gut and skin the rabbit? Kill then gut immediately? or can I get a bunch of rabbits then take them back to the house to process? The plan is to eat them.

Alternatively, if any of you good buggers live nearby to Maramarua/Miranda in the Waikato and feel like taking a newbie around your property with a proper .22 to show them the ropes

Cheers all.