The European rabbit is a growing problem for agriculture in parts of its natural range. In this paper, our aim was to use historical records over two periods within the last 50 years to analyze trends in the number of requests made for rabbit control in Central Spain. We gathered data on rabbit control applications made for 1967(derived from Rabbit and Hare Control Authorization Records) and corresponding information for 2005 from Technical Hunting Plans. Technical Hunting Plans are currently the official mechanism to apply for rabbit control licenses in the country. We show that although only 4.2% of municipalities requested to control rabbits in 1967, this proportion was 71% in 2005. Given that there is no evidence of rabbit increases in the study region, we suggest that other factors may explain the observed increase in such requests. We argue that sport hunting, which has risen significantly since the 1960ssupported by the fact that the shotgun was the most requested method of control, is the main reason for this rise in rabbit control requests. We recommend the creation of a more detailed form, similar to that used in Spain in the 1960s, in which the reason(s) for a rabbit control request can be clearly declared. The use of such a document would allow managers to obtain a more realistic assessment of rabbits as a pest.