HIDE AND SEEK BUNNIES

STALKING....

Well what a summer this is turning out to be NOT.The ground i was on this week is usually a good sniping ground but with the way the rain has come the ground is just to wet to lie down on.This time i opted to go for a walk around just to show face again,we have got to keep the farmers happy or the ground will just be passed on to someone els.I started on the paddocks where there is the odd rabbit to pick off, with it being early still the horse owners are about and the rabbits are usually a bit reluctant to show till it quietens down.

The first paddock showed two full growns eating between a few nettle patches,i took the closest one as i know these will run when they hear the whack of the pellet hitting home so theres no point going longer to try and get the other to stay out for a second shot.First shot of the day and one nice clean kill.Took a walk around the rest and nothing was showing at all.

Second stage was a walk around the big field,its now getting well over grown in some places with alot of ragwort and dock so they have got alot of hideing places.The only way to shoot this type of ground is to walk in slow motion,and i mean slow as i was to find out.After walking half of the field which in my mind was the slowest i thought needed, i had seen atleast 10 rabbits run in behind me,obviously laffin at me as i hadnt spotted them,everytime i turned round one was waving goodbye, they was a dead ringer for a pile of horse poo when i seen them in the field,no way was they a rabbit.Time for a quick cuppa and a rethink on how i was missing these rabbits it wasnt going to do me any favours going back empty handed and the farmer seeing all these rabbits the day before.





Now refreshed and thinking of my master plan to nail these poo rabbits i headed back on my round of the big field.This time i opted for a snail pace and stop every 10 yards and have a good couple of minutes scanning every clump of weeds and every horse poo.It didnt take long before i spotted one hiding between a clump of ragwort,only 20 yards from me i scoped him up and nailed him.I carried this same routine all the way along the hedgeline looking into the clusters of weeds and finding one every 20-30 yards.5-0 to me after that walk round and no runners ,who`s the daddy now then i was thinking.

Time was getting on now so i opted for another walk around the paddocks,rabbits dotted all over the place only problem is now they know the cammo dressed man is going to kill them so its alot harder as there is not many places to sneak up on them.Half hour had passed and luckily i had managed to shoot a few more, missing 2 sitters in the process.Decided to gather up and back to the car for a quick drink again before i tackled the big field again for the last walk round.While i was having a cuppa the farmer asked me to sort a couple of collard doves out as he had a few to many so i sat near a pylon they like and sure enough within 2 mins i had the couple he wanted gone.

Back to the rabbits now and a repeat of last round, walk 10 scan 2 ,walk 10 scan 2 i was like a machine and the rabbits didnt stand a chance,apart from 3 that i didnt see with my dolls eyes on,but we cant get them all can we. Well it turned out to be a good evening in the end and luckilly the rain started just as i was pulling out of the farm yard,so hopefully it might just calm down for a couple of days so i can get out again.

BACK IN FULL SWING

With the weather taking a bit of a setback this week i decided to have a walk round one of my shoots thats not to far away from cover if it decided to pour down on me.I went and picked the old man up after a little arm bending ,he is a fine weather shooter and set off on the 10 min jurney to the shoot.We hadn`t shot this for about a month so the farmer was a little pleased when we turned up.The shoot is mainly horse padocks with a nice 2 acre field with some very big prize cows on it and a few big rabbits to boot.

It wasn`t long before we got into things,the first paddock produced two nice shots close together,me old man was to slow so i nailed both.

Next paddock me old man spotted one hiding in the nettles and cleanly dispatched that one.

As we walked to the next paddock i saw a nice sized rabbit squatting in open ground 25-30 yards away.What an easy shot i thought, i was waiting for me old man to take a shot but he thought it was a pile of horse muck i was looking at so hadnt raised the rifle.I took the shot and like a first class pillock i missed,typical i thought,next time i wont be to relaxed and think i will hit it with me eyes closed.

Soon after the heavens opened so we rushed to a barn and decided to have a quick drink and a bite to eat.When i asked the old man if he wanted a drink he replied "i have me own cheers" and when he pulled the bottle from his bag i had to laff.I think he been watchin chris yates and bob james from a Passion For Angling,a nice bottle of white wine.Oh well i though,it might improve his shooting,i stuck to me blackcurrant drink.

After the rain and thunder stopped we were back out on the rabbit trail,i went one way and the old man went another.We was only half hour and had another 6 between us so that was productive as we was just taking a steady walk round.The best way to shoot this ground we have found is sniping but as it was so wet we had to walk but it seemed to be working today and just as it was going good the heavens opened up again,back to the barn again.

It was gettin a bit late now so we thought hell to it and had one more walk about together and to see me old man pull off some cracking shots was great as he is still pretty new to the air riffle side of shooting ,we did manage a few more and put a smile on the farmers face when he seen the end results.

Well thats it till sunday , i will probably be on my own or may even go and get me mate with his 22.250 and sort some foxes out.Will let you know how we get on.

BACK TO NORMALITY

After a week away down south wales its depressing to be back to the normal grind every day brings.It was a beautiful place where we was staying, Saundersfoot,right near the harbour looking onto the beach every morning.Me and the brother in law had to make the early walk to do a spot of fishing every morning, oh, and every evening tide on the harbour wall.

The thing that makes this place so welcoming is the locals,they had us in stitches every time we met up on the harbour,it was just like fishing a local pond with the same amount of banter that is thrown accross the water at anyone who needs the mickey taken out of them, when things are slow,just to keep you sane and not bored to tears.

We did manage to kick the locals into touch this time on the amount of fish caught through out the week,especially when the mackerel showed up.This is the place i could go to live ,and what makes it even more appealing..RABBITS bloody loads of them every where we went.

So thats enough of depressing myself even more now im back.

I had a call from a mate who wanted some squirrels for his young hawk,so went and picked me mate up to have a walk around me local woods that i beat on.I took the 12g as i was still knackered from me week away and me mate took his rapid.The main reason for the rapid was the squirrels need as less shot as possible for hawk meat as a lead pellet is all thats needed to kill a young hawk,so that makes the air rifle perfect for this job as its easier to find the .22 pellet.

I was just making the numbers up and taking anything that happened to fly over within reach of the no 6 shot i was shooting.

Well i will keep this one short n sweet.I managed to nail a crow and a jay on me walk about and me buddy ( phill ) managed two nice squirrels for the hawk.

It was a slow welcome back to shooting after fishing all week,and just what i needed to wind down..

A COUPLE OF HOURS WITH ME OLD MAN SNIPING..

After a phone call from my dad i reluctantly (cough cough) agreed to go check a ground that we hadnt shot for a while as the farmer had mentioned a couple of rabbits runnin about.

On reaching a favourite spot we noticed 5 out feeding,so i walked across the field in a way that the rabbits seen me but made them think i was walking away just to run them in.

As usual i put me dad where i knew was a good spot and i went round the corner of the spinney to ambush any that came out that side.

As usual we was only set up 5 mins when i heard a crack 1.0 to me old man,10 mins later i was sweating me perverbials off under the desert sun when i heard another crack 2.0 to the old git.

As the roasting got worse i noticed a rabbit close to the hedge i was shooting into,took aim crack,missed,sh.t how did that happen i cracked its ears.

Now im real pi..ed off sweating like a pig on a roast for half hour ,missing the only shot i had present itself i decided a scope check.What a pillock the golden rule CHECK YOUR BLOODY ZERO i hadn`t.Oh well next time he wont be so lucky...

On to the next spot. I was under a hawthorn bush 35 yards fron a small warren that i seen 2 run in,set up nice and comfy and waiting in the shade, while me old man got a good sun soaking this time.

While i was taking some amature pics with the camera on my phone through the scope,i noticed a nice brown furry colour sat on the hole i was looking at,up goes the scope cross on his nut crack.Hoo bloody ray made up for the last mistake.Managed to get a pic of it through the scope as it lay dead over the hole.

That was enough for me then ,was too bloody hot and had to get back home before the mrs got in..lol..

From the pictures you will see how low the grass is and how easy it was to still nail a couple that would otherwise had lived for another day if we was just walking about.

If you look close enough you might see me old man on the right of the first pic in the grass against a fence..click on pic to enlarge it ,you will see no fancy stuff just lie down and keep still.