Weekend with Outshooting Latest Edit Plus More pics

[Deker 3,491]

Last Weekend of the Season (For Much)

 

The invite came in early December and eventually the day itself had arrived

 

An early start, not something I relish, but a 207 mile trip to the boundary of Devon and Cornwall lay ahead with a quick stop in Swindon to collect my lad Miles (and have a cuppa).

 

It was dark of course, but as the motorway miles passed the dawn brought a bright crisp start and a clear trip followed all the way! We arrived shortly before 11.00am and met up with Lee; my old friend and host for the weekend; we would have been there earlier except for the Sat Nav trying to take me over fields, bridleways and Fords swollen to the size of raging torrents!

 

A quick greeting and down to the job in hand. Straight into the field just 10 paces from where we had parked, and with a bit of help from Wilf (Lees dog) who bolted a rabbit; they seem to get up early in this part of the country; our first result of the day fell to the thunderous morning roar of Mr Beretta!...and it was only about 11.30am.

 

Back into the 4x4's and off we go, 20 minutes and 14 miles later we are on 1250 acres of undulating and diverse land staring at the Atlantic in the distance (Old signs at B&B's proclaiming "Sea Views" spring to mind). My 4x4 got parked in favour of Lees.

 

We were lucky with the weather on the day, but the rains had taken their toll on the ground and it was heavy going underfoot with deep mud and surface water on much of the lower land.

 

Shotguns in hand the 3 off us head off to explore this new terrain with eager expectations of Woodcock, Snipe, Plover, Pheasant, etc, etc, up and down hills and across crystal clear picture book streams. Arriving at an extremely wet area, but with plenty of ground cover, we spread out to walk the field and within 30 yards a Snipe appears like a bolt, but with the honed reflexes of a 19 year old my lad dropped it just as quickly, a first rate shot by any standards. More birds appeared, and actually a whole great tribe of them at one stage, but none within range.

 

Back to the 4x4 where, unknown to us, our host had prepared some lunch. Beef and onion sanwiches, scotch eggs, crisps, chocolate, hot drink, etc, etc were greeted by hungry eyes and devoured in a flash. A more than welcome interlude which set us up perfectly for the afternoons adventures.

 

More fields followed and the birds were plentiful, just too far away; with so much water and mud around it was very hard getting close!

 

As the day wore on we found a Fox stalking the very birds we were after .......Mhhhh! We hastily changed to heavier cartridges and hatched a plot to approach him from different angles. All was going well and things looked promising as we were closing to about -90 yards but then he took off.

 

Time to move on, get cleaned up, have some dinner and look forward to the nights shoot. Back to the Hotel by about 18.30, we were met by Lee again at 20.00.

 

Off we go to yet more land and have fun and games with the rolling low ground mist, no sooner does it arrive than it goes again, a pattern which was to continue all night! Lee and Miles carry .22LR and I've got the centrefire, the plan is rabbit and fox. Things go well in and out of the mist, and Miles takes a rabbit under the lamp free standing at 60-70 yards with a sub, flippin 'ek, he's doing well today, and as if to prove the point he performs the same trick again just a few minutes later! Not to be outdone, Lee shows us he can do it too with another excellent long range rabbit, at this point I'm a bystander watching the boys with their toys.

 

Off to yet another piece of land, a couple more rabbits fall to the rimmys and then one of those amazing moments. I am in the centre and the guys are about 20 yards either side of me, they are zeroing in on a rabbit they are both lamping, bang, they let go simultaneously and I catch a flash of both of the bullets in the lamp beams as they hone in on the target, incredible! Lee has more plans so it's off again!

 

The fields are bigger here, and Lee promises a good chance of fox, usually deer around during the day as well! He loads with high velocity, Miles has the subs and I'm still hoping for my first shot of the night with the centrefire. It comes sooner than I think, we are leaning on a good firm farm gate and the rimmy boys are beading down on a couple of rabbits, but they decide to scarper way out of range. As I watch through the scope and they become small dots in the distance I check with Lee to see what lays behind, when told its nothing but a few thousand acres of his, his brothers and neighbours field it's just too much of a challenge to pass up. So, leaning on a mist soaked metal gate at 2.00am, up to my ankles in mud and looking at this distant dot, just visible through the misty night air, even with 2 Tracer Minis on it, I let go with the centrefire. Contact was obvious and as we walked to it we paced it out to 179 yards, arriving to find a neat entry hole which had removed the whole heart upon exit. I don't mind admitting I was very happy with that one!

 

Several hundred yards on we lean over another gate to find a deer (Roe Doe), far right by the hedgerow. Impossible of course at that time of night but we went into the field to have a closer look and stalk to a massive lump of rock (quartz) to get some angle. Sadly the deer had other ideas and by this time was nowhere to be seen, but a pair of eyes stared at me from the undergrowth on a bank in the hedgerow. Clear as day the white chest and regal look of Charlie just sitting their on his backside looking at me. Not phased at all by the lamp I had plenty of time and support for the shot. The HP found its mark with a more than satisfying thud and it dropped on the spot. A beautiful Vixen!

 

Time was passing but Lee still had more plans, off to yet another area and another couple of rabbits to the rimmy boys. Then, just as we are about to call it a day Lee spots a rabbit at about 100 yards, gun to shoulder in a flash, and once again I see the bullet path in the lamping beam as it finds its mark. Excellent shot yet again.

 

With pats on the back all round tonight we meander back to the 4x4. A brilliant day, we had all made some fantastic shots on a day when you could easily expect to be missing everything! 04.00 in the morning exactly as we arrive back at the hotel! I've been up nearly 23 hours and driven some 260 miles so far! You guessed it, making it in time for breakfast was a real struggle!

 

Lee was the perfect host and I can't thank him enough for the invite.

 

Copyright Deker 01/2008

 

 

More Pics added in post further below

Edited February 2, 2008 by Deker

[Guest JohnGalway]

Great read that, I enjoyed it a lot

[markbivvy 6]

top man deker, well done .

[darren 0]

that outshooting sounds a real top bloke,hes always offering people the oppurtunity to go on his land,shame theres not a few more of him about.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Cracking tale there mate.Deer at night though ?

[outshooting 0]

You are more than welcome Deker, i also had a great day & night. Both you & Miles are very nice genuine people, i am having trouble deciding which was shot of the day, your 179 yard Rabbit or Miles, with his great shot on the snipe field well i guess with you being Dad & the fact that you taught your son to shoot it should go down to you, (sorry miles you will have to out do your dad next time ).

 

 

You are both more than welcome down here any time.

 

 

speak soon

Lee

[TOPPER 1,809]

ill second that lees agood host and as mwntioned before its ashame theres not more about like him top banana

[Deker 3,491]

Hi Everyone

 

This is a quick write up and lots of extras and editing will take place before the article is ready (edited several times already), anyway thought you may like a quick look. My lad is sending me some more pictures from the day so hopefully I will be able to put one or two more up soon.

 

Also shot wise, yep.. I can't go wrong can I...if my lad makes the best shot it's because Dad taught him well, frankly I was very impressed with Lees very long range free standing rabbit at the end of the night.....anyway..enough of the mutual appreciation society.....it was great weekend.

 

Thank you Lee (outshooting).

 

Cheers

 

Deker

[Deker 3,491]

Cracking tale there mate.Deer at night though ?

 

 

Hi Foxdropper

 

Yep... Deer at night but only looking ....didn't touch, I've edited things to make that a little clearer.

 

Cheers

[jamie g 17]

Last Weekend of the Season (For Much)

 

The invite came in early December and eventually the day itself had arrived

 

An early start, not something I relish, but a 207 mile trip to the boundary of Devon and Cornwall lay ahead with a quick stop in Swindon to collect my lad Miles (and have a cuppa).

 

It was dark of course, but as the motorway miles passed the dawn brought a bright crisp start and a clear trip followed all the way! We arrived shortly before 11.00am and met up with Lee; my old friend and host for the weekend; we would have been there earlier except for the Sat Nav trying to take me over fields, bridleways and Fords swollen to the size of raging torrents!

 

A quick greeting and down to the job in hand. Straight into the field just 10 paces from where we had parked, and with a bit of help from Wilf (Lees dog) who bolted a rabbit; they seem to get up early in this part of the country; our first result of the day fell to the thunderous morning roar of Mr Beretta!...and it was only about 11.30am.

 

Back into the 4x4's and off we go, 20 minutes and 14 miles later we are on 1250 acres of undulating and diverse land staring at the Atlantic in the distance (Old signs at B&B's proclaiming "Sea Views" spring to mind). My 4x4 got parked in favour of Lees.

 

We were lucky with the weather on the day, but the rains had taken their toll on the ground and it was heavy going underfoot with deep mud and surface water on much of the lower land.

 

Shotguns in hand the 3 off us head off to explore this new terrain with eager expectations of Woodcock, Snipe, Plover, Pheasant, etc, etc, up and down hills and across crystal clear picture book streams. Arriving at an extremely wet area, but with plenty of ground cover, we spread out to walk the field and within 30 yards a Snipe appears like a bolt, but with the honed reflexes of a 19 year old my lad dropped it just as quickly, a first rate shot by any standards. More birds appeared, and actually a whole great tribe of them at one stage, but none within range.

 

Back to the 4x4 where, unknown to us, our host had prepared some lunch. Beef and onion sanwiches, scotch eggs, crisps, chocolate, hot drink, etc, etc were greeted by hungry eyes and devoured in a flash. A more than welcome interlude which set us up perfectly for the afternoons adventures.

 

More fields followed and the birds were plentiful, just too far away; with so much water and mud around it was very hard getting close!

 

As the day wore on we found a Fox stalking the very birds we were after .......Mhhhh! We hastily changed to heavier cartridges and hatched a plot to approach him from different angles. All was going well and things looked promising as we were closing to about -90 yards but then he took off.

 

Time to move on, get cleaned up, have some dinner and look forward to the nights shoot. Back to the Hotel by about 18.30, we were met by Lee again at 20.00.

 

Off we go to yet more land and have fun and games with the rolling low ground mist, no sooner does it arrive than it goes again, a pattern which was to continue all night! Lee and Miles carry .22LR and I've got the centrefire, the plan is rabbit and fox. Things go well in and out of the mist, and Miles takes a rabbit under the lamp free standing at 60-70 yards with a sub, flippin 'ek, he's doing well today, and as if to prove the point he performs the same trick again just a few minutes later! Not to be outdone, Lee shows us he can do it too with another excellent long range rabbit, at this point I'm a bystander watching the boys with their toys.

 

Off to yet another piece of land, a couple more rabbits fall to the rimmys and then one of those amazing moments. I am in the centre and the guys are about 20 yards either side of me, they are zeroing in on a rabbit they are both lamping, bang, they let go simultaneously and I catch a flash of both of the bullets in the lamp beams as they hone in on the target, incredible! Lee has more plans so it's off again!

 

The fields are bigger here, and Lee promises a good chance of fox, usually deer around during the day as well! He loads with high velocity, Miles has the subs and I'm still hoping for my first shot of the night with the centrefire. It comes sooner than I think, we are leaning on a good firm farm gate and the rimmy boys are beading down on a couple of rabbits, but they decide to scarper way out of range. As I watch through the scope and they become small dots in the distance I check with Lee to see what lays behind, when told its nothing but a few thousand acres of his, his brothers and neighbours field it's just too much of a challenge to pass up. So, leaning on a mist soaked metal gate at 2.00am, up to my ankles in mud and looking at this distant dot, just visible through the misty night air, even with 2 Tracer Minis on it, I let go with the centrefire. Contact was obvious and as we walked to it we paced it out to 179 yards, arriving to find a neat entry hole which had removed the whole heart upon exit. I don't mind admitting I was very happy with that one!

 

Several hundred yards on we lean over another gate to find a deer (Roe Doe), far right by the hedgerow. Impossible of course at that time of night but we went into the field to have a closer look and stalk to a massive lump of rock (quartz) to get some angle. Sadly the deer had other ideas and by this time was nowhere to be seen, but a pair of eyes stared at me from the undergrowth on a bank in the hedgerow. Clear as day the white chest and regal look of Charlie just sitting their on his backside looking at me. Not phased at all by the lamp I had plenty of time and support for the shot. The HP found its mark with a more than satisfying thud and it dropped on the spot. A beautiful Vixen!

 

Time was passing but Lee still had more plans, off to yet another area and another couple of rabbits to the rimmy boys. Then, just as we are about to call it a day Lee spots a rabbit at about 100 yards, gun to shoulder in a flash, and once again I see the bullet path in the lamping beam as it finds its mark. Excellent shot yet again.

 

With pats on the back all round tonight we meander back to the 4x4. A brilliant day, we had all made some fantastic shots on a day when you could easily expect to be missing everything! 04.00 in the morning exactly as we arrive back at the hotel! I've been up nearly 23 hours and driven some 260 miles so far! You guessed it, making it in time for breakfast was a real struggle!

 

Lee was the perfect host and I can't thank him enough for the invite.

 

Copyright Deker 01/2008

 

great read mate

[Deker 3,491]

Some more pics from the weekend:

 

1 Lee (outshooting) Wilf the Dog and your Author.

 

2 Lunch courtesy Lee, excellent!

 

3 Clear and fresh streams.

 

Pictures courtesy Miles copyright Deker 1/2008