Walker570

Yep, very good advice. For top competition then you need the best that suits your needs but for poppong tree rats at 30yrds you don't necessarily need that quality. Go look through a few and then make your mind up. I have used a Hawke scope on my 375JDJ (444Marlin necked down) which will hurt if you don't hold it firmly and the scope has withstood that recoil no problem. Only ever had one problem and on contacting the repair department was told that I had purchased this scope a long time ago and was not worth repairing they offered me a new model at a 50% discount which I accepted.

The one good to come out of this is that it has increased the performance of his big brother and his wife in the public eye. They are superb and Markle must be chewing bricks. The Yanks are betwen a rock and a hard place on the drug issue but the authorities should bite the bullet and kick him out

Sounds good Once our logs have been stored three years in those outside leantoos then each year we transfer sufficient to an old stable where they are kept prior to burning. We have a small leantoo in the yard also where we store that winters burning. Tin rooves are notorious for condensation so good idea to put in a lining.

Hawke I have five of them and a lot of meat has fallen over, from silver medal wild boar to sniffy little tree rats, to a 900 lb Nilgai bull to a fox through my addon night attachment. Can't fault them great value for money against the German/Austrian rip offs. I already told the story a few years back of a pair of Chinon binos I purchased for £60 and was sat in a high seat with a guide who had a similar in fact identical pair but in black rubber. The moulding lines on each was exactly the same. He said his where a well know top German set which he had been given by a German client and retailed at about £400. He was astounded at how identical apart from the rubber cover colouring and the performace in the field. The only other manufacturer I have found to be satisfactory was Leopold, I had a pair of their binos which right from scratch did not meet the standard I expected. I sent them back and they sent me a brand new set which worked perfectly, no hesitation. You get a similar response from Hawke.

Well I had an interesting situation. I followed a new Discovery up a steep grass hill in my basic 1989 Land Rover and the Discovery made it half way and began to slide all over. I put the power on and stormed passed no problem to the top. Later on I mentioned this to the Discovery driver and he was mad as mad because he said the car would not let him drive it. The fancy traction control kept taking over. My view, nothing quite like trusting you right foot.

Stack logs in an open sided leanto where the air and sun can get at it but prevailing wind will not blow rain in. I wouldn't store in 'plastic' bags as the air cannot circulate. I store upwards of seven years supply at any one tme and the logs I am burning at the moment are super dry and I only have to empty the bottom tray of fine grey dust on the Clearview about once a week. We normally burn from 4pm to 10 om every night. This is a photo of our building and extention to our 'leanto' log store which I hope gives you some idea of how to store and dry logs for burning. I appreciate some or most are not as fortunate to ahve the space we have but you can down size no problem. Keep them off the deck and I put them on old pallets which allows air to flow underneath. Hope this helps as nothing beats sitting infront of a nice log fire.

I may have details of a breeder of proper labradors here in Leicestershire. I could make enquiries. Working dogs like Dave at Kelton's but black. Spoke with the owner of two this week and comended her on the dogs, good heads, otter tails and double coats and more important...labrador eyes.

This.

I plan to put a large tray underneath both feeders to catch the fallings. Make it about 6 inches below the actual feeders and then see if they also eat from the tray. Trouble is I have two VERY fat woodpigeons which I have to keep off. Don't want to shoot them as they are almost tame ...... also almost too fat to fly.

Yes we have at least six on the two feeders every morning and afternoon. QUESTION???? Do these goldfinches break open the shells of the niger and eat the inner seed? We have a bucket full of what looks like niger seed on the floor beneath the two feeders and they are emptying them both every two days. Are they leaving the shells or are they wasting stuff??? We still have the bullfinches and now have a regular visit from a hen greenfinch. Host of chaffinches on the maize silage.

We always had some growing in the veg garden. The production was about the sane. Always fresh made the morning , probably Sunday for roast beef lunch. I now buy a mix of mustard and horseradish commercially from Stokea Sauces which is pretty good stuff.

Good report NB and thansk both for mentioning teazels. The meadow alomgside is going to be sprayed and then sown this year with maize for silage before being returned to grass so a bit silly to plant or seed anyhting in case there is some overspray but better for making long term plans.

For the majority of us I believe it is irrelevant, certainly for me. I shoot to kill (not paper) and after a couple of outings I top up the reservoir. Not run out to date although I would be pleased to do so on tree rats🤣

In reality it means he officially an international pariah and to be avoided at all costs. Only the Syrian and Iranian and North Korean regimes may still support him. It also tells the oppressed Russain people what the world thinks of their leader.

Thanks, very helpful. N

Just about to seed the side of a cleaned out pind and never thought of teazels, they would work. Any other ides for pond side bird food?

Whatever, no short cuts and always go over the top with construction and materials. Over the years on many shoots I have come across the good the bad and the ugly. One shoot charging top dollar didn't even put bridges in for guns, scambling through hedge gaps down into ditches and crawling up the other side. Safe to say did not go back there. If it is a longish gap then scaffold poles driven in at an angle either side and then coachbolted to the pole or sleeper will help.

Prefer the Yilditz. Had one or two not so good comments on Kofs but at that money I suppose you can expect the odd duff one. I have two 410 Yilditz which is all I shoot these days. Three hardish seasons and one had new springs and an overhaul (£90) couldn't grumble. They do the job.

It is a problem and I struggled to get my Landy wheel back on the carrier. Lifting was not a problem it is locating the bolts with the holes and holding the weight. For a woman it would impossible. No easy answer short of joining a breakdown service...Greenflag?? This is not just on 4x4 type vehicles. I have stopped on a couple of ocasions and helped smartly dressed ladies who have hit one of the miriad of potholes down our lanes and deflated one of these stupid low profile tyres.

In some ways I am pleased I am at this end of my life. We have a bunch of so called over educated morons running the country and that is only the Civil Service.

At fifteen plus grand ....NO!! My private scheme will not cover it either. As said very frustrating. I have good days and bad days but sometimes a good half day. My other tree rat sites are short of targets at the moment. Gone very quiet. HS2 is like covid...somebody has made a lot of money out of it.

Happy to say our housesparrow numbers have built back up. Had to put up anothe niger seed feeder as the goldfinches where having to stand in line. Bull finch yesterday so good to see they are still about and also a hen greenfinch. Must be a lot of birds on the peanuts down the wood as all seven feeders are almost empty again in five days.

Not all done and dusted yet Kev. It is just very frustrating. I have had an xray two weeks ago but no result YET. I have a friend with a similar problem and his surgeon says the bean counters at the NHS will only allow them to do four hips a day because of the cost yet only a few miles away the government are spending multi billions on a vaste white elephant called HS2. If and when I get fully back on my feet there is enough fun at Moor Hall for two of us.

My ability to get about is now critical due to hip problems and I don't think I will be able to cover the squirrels at Moor Hall Golf Club, Suton Coldfield as much as I normally would. There are three flip tops already in position and access with a vehicle is possible as long as ground is dry. The head green keeper is a great bloke and easy to deal with. Any control has to be before 08.30-9am as it is a very busy course. Shooting from fixed positions so no wandering about. If you live within strking distance and would like an introduction then PM me.

Looks a nice one Stuart. Have fun.