Summer shooting.

[zini 1,939]

I love to shoot as much as I can and do shoot all year round come rain or shine and even try and plan my work around shooting and hunting if possible.

 

I have to admit though that I would sooner shoot in the summer on a nice warm day sitting next to a tree shooting over a warren or a decoy pattern rather than a cold winter day where I have to lie on a water proof sheet to keep dry.

 

A lot of the regulars on here are in there late 40 and some even older and they have done all the winter shooting getting wet and cold in there earlier days and now just prefer to shoot in the warmer weather.

 

I don’t see anything wrong with this at all and I don’t think that others should try to judge them in any way weather directly or reading between any lines for doing this.

 

I know in another few years myself I won’t be walking around muddy fields in the rain shooting a few bunnies.

 

The reason I think that there are less posts as well in the winter is that there always seems to be less about. For every 1 bunny you see in the winter out in the open there would be 5 or 6 in the warmer weather so instead of having a 5 or 6 chance you end up with a 1 chance.

 

Si.

[gurtwurz 792]

i havent seen so much on my mooches over winter this year either, rabbitwise anyhow. havent been able to get out to specifically shoot so much since i started doing the survival thing either so i've been taking the air rifle out when walking the mutt but i figure theres only so many times i can write about a dog walk thats ended up with a spot of supper or how i spent a happy half hour plinking so i havent posted so much. that, and i try and leave the phone at home all accidental like so i can get an hour to meself , and i didnt wanna just do a write up with no pictures, in case i'd be thought of as a bulls****ter...

 

its gonna help now the days are longer tho, and some of the bunny populations risen again!

 

cheers, wurz

[Marksman 934]

Both wor kid and myself shoot all year round, even in " extreme" weather as you will find if you do a search.

A lot of places this year have suffered with the numbers including ours. Last year we were producing double figures nearly every shoot, this year there's a dramatic decline on our permissions the same as a lot of people have been talking about so we've really had nothing to post about. There's no HFT facilities really local to us so rather than post we were out plinking we choose not to clog up the forums.

 

Darryl

This is something to read about declining numbers of rabbits on your shoot Darryl. I first though that I was getting unwelcome attention from poachers and other trespassers taking the warrens in large numbers but, I'm not so sure of this now. Especially after reading of your findings here.

 

The rabbits are really very wary and aware here on my permission, from such numbers that I've actually seen and had a shot or two at.

 

Simon

 

Hard to explain Simon!

One theory we have is that the farm next door to our permission used to be a pig farm but the farmer has now switched to chickens and has over a thousand pecking about during the day has attracted a larger number of foxes as we see/hear them a lot now and with the chickens being locked away at night they are taking the next best thing..... Our rabbits

We've since spoken to the "chicken farmer" who doesn't want us on his land at all, not even to collect any "stray" rabbits that may end up there if they're shot and leg it as in his words " I'm not bothered about rabbits"

The down side is that neither wor kid or myself have an FAC yet so can't even take care of the foxes nor is there any local facilities for HFT

Hopefully the population will pick up during the next few months

 

Darryl

[zini 1,939]

Who ever keeps giving me slut points, cheers lads.

 

Si

[cbrdave 0]

Before i start, this is not a dig at anyone in particular. But it seems that during the winter months, the number of hunting tales are few, and usually come from the same small group of people. Now that the summer is under way, we will see a massive rise in posts, mostly about shooting rabbit kits in the evening sun (easiest quarry there can be). I know that folk always defend it saying it's 'strictly pest control' and they need to remove all the problem rabbits etc. But knocking off a couple of bunnys a week, is hardly pest control. Is it just because most folk on here static shoot, and lying on the ground still, is not very pleasant on a cold day? Or are folk using other methods over winter and just using the air gun to mop up? Or is it just cos it's much easier?

 

I see what you mean, i got my first and only permission so far in December clearing pigeons from a small farm, been 2-3 times a week every week, yes it got cold but the shooting was a challenge and that makes it better for me, popping them off too easy would be boring, farmers exstactic i was out in all weathers and doing the job he wanted done, if we were all fair weather shooters i am sure there would be even less permissions available.

Edited March 29, 2011 by cbrdave

[Marksman 934]

Nothing better to see than a happy farmer especially when he recommends you to his "farmer buddies"

 

Darryl

[rossy08 33]

i'v been moe this last winter than i was in the summer,, the weather means nothing to me, ill go out what ever the weather..

 

 

but like many iv been shooting or seeing very little over the harsh winter months so havent had to much to right about, was out sunday though and from what i saw this summer will be a very good one,, so will be haveing to do my little bit to wards keeping the crops growing...

 

Andy

[Richie10 345]

Both wor kid and myself shoot all year round, even in " extreme" weather as you will find if you do a search.

A lot of places this year have suffered with the numbers including ours. Last year we were producing double figures nearly every shoot, this year there's a dramatic decline on our permissions the same as a lot of people have been talking about so we've really had nothing to post about. There's no HFT facilities really local to us so rather than post we were out plinking we choose not to clog up the forums.

 

Darryl

This is something to read about declining numbers of rabbits on your shoot Darryl. I first though that I was getting unwelcome attention from poachers and other trespassers taking the warrens in large numbers but, I'm not so sure of this now. Especially after reading of your findings here.

 

The rabbits are really very wary and aware here on my permission, from such numbers that I've actually seen and had a shot or two at.

 

Simon

 

Numbers are more affected by the people with permission rather than the poachers and in reality natural causes have the biggest affect.

[the_stig 6,614]

more shooting lads out round us in the summer than winter for sure ... i went to a pig farm last week for ratting permission for my terriers the farmer said the shooting lads take care of em this time or year ...crack on

[jackinbox99 41]

I actually prefer shooting in the colder months. Last year I was out in Jan lying on frosty ground in sub zero temperatures. But, I was nice and warm in my shooting camo with fleece tracksuit underneath. Id rather be like that than sweating like a rapist in a field on a hot summers evening.

 

But, each to their own. I guess its a bit like some of the motorbikers I see. I used to ride my bike every day of the week to work & back... in snow, rain, frost as well as in the summer months. And yet other people id come across would be fair weather bikers. I dont see them any differently or treat them any differently. As long as they are out enjoying themselves then we share a common interest and can still spend hours talking about rides out or various motorbike experiences.

 

Unfortunately due to work commitments ive been unable to do neither as much recently... motorbikes are locked away in the shed and I think ive only used my air rifle a handfull of times this year so far.

 

Also with regards to rabbit numbers, interestingly, I was speaking to one of my permissions last week and they said they havent seen as many bunnies this year, wereas last year there was loads.

[gurtwurz 792]

mind you, i was gonna go squizzer bashing and maybe a pigeon or two in january-

 

 

 

 

 

unsurprisingly i got nowt, but i was surprised at the dog's enthusiasm for camming up in the snow-

 

 

 

twas a good day out tho!!

 

cheers, wurz

[zini 1,939]

A magpie that i took late last year in the snow and a photo of Owen Vining that i took when i went shooting with him over Christmas down at Newbottle farm.

Edited March 29, 2011 by zini

[markha 99]

Im out all year round too, Im one of the 'old lads in their 40's' as Zini calls us! Cheers Si and still out atleast 3 times a week if possible, from stalking in the hedge rows with a lamp on a bad weather night to snipping the little buggers in the summer, or hid up with the decoys out, oh and many hours trying to get the crows on my current permission:(

 

Ill probably not post as much during the summer as far to busy shooting!

[Ideation 8,216]

I shoot all my quarry as 'pest control' I dont conserve them for 'sport', I just dont need to wipe them out, just keep the numbers down, wich we are doing quite efficiently. If you start calling it sport you make it sound like your doing it for fun, weather you are or not dosent realy matter, but you dont tell people you are or you may fall foul of the law with certain species.

Example, clay pigeon shooting (sport)

Pigeon shooting (pest control)

 

Thats the way I see it anyway. . .

 

The owners are happy with what we do, the damage the rabbits do is minimal in comparison to when we started there so job done, and now its just a case of keeping on top of them and not letting it get bad again, hense the word 'control' :laugh:

 

Good interesting topic, some good views.

 

We are all strangers to each other on the whole, and you dont realy know who gets up to what realy, im pretty shure there is a good chance the quiet ones do a lot more than people think but not speak of it.

 

.atb. .ste.

 

 

Sorry matey, think i didnt make myself clear. I meant that, as such, you take some enjoyment from carrying out the pest control, and so as such do not feel the need to completely remove all of a certain type of pest (i.e rabbits) using the 'most' efficient method you possibly could. The landowner is also obvously happy with the job that you are doing, having reduced the population to a manageable level they are happy for you to come and shoot certain numbers of say bunnys but leave some, rather than expecting you to be there night after night until they were all gone. The thing i meant about conserving your sport so to speak, was the comment you made about killing the predators that prey on your quarry, so as to have shooting. If that makes sense?

 

 

. . . . .. . . and i think you are VERY right about your last point with regard to any area of hunting on this site.

[Ideation 8,216]

Some very interesting replies lads, and interesting to see the massive variety in what and how we shoot / hunt. For me, 'hunting' is something that i have always done (in the main) during the winter months. When it comes to rabbits, although i am there for the enjoyment, the sport and the bond of working my animals, love of being outside etc, i am also, very honestly, there for the numbers. On the land that i work, in the most part, i would be expected to clear out the majority of the population through the winter months, as efficiently as possible. If i offered only daytime air rifle / rifle shooting there is no way i would get, or keep the permission, walking off with a handful of rabbits here or there. So we rape them land hard over the winter, usually out more days of the week than not, and when a day is missed then nights need to be put in. We are also making the most of the harvest, as the skin, and meat is at it's best and usually a worthwhile size. When spring / summer comes round, its 'spot the bunny' time as they are very thin on the ground. To be very honest i'm pretty happy to have a break from killing rabbits, and half sick of the sight of them. Summer is a time for fishing, and to let the animals be lazy. The only killing of rabbits i do in summer is on a 'get her now, kill these' basis, of folk wanting small pockets gone, and this is usually done with the gun or snare, as its the most efficient way over summer. So i never really do any air rifle 'hunting' and if so its only in summer, and not something i really enjoy.