First Decent Night of the Year!

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Was sat in Chat tonight, drinking Tea?! I guess that proves my hairs were telling me something? I usually succumb to a Guinness long before then. Anyway; I was talking to various people who were saying how it was blowing. It was here too. But it had been bright last night and 'my' wind has a habit of stopping the moment I go out the gate! But I sipped my tea. Watched and waited.

 

By, I guess, around 19:30 or so, it Was dark! Still blowing a hooley and DARK! I bid the room 'Later'. Grabbed that beastly rifle of mine and set out for my customary Patrol.

 

As I wandered up the track I was actually probably more alert and switched on than I've ever been. I was actually hopeful of a contact, if not exactly optomistic!

 

3/4 of the way up and I got some eyes to my right. Down beside a steel gate. The gate was open and I had a clear shot. Fifty yards or so. But I couldn't quite comprehend the target! It appeared to have a black face with a white divide. It was actyally (funnily enough) about the size of a bloody badger too! Only it's off white looking body and more tubular shape told me this was the one creature possibly More off my list than badgers! I swear to god it was somebody's bloody Jack Russell!!!

 

Now, ok. I know 'all' the Dogs round here. It wasn't Noels. But it was on his land. And it was stood there peering back up the beam at me and refused to move for a few squeaks. I examined it from various angles. Decided it seemed fine and was just out minding it's own business and went on my way.

 

Then it struck me: Of all the vile f*cking luck! First perfect night since I got The Beast, and I'm out here competeing with a wandering bloody Dog! I figured that little f*cker will have scared anything and Everything away. I was on yet another hiding to nothing!

 

Oh well. I was here now and it wasn't unpleasent. Seldom is, on the way out. So I wandered down to my usual land limit. Had a bloody good shine on the way. Turned back. Came along having a cursory. Sure enough: Zilch!

 

Got to the top of my track and started relooking the fields to either side, hoping to get a better look at this pesky little Dog. No sign of him, though I had heard him yapping a while ago, so I Really figured he'd completely f*cked for me. But, what the hell. I kept up the routine and meant it.

 

Came down to my top gate. Came through it. Lamped over the home acre. There was my donkey. Nothing else but grass. Took a shine over Pat's top field, newly mown and short and ..... EYES!

 

Right up there, in the top gateway. The one without any gate in it. In fact, bang level with the top of my own private ground! First I thought it was my little mate again. Then I figured it might be the Rat Ranchers bloody thing. So, either way, I switched off and walked on down towards the light of my own cotage. I was going home. As usual

 

But, well; Like ye Have to do, obviously, upon drawing just before level, I shone again. And the eyes shone back! It hadn't moved! And it wasn't any f*cking Dog either!

 

Now, this is ground Right outside my own front gate. I Know this bit! Dark as it was, I knew that opening. Knew the trees along the ditch. Knew the ditch. Knew there was a solid bank behind the target and the Rat Ranchers place was well out of line behind a huge, high rising bank. Perfect shot!

 

The b*stard was hunkered down beneath the bank so I figured it must be intent on eating some prey. That encouraged me to take the risk and extreme liberty of actually stepping across the ditch - praying as I've never prayed before that Pat's cattle fence was off!

 

It was. I rested the rifle on top of a fence post. Sought and found my target. Went for an engine shot and was aware of how easily that damn trigger squeezes when I Mean what I'm doing! I was also amazed as the rifle went " Pff'fff! " into the night. Seemed like hardly a sound in all that bluster.

 

But, in that second as the recoil brings the scope back and my own reaction moved the gun to plunge everything into darkness and disaray, I saw the b*stard bolting back, right along the bank. Heading like a streak towards the cover of my own boundry hedge! I'd f*cking missed it! About fifty yards at a sitting target, off a rock steady support ..... and I'd f*cked the shot!

 

Oh well. Someone might just concievably have seen the lamp go steady. Might even have seen the muzzle flash. I felt such a prick I actually clamboured over the fence, lamp still on, and walked up to the supposed point of impact. I figured I'd at least save myself further shame by at least making them Think I was off to pick up my result

 

Nothing there, of course. No sign of where the round had struck. No blood. In fact no prey remains either, which I found interesting. I knew exactly where the bugger had been crouching. I also knew painfully well how, for that fraction of a second, I'd seen him jetting along that bank. I was empty inside. Give me a packet of ten fags at a measured 100 yards? I'll give ye rolling tobacco. Live target at fifty? I'm f*cking useless!

 

Like I say, I was just yards above my own cottage and knew the ground there. So, without thinking, I took a few steps more along the bank and turned back to angle down towards Pat's lower gate, reaching for the off switch as I heavily trod. And saw something glint in a cow pat to my left. So I turned, disinterestedly towards it. Swung the light towards it. Compreheded this was one Long cow pat ....!

 

Out with the camera and FLASH! A Very select few friends have tonight commented on what a perfect engine room shot it indeed was. Straight through. In one side and out the other. Thing had three seconds to live from the instant of impact as its heart was destroyed completely ~ something I've picked up along the way.

 

 

So, there ye have it. Cheered me up no end One more piece of predatory vermin removed from my ground

 

Of course, I'm not putting up pictures. There's no point in publicising shots of animals with blood on them. Want to see that? Go shoot something and drool over that, if that's ye bag. No. I've just posted this so the people I know and trust can share in the story ~ as a few have in the 'Trophy Shot'. I mean; Anything I dare to show in This section? " Road Kill! ". " Shotgunned! ". Yeah. What ever.

 

Now, in the words of Christopher Lee, on that timeless album, " The King of Elflands Daughter " .....

 

 

 

" Now, Fetch The Troll!!! "

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

congratulations mate !

 

lets hope its the first of many !

[Guest Frank]

Id still like to see the pic??

You can cover up the shot and present it without the open wound?

Like below Ditch?

Edited October 28, 2007 by Frank

[SNAP SHOT 194]

Ditch i'm chuffed for ye mate, after the long painfull process of the way things work out in life, i'm over the moon, excellently told

a toast is needed TO THE FIRST OF MANY.....

[Guest Magwitch]

i agree with what your saying regarding unsavoury pictures there Ditch like the so called sausage shot and bad bullet placement but good clean humane shots are what everyone should be striving for so therefore i don't have a problem with them

[Guest Scuba1]

No people, Ditchy never put up a picture of his gut shot bird feeder, spilling its seeds either, so I don´t expect to see one of his last shot at his new type of quarry.

 

Happy for you mate. :clapper: well done

 

ATB

 

Michael

[proper job 1]

Good on ya Ditch, and I agree, can't see the point of posting shot fox pics, if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all, JMO.

[Guest little_lloyd]

Sounds a night to remember to me ditchy, Now post the fooking picture

[bshadle 5]

Sounds a wonderful night, Ditch. And you CAN spin a good tale. Compliments and congratulations.

[conor 7]

full to the eyeballs with s..t as per usual

[Guest Frank]

full to the eyeballs with s..t as per usual

 

 

[conor 7]

full to the eyeballs with s..t as per usual

 

 

if he got one he must have tripped over a fox and dropped the rifle on the poor things head

[Guest Frank]

full to the eyeballs with s..t as per usual

 

 

if he got one he must have tripped over a fox and dropped the rifle on the poor things head

 

Nahh, not DS, his handi pee shooter, would not miss??

Edited October 28, 2007 by Frank

[conor 7]

full to the eyeballs with s..t as per usual

 

 

if he got one he must have tripped over a fox and dropped the rifle on the poor things head

 

Nahh, not DS, his handi pee shooter, would not miss??

if it shoots as good as ditch talks shite, the rifle would shoot foxes by itself... a mile away

[Guest digdeep]

Ditch, even though you told me that "story" on the night, reading that just made me picture it all again,

one night that wont be forgotten in a hurry thats for sure!

as for shooting wise, i`m still impressed with how clean the shot was

 

Frank and conor play nice boys, open your eyes lads, if we put pics on just to keep you`s two happy there would only be you two on here!

 

 

Before you ask, YES i have seen the evidence "PICS"