secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) Or how I learned to stop worrying about hunting, make friends with shotgunners, chase Harris hawks and still come home with dinner! Going down to the newly acquired permission again, I was taking a constitutional around the woods to see if any tired little birdies had made their way home after a very long New Years party. Not finding any I was walking back to my favourite spot when I was aware of someone whistling, it turned out to be a shotgunner I had met before so I answered with a not too happy "Woof!" We exchanged a few words and he told me that he would be gunning for pheasants and pigeons as they came back to roost! Cursing silently I moved off back into the midst when I spotted a familiar shape in the trees. Now the couple who own this place have smaller type Staffies, not your big old traditional ones, up there was the Harris hawk, still trailing her jesses, Oh bum! Quick call to the falconer ensured a hasty arrival. Now there are splatted bits and pieces of bird and rabbit everywhere round the permission, so obviously she is roosting there. Oh nuts. Unfortunately friend with shotgun starts firing, fits and starts, but enough to move her before they get down. Spend a half hour being taught how to trap a hawk! Throw your jacket over it if you see it on the ground he says, what? My new expensive Jack Pyke Hunter? Mary would ruddy kill me! Not a good idea for longevity of Mole. Anyway another our or so goes by and it goes quiet, so quiet that one came over the fields and hopped into the tree in front of my favourite spot. So I lined up the SR, Taking my time centralised the cross hairs, pulled the trigger slowly, thwack, splat, another nice pheasant! Walking back to the bag the shotgunner calls me over, he is by the back gate we have met before. Asks me how I got on as he knew that life would be difficult for me, so I explained about the Harris hawk, my air rifle and the pheasant. Said it was a nice bird and that as he was packing up he had seen about 20 pheasants heading back to that wood! He also asked me how many I would take in a session, when I said no more than 1 or 2 he opened up a bit, said he had an HW77, but had never tried roost shooting with it, think I may have given him an idea, like me he has other permissions! Said all I needed was a torch and I flipped up the Aldi special and flicked it on, he pronounced his surprise at the 60 metre beam (aimed at a power line pole I knew was 60 metres away), even in the encroaching dusk it threw a damned good beam! So we said our goodbyes and he went back to his pick up, I went to my bag to find out I had left the damned camera at home. Oh nuts, nuts, nuts! Anyway the wife's Uncle had recommended leaving the birds overnight before plucking and drawing, so that is what I did, hung it up in the only bit of the house with a support that is at outside temperature, the porch! Got up this morning and cut it down, let's see if he is right,,, Edited January 3, 2012 by secretagentmole Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Only 1lb 15 ounces oven ready! Darn, got a small one! Quote Link to post
lksopener 105 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 I am assuming you know that lamping birds is illegal? Quote Link to post
davyt63 1,845 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Or how I learned to stop worrying about hunting, make friends with shotgunners, chase Harris hawks and still come home with dinner! Going down to the newly acquired permission again, I was taking a constitutional around the woods to see if any tired little birdies had made their way home after a very long New Years party. Not finding any I was walking back to my favourite spot when I was aware of someone whistling, it turned out to be a shotgunner I had met before so I answered with a not too happy "Woof!" We exchanged a few words and he told me that he would be gunning for pheasants and pigeons as they came back to roost! Cursing silently I moved off back into the midst when I spotted a familiar shape in the trees. Now the couple who own this place have smaller type Staffies, not your big old traditional ones, up there was the Harris hawk, still trailing her jesses, Oh bum! Quick call to the falconer ensured a hasty arrival. Now there are splatted bits and pieces of bird and rabbit everywhere round the permission, so obviously she is roosting there. Oh nuts. Unfortunately friend with shotgun starts firing, fits and starts, but enough to move her before they get down. Spend a half hour being taught how to trap a hawk! Throw your jacket over it if you see it on the ground he says, what? My new expensive Jack Pyke Hunter? Mary would ruddy kill me! Not a good idea for longevity of Mole. Anyway another our or so goes by and it goes quiet, so quiet that one came over the fields and hopped into the tree in front of my favourite spot. So I lined up the SR, Taking my time centralised the cross hairs, pulled the trigger slowly, thwack, splat, another nice pheasant! Walking back to the bag the shotgunner calls me over, he is by the back gate we have met before. Asks me how I got on as he knew that life would be difficult for me, so I explained about the Harris hawk, my air rifle and the pheasant. Said it was a nice bird and that as he was packing up he had seen about 20 pheasants heading back to that wood! He also asked me how many I would take in a session, when I said no more than 1 or 2 he opened up a bit, said he had an HW77, but had never tried roost shooting with it, think I may have given him an idea, like me he has other permissions! Said all I needed was a torch and I flipped up the Aldi special and flicked it on, he pronounced his surprise at the 60 metre beam (aimed at a power line pole I knew was 60 metres away), even in the encroaching dusk it threw a damned good beam! So we said our goodbyes and he went back to his pick up, I went to my bag to find out I had left the damned camera at home. Oh nuts, nuts, nuts! Anyway the wife's Uncle had recommended leaving the birds overnight before plucking and drawing, so that is what I did, hung it up in the only bit of the house with a support that is at outside temperature, the porch! Got up this morning and cut it down, let's see if he is right,,, I am assuming you know that lamping birds is illegal? hi mike nice shot buddy and a nice meal! well done Davy Quote Link to post
davyt63 1,845 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 I am assuming you know that lamping birds is illegal? hi buddy i think you need to read it again Davy 1 Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Thanks Davy, Iks, the lamp is there for bunnies not birdies, I just don't take it off! Quote Link to post
lksopener 105 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Ah fair play sorry I misread. Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) That is OK, in my experience I just flick the lamp on to scan for rabbits on the ground if I am close to the roost trees the damned things are all over the sky like bombers in searchlights, they also sound damned loud when they erupt behind you! Bright lights will startle roosting birds, even if you point it at the ground, so I am going to be trying the infra red way! Edited January 3, 2012 by secretagentmole 1 Quote Link to post
Phantom 631 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Had my 1st Pheasant for my tea tonight Fooking AWSOME taste Venison, Woody or Pheasant? Thats a tough call! Turkey gets sent to the back of the que! Tony Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Well done Tony, they really do taste nice don't they? Actually we had a stupendous turkey for our Christmas dinner, we bought it from the permission holder, lovely free range, grain fed, Norfolk Black job. Best turkey I have ever eaten! Ordering one for this year next time I see him! Quote Link to post
Phantom 631 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Well done Tony, they really do taste nice don't they? Actually we had a stupendous turkey for our Christmas dinner, we bought it from the permission holder, lovely free range, grain fed, Norfolk Black job. Best turkey I have ever eaten! Ordering one for this year next time I see him! They sure do but alas I must admit, that I have not shot a thing (other than paper and metal knockdown targets with my pistols) for such a long time! This particular Pheasant was given to me before xmas as a gift for helping someone out with his computer problems. It had numerous little holes within it, but hey it tastes just as good and I didn't knock out any of my teeth on the lead Roasted Pheasant, with boiled Spuds with skin on, and carrots, two small Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls with a Poultry Gravy and cracked black peppercorns! I decided against making Yourkshire Pudding and Roast Spuds (two of my faourite foods) as the fat contained in them would make me ill! I have dispatched Duck, before and that was awsome; but yet to top my very 1st Pheasant myself. Due to the GastricByPass, this single Pheasant will last me and Astraeus (my cat) at least three days! Tony Quote Link to post
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