Thursday, Friday and feeling yuk!

[Phantom 631]

Having been pretty low in mood for the last week or so, a friend of mine decided he wanted to get me away from this place and take me to the Cemetery to do something to cheer me up.

He’s yet to shoot any quarry because although he’s now pretty good at paper at 30 yards, he doesn’t quite get the idea of hold over or under. We arrived about 22:00 and as we pulled up a half dozen or so little furry thumpers could be seen, four of the furry little feckers in the walkway itself! Chewing on or scratching up the shoots under the grass.

Of course as soon as we opened the door of the car, they all legged it. I was hoping that the gun had held its zero despite knocking the muzzle end as I took the bag out of the car.

I wasn’t really in the mood for shooting so I hadn’t even bothered putting a jacket on never mind the full gear and of course the battery for the lamp hadn’t been charged either, this was more a trip to humor him and to get some air into my lungs.

A few minutes later I had popped a couple of rounds into the target made a couple of click’s on each turret and although the grouping was a bit wider than what I would usually allow myself to get away with I thought, feck it, that’ll do.

Handing the gun to my friend, he put 5 rounds all in the black of the Jackal target (about an inch wide black zone) so all was okay.

We began our first tour of the land. As we walked about we were both heavily backlit and the orange glow from the street lights made my arms stand out a mile. As we approached the second large bush on the left I saw a bunny bolt across the grass heading in the direction of the new section. I caught its attention and it froze. I told my mate to stay put and I scooted behind the bush and, using the bush as cover I lined up the crosshair, flicked on the almost dead lamp, raised the gun by almost a Mildot and let off the shot. I half expected the pellet to streak across the top of old bugs, and watch her run but it didn’t.

The little dot of the Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum pellet could be seen streaking across its trajectory, vanishing with a loud crack and the bunny just rolled over with only a little wave goodnight. I reloaded as I we walked over. As we got there my mate said “Dude, it’s still alive, look it’s moving”

“It’s dead” I replied “that’s just a bit of nerves, look at the chest, it’s not breathing” Picking up the dead rabbit by the ears it’s bladder emptied confirming it was well and truly deceased.

I gave the gun to him and I took the bunny back to the bench in the new section.

By the time I’d returned there was no sight of my mate! Then I caught glimpse of movement under the Horse Chestnut tree. Well if there were any bunnies left around that end of the cemetery, there sure as hell won’t be now I thought to myself. By the time I had walked over, he was coming out of the Paddock “Dude, I just missed a rabbit” he exclaimed “I had the crosshair bang on where you told me right between the ear and the eye, I can’t believe it” “Where was it?” I enquired, “Right there next to that line of weeds after the brown soil”. I explained to him that the gun was zeroed at 30 yards and that particular point he was looking at was more along the lines of 40 to 45 yards away and he really shouldn’t take shots without me being next to him. I will get it through his head one day.

We then did a perimeter walk around the Paddock, my mate being his usual self walking about 15 feet away from the edge yapping away with his fag in his gob of course meant no more bunnies were daft enough to hang around. “Let’s go get some beer instead” he declared after we finished the walk. So back we came and had a few bevies and had a play with the Rat catcher I’m building/refurbishing.

Here’s the one I shot

 

 

In the morning, I woke up feeling absolutely crap, not sure if I was a hung over (very unlikely) or if I’d eaten something. I got a text Chris to say that he had to pick up a part for his car and he would be along shortly. Again I wasn’t really in the mood and really was feeling quite ill. My mate, who had slept on the old folding army cot left and I got my stuff together for the afternoon shooting.

Like I say I wasn’t my usual self and if it had been anyone else other than Chris I’d have cancelled. It is however always a pleasure to go shooting with someone who has taken to hunting like a Duck to water and I knew that he wouldn’t take any risky shots and best part was I could let him wander about the paddock while I stayed in the shade of a tree in the cemetery.

 

Chris arrived and we promptly loaded up the car and off we went. Got onto Great Gutter Lane and I had to get Chris to pull over as I was suddenly wrenching my guts up. Of course due to not having much of a stomach left I can’t actually be sick. I just go through the motions and froth at the mouth

Once I had some more air in my lungs we continued and arrived at the cemetery, the Sun was shining and we began our zero check. During this little session I heard Chris say “She’s Mine!”

I thought WTF? And just as I turned to ask what he was on about I saw something fall from the tree at the end of the allotments. It was unmistakably a Wood Pigeon! Chris jumped up and quickly walked the 30 yards and recovered the dead bird. I could see the wound right behind its eye, blood dripping from both the entrance and what was left of the other side of the head, it was only then that I realised what had happened!

I congratulated Chris on an excellent surgical shot and on his first Woody Awesome shooting!

 

We had a wander and placed our gear under the Horse Chestnut tree and we suited up and did a radio check. Chris went into the Paddock and I laid in the Cemetery in the shade of a big tree so that I could keep cool while at the same time keep an eye on the central warren that has had a large amount of new sand and soil dug out of it with fresh rabbit prints in it and I had a good view over the main part of the cemetery. A short time later I noticed someone bring the big bin back into the grounds, he had a dog on a lead and he waved at me, I walked over and found it to be David, the guy who signed the permission form for me.

We chatted a bit and he asked about the call that he had received from the police a few weeks ago after that nosey person had called the police. He told me that I was doing a good job and that the Church Parish Council was very pleased by my efforts.

After David had gone I went back to lay prone and keep my eyes open for twitching ears and noses. I had began to relax and had nodded off when the radio crackled into life “Got one Tony” said Chris, he’d been following this particular rabbit around the perimeter of the Paddock before he managed to get a clear shot. Stalking skills have come naturally to Chris and he’s become a very capable stalker

I think I spent most of the rest of the afternoon somewhere between wrenching my guts out of my chest and sleeping, however I did get one shot off at a Woody; it was just sat staring at me however through the scope its head was hidden behind an inch thick branch. I waited for what seemed an age until it stretched its head up and gave me a clear shot. Because of the steep angle I gave it a little hold under and the pellet smacked home just above the beak and exited the back of the head, it didn’t get chance to open its wings before it fell from the tree in Mrs G’s garden landing under the thorns and Holly bushes in the Cemetery. After recovering it, I must have gone back to sleep!

Chris made a few more circuits of the Paddock and we then called it a day.

 

 

Now having written this tonight and still feeling ill as well as spending most of the day on the throne, I have either eaten something or that I've picked up some bug or other!

 

Chris if you took any pix send em to me or pop em onto this thread please buddy.

 

Thanks again Chris, sorry I wasn't the most sociable person yesterday!

 

Tony

[Woodworm1972 24]

No need to be sorry Tony, we all have off days :-)

 

The only photo I wanted to take that day was of the position I had taken up lying in wait for roger :-p

 

 

There'll be other days mate

 

Chris

[stealthy1 3,964]

Nice shooting lads, if you had puked out in the open, it may have attracted some corvids

[ftm 3,357]

hope you get over your illness mate probably just a bug or something-billy