Daz39 Strikes Again,well Happy With Him

[bigmac 97kt 13,836]

Ill let daz tell you all as it was his night atvbmac :thumbs:

[Daz39 962]

I got up to the farm about an hour before Mac last night, I’m desperate to “do a Mac” by having a rabbit sat waiting for him when he arrives but I never manage it, should have last night. After scoping in I had a walk around the paddocks, it was really windy so I made sure I was walking into it, rather than with it. As I moved from one paddock to the next I spotted the first rabbit sat in a trough in the ground. It was no more than 15 yards but as I raised the rifle, I couldn’t see, the wind had made my eyes stream with tears and I was all blurred vision. Not happy that I could take a clean shot, I wiped my eyes, but in doing so, took too long and bugs was away.

 

I decided to take a look down the long walk as I can never convince Mac to take that hike, I heard a couple of rabbits in the hedge row but didn’t see one until I was right at the bottom of the 500 yrd walk. I spotted him about 50 yrds away and managed to get to about 25 yrds from him when he started to hop to the hedge row. I stopped and took a knee and waited, he sat still so I slowly raised the rifle, just as I had him in the crosshairs, he hopped the last yrd into the hedge. Dang nab it. Given the rifle is scoped in for 33yrd I should have taken a shot sooner.

 

I walked back up to the car to meet Mac, his car was there but he’d gone walkabout. I sat in my car to get warm for 15 mins, and as I opened the door to get out, Mac shouts BANG and scared the crap out of me. Him showing his stalking prowess!! Funny b*****d.

 

The farm has been VERY quiet rabbit wise lately and Mac was very pessimistic about seeing anything. We had a walk around for an hour or so and saw nothing, back to the car for some scran and I bullied him into the long walk. Not fair given he had “the op” just a couple of weeks ago, but I said I guarantee there will be rabbits there.

 

Once he was suckered in, off we went. No rabbits at all in the normal spots and it wasn’t looking good until halfway down the walk Mac spotted one (I couldn’t see the damn thing). He set of to stalk but while it was still a good 40 yrds off, it legged it to cover. I half expected Mac to quit then but buoyed by the sight of the rabbit, he pushed on.

 

As we got near the bottom of the walk he spotted another. Now I have mentioned a couple of things before, 1) There are lamp posts down the walk at around 33-35yrd splits, great for distance judging (Cheers Vislauk for that tip), 2) Mac is very good a stalking, but 3) Crap at judging distances in the dark, always overestimating distances. So he spots the rabbit (must have been 50 yrds) and off he sets, I’m in my customary position, just off his right shoulder and I finally see the rabbit at about 40 yrds. He keeps going. I’m looking at the lamp post and thinking, ok, that is about 35 yrds, but I know he can get closer….he keeps going….now we are halfway between the posts, I figure under 20 yrds so I stop, expecting Mac to take a shot any second…he keeps going……we are now 2/3^rd of the way between the posts, I think he can’t be more than 10-12yrds away, what the hell is Mac going to do? This ISN’T a bloody trout! You can’t walk up to it and tickle his tummy to catch him! I wonder at this point if Mac is just going to walk over to it, pick it up and give it to his granddaughter for Xmas!! He keeps going then the rabbit starts to hop away. Mac stops (finally) and goes prone, I’m at maybe 20-25 yrds back with the rabbit bang in my crosshairs so I can see what happens, I hear a pfft and see the pellet fly right over the rabbits head and hit the grass behind it. Mac lets fly the usual profanities and I am genuinely gobsmacked. “what the hell were you trying to do? Just grab it and wring its neck?” how far away do you think you are? Says I. About 20-22yrd says Mac. I paced it, 14 yrds. He had actually stalked to about 12 yrds from the rabbit before it hopped away. I have never seen anyone get so damn close to a wild rabbit. AND THEN MISS!!! The joy of 0.22 I guess. This isn’t meant to take the piss, this was genuine amazement at how well he stalked. Given all that Mac’s been through the last few weeks, no excuses needed, with skills like that, he’ll be back on form very soon.

 

We continued around the corner and start to scan a little further into the field. Mac spotted one just before my lamp met his and I saw the eyes in slightly longer grass at the same time. For once I was on Mac’s left and the rabbit was on my left, so I figured it was closer to me so off I set. It was about 40 yrds away and I stalked over, Mac giving advice as I went. I got to what I felt was a good distance, took a knee, sighted the rifle, squeeze, pfft and before the rabbit had chance to roll over, “Got ‘im, nice one Daz” says Mac. I walked over and the rabbit had just dropped stone dead again. Mac was full of praise and over the moon for me.

 

That is the measure of that man, not 2 mins prior he had missed a rabbit, rather than being pissed off or moody, he was over the moon that I had bagged one.

 

Given Mac’s performance I have decided to promote him. Not only is he my mentor, but he can now also lamp for me and he is my official photographer from tonight haha.

 

Mac, you’re a gent, had a great night, I know there are not many rabbits out, and I know you’re off your game a little, but you’re still top dog. Cheers for last night buddy.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Sounds like you lads had ball, nothing like a bit of friendly banter

[bigmac 97kt 13,836]

We had a good night i got a woody but daz got top prize a rabbit its just good to get out stealthy atvbmac :thumbs:

Edited December 8, 2013 by bigmac 97kt

[stealthy1 3,964]

We had a good night i got a woody but daz got top prize a rabbit its just good to get out stealthy atvbmac :thumbs:

 

You cant beat fresh air and wide open spaces

[vizlauk 1,568]

well done both of you, I was going to join you two lastnight, but talked myself out of it due to how quite it is up there at the moment, pleased daz managed to bag a rabbit at last lol - maybe jimmy had them boots on again or daz got the wd40 out to his - I will find out - the vizlauk will be back out soon the old head is coming back, the s510 is away & im looking for a replacement - but theres always a spare rifle at my best mates bigmac so I know I WONT BE STUCK !

[Daz39 962]

Haha we BOTH changed our boots Sean! That's the magic right there!!

[DenBell 149]

Good write as always Daz. Getting anywhere near a rabbit is good going but 14yrds is impressive!

well done again mate that auto aim seems to be working well for you. .

[Daz39 962]

Dude, Mac was under 12 yrds I'd bet my life on it!! Truely thought he was going for a cuddle not a kill haha.

 

Yeah Auto aim is cracking, was shooting 1" bottle top at 35 yrds, standing unsupported the other night. If I can get something in the scope long enough, its down!

 

You got a Monday/Friday free for a trip up?

[DenBell 149]

i might be out tonight but depends what time me wife gets in from work. haven't been for a week or two and not at all happy with that!

have you found anything at the golf course yet?

[bigmac 97kt 13,836]

Den im going up to the golf course some time this week he needs his spotter there to find them he is useles with out him cant see past his rifle in the dark :laugh: :tongue2: atvbmac :thumbs:

[gosling1960 191]

Nice read yet again keep them coming mate

[Daz39 962]

i might be out tonight but depends what time me wife gets in from work. haven't been for a week or two and not at all happy with that!

have you found anything at the golf course yet?

Not yet....other than a fox a frog and 3 hedgehogs..............

[Daz39 962]

Den im going up to the golf course some time this week he needs his spotter there to find them he is useles with out him cant see past his rifle in the dark :laugh: :tongue2: atvbmac :thumbs:

har-dee-flippin-har......

 

Mind, I can't argue with him!!!

 

There is a box of flapjack in it for ya Mac it you find a rabbit on my GC.

[DenBell 149]

 

Den im going up to the golf course some time this week he needs his spotter there to find them he is useles with out him cant see past his rifle in the dark :laugh: :tongue2: atvbmac :thumbs:

har-dee-flippin-har......

 

Mind, I can't argue with him!!!

 

There is a box of flapjack in it for ya Mac it you find a rabbit on my

 

haha, you would have to have the worst luck in the world to not have a rabbit on a golf course. i've played golf on tons of courses and have never not seen signs of rabbits.

 

I have just found out that a friend of my wife works on a course near me so im going to turn the charm on and see if a can get on there, and im still working on that one i was talking to you about.