Out for a quick hoodie ambush

[Guest JohnGalway]

Evening folks,

 

Well I'd this written the firefox went and had a mood swing! So have to redo it now, the short version, ah are those sighs of relief I hear Anyway, I set up my decoy on a fence line that has a big safe hill behind it. I spread some bread nearby just for effect, not cold enough yet for them to be desperate for food. I got into my position under a gorse bush.

 

 

Soon enough I had 8-10 winged vermin circling me, cawing and swooping. It was hard to keep the smile off my face, they're going to land on the fence very soon. I had positioned my decoy on the fourth highest post, as the hoodies like to be higher up than the stranger when they land Now, here's where I make my mistake. I'd a very itchy trigger finger. So when the first hoodie came in to land my crosshairs was on the highest post well before he was. He landed, had a look around then after a loud Booommm done an impressive backwards somersault off the post, in a few pieces. I'd not seen any better at this years Olympics, not even from the Chinese. So what was the mistake? I should have let them all, or as many as were going to, land on the fence. Let them get settled and feel a bit more secure then start picking them off. There's more fo a chance after the first shot they'd just rise and settle down again But I just had to go and shoot him, no two ways about it

 

I didn't take a photo of the hoodie, as said he was in bits, but this is the post he was on to show he got well and truly "greased". The cable ties are from previous ambush decoys

 

 

Something I learned from using the trail cameras last year was that hoodies seem to be attracted or at least curious about their dead, so I left him out on that hill for another day

[Deker 3,491]

Good setup and good shooting!!

[Guest JohnGalway]

Thanks Deker, only one hoodie lol but I've not been out properly in a while. Just looking at my sunshade in the first photo, that reflection could be a problem on sunny days.

[SportingShooter 0]

Ah, Don't you love it when something comes together and gives you a result!

 

One dead Hoodie is more than I managed with one shot of a .243, and about 12+ shotgun shells. I missed every damn one, its my mission for when I come back there, must shoot a Hoodie!

 

Good Stuff John, I wouldn't advise any sudden upward movements in that gorse bush though :laugh:

 

SS

[markbivvy 6]

Good do John.

[Malt 379]

Nice one JG! It's not just me that's having problems with the latest firefox then?

[riggers 2]

nice choice of cover last time i was in a firing position in gorse i got stung by a bee and got jagged to hell .243 take it you like your quarry cooked and served lol

[sounder 9]

well done john good spot to hide, well it payed off them grey are no easy to get sitting, cheers ray

[Guest JohnGalway]

Cheers fellas. Biggest problem around here isn't finding a spot they'll settle on, I know loads of them, but finding a place they settle on that isn't backed by wide open sky! There's nothing but thorns in and under those bloody bushes, but I bought myself a nice handy turkey shooting seat from Cabelas It's basically just a big foam pad you sit on with a thinner back held together by straps. Undo the straps and it makes a nice, if short, mat that you can shoot off, keeps me very dry and very warm and best of all thorn free!

 

It was just the one bird, but hoodies are very wary and very intelligent. It gives me great satisfaction in outsmarting them I'll leave that spot for a little while now, try a couple of others when I have time and try to identify new spots. I'm sure some of you will have very good ambush areas, it's well worth the time having a look about the farm when you have a chance