An update from the reprobate

[hutch6 550]

So as explained in my last thread I have the gun, I have the land and I have broken the seal on both gun and land.

 

The landowners are great. We get on really well and they just let me get on with things and when i am there I lend a hand to them or the stable manager in shifting stuff about for them - a good relationship is blossoming between us all which is good.

 

I have been down a few times since my last update as I was off work last week where it was a trade of four days annual leave for nine days off work and I found myself moving from my habitual early mornings to creeping in at smackhead o’clock in the morning whisper shouting at the dogs as they barked through excitement to see me. I don’t know if they think I’m a burglar or they think I am Santa with a big sack of food. Whisper shouting for those that don’t know is the ridiculous practice of doing everything you would if you were shouting from straining your eyeballs to the full mouth episode with clenched teeth etc but what comes out is at whisper volume. It is a pointless exercise like explaining something to someone with a window between you but it sooths the soul with the knowledge of “at least I tried”. Back to hunting anyway….

 

I decided to start late by the clock and crack on through the night so after a brew and smoking a death stick at around 9pm I set off in anticipation of “Bagging a few” but feeling like I was about to walk from the darkness of the tunnel into the flooding blinding light of a packed Wembley to take the deciding penalty. Why was I nervous? I get the same feeling when I go fly fishing or lamping with the dog so I figured it must just fall into the category of “Things I love doing”.

 

Arrived on site, had a look around from the view point of the car park which overlooks the bottom four paddocks and then had a wild fantasy about the possibilities of what could be lying in wait on the steep field, the long field and the top four paddocks that were out of site. The numbers my mind put there were ridiculous, you couldn’t even open the gates for the rabbits getting the way.

I zeroed the rifle in the fading light, lit another death stick, pulled out the binos and scanned the bottom paddocks in detail. A few showing in the middle, plenty around the bottom hedge and one or two transients making their way to better pasture ground. I decided I would leave them for later and head up to the unseen treasures.

 

I stormed away from the car tooled up and wired for some crosshairs on fur action so fast and hastily I had to have a word with myself as to why I was in such a rush as I was set for the night, didn’t have work and I could just enjoy myself.

I slowly approached the beginning of the steep slope field path. Behind me from here is miles of open moorland which I have to explain or it doesn’t quite make sense. Anyway, I flick the lamp on the scope a few times to swing the beam across what lies ahead looking for those tell-tale red dots. I catch one or two in the beam but in my haste to get in position I spook them a little and they hop over the brow of the undulating ground. I could pursue them but I would more likely spook everything there and with there being a better spot at the top that overlooks most of it I play the percentages and wait.

The wind direction means I can’t go straight to the desirable position so I make a detour and go right up over the tops to check out the top field and top four paddocks on a wide circle so as to not contaminate the breeze with my stinking human odour.

After half an hour of gently gently around what you could walk in about 10mins if you weren’t bothered about things I found nothing. Was I too early? Had something happened? Was there a good film on at the cinema they were all watching?

Que sera and I was making my way to the spot I really wanted to get to. The light had gone but my eyes had adjusted to the shades of deep grey to black and I crept along the long field back to the top of the steep field. A few showed in the long field but they hopped through the fence into the steep field stocking my killing field.

 

Before I got within creeping range I took the opportunity to reduce the need to pee after spending ages getting into position – nature plays a cruel game on you sometimes. When I was running on empty I made my way softly softly gently gently into position. I placed the bipod legs down without a noise (a scope lamp and a bipod? Someone has been treating themselves ) and assumed the press up position before lowering myself down beside the gun.

I tilted the rifle on the bipod, used the remote switch to activate the lamp (with red filter on – hel yeah!!) and was met by a neon measled view. Eyes everywhere. It was like being in the Crystal Maze crystal, I didn’t want to be selective between gold and silver to win an activity weekend away in Cleethorpes, I just wanted to grab grab grab!! I lined up just behind the devilish glow of an eye, took a moment to enjoy the red corona around the widened pupil, took up the trigger tension, breathed to mid lung capacity to stop the muscles starving and pulled through to the back of the trigger system. My ears were filled with that noise you only hear or want to hear at this point and the corona was at a new angle and fading.

Everything but a few bravehearts made a dash for cover. I lined up another corona, decided to do a mid-shot stock take and just enjoyed watching the kit try and figure out what the heck was going on. There had been some zonka bunnies in the group and to bag one I was going to have to wait.

 

Figuring I had put them to ground anyway I walked over, picked up the fallen, helped it with its toilet activities and then laid it and myself down beside the gun for the wait.

I laid there for felt like ages but was about 30secs before bringing my left arm across my front and resting my head on it. I estimated I would have to wait some 5-10mins for them to venture out again so I made myself comfortable and settled in for the stakeout.

My mind wondered from this and that, a bit more of this and bigger bit of that when I was disturbed from thought by the sound of galloping behind me which came to an abrupt stop but not before it was loud enough to be just behind me.

“Shit! They’ve left one of the horses out! Hang on though. The gate was open and all other gates were open and they all open out onto the moorland so if I was a horse I would have buggered off by now and wouldn’t be back until brekkie”.

Sniff, sniff, sniff! Sniiiiiiiff! This noise was made around my feet area.

“What the hell is that?”

 

I slowly slid my left arm from under my head but didn’t raise my head. I held the remote lamp switch against the stock, took grip of my rifle and then spun over as fast as I could and flicked on the lamp to see what peril was lurking at my feet.

Staring directly back at me was something that was just as surprised as I was and we shared a second that seemed to be stretched out to a few whilst we weighed up who was the rock, who was the paper and when the scissors were going to arrive.

I must have been the paper as the opposition leapt clean over my legs and the little bunch of nettles I was lying next to and staggered to a stop a few yards away. I followed it with the rifle and lamp and when my senses returned, from concentrating on keeping my bowels and arse tight, there in the red light was a stunning Roe stag. “You are beautiful” I whispered before cursing the size of my calibre.

 

I took a total of 6 for the night with five being selected for size rather than opportunity and went home at mid darkness still in awe of the chance meeting.

 

I promise I will take a camera out for you that like picture books just so you don’t think I’m a keyboard warrior.

[milegajo 595]

A fantastic account. A few titters to be had to boot. Nice work hutch6, I sense another airgun junkie in our midst!

[BEARINATOR 2,924]

Good read mate and a nice result

[secretagentmole 1,701]

You could have battered the stag round the head with the stock of your gun! Advisable to buy a B2 for such hunting attempts though!

 

Nice write up and great shooting!

[Mawders 595]

Nice write up mate, I do love a good picture book so pics are a must next time fellow airgun junkie!