Cracking day

[henry d]

Lucky Jim and I decided to pay the farmer back for being so nice and letting us stalk his does by shooting the jackdaws that plague him badly in the byres. It`s got so bad that he has a banger in the yard trying to deter them from stealing food and building nests !!!

 

We set some crow deeks in the yard on high vantage points just to give a picture to them that all is well, within the hour I had a dozen and Jim, just the one and a cheeky squirrel, so I decided that we should change places, cue 3 more kamikaze jackdaws and when Jim had taken my place it went quiet

 

I decided to trek through the wood to the roundel to stop them from just sitting there and cawing away, half way through I spotted a rabbit and as it was a sitter at 20ish yds gave it 28gm of 8`s, which killed it stone dead.

I reached the roundel which sits part way up a hill on a grass field and could see 6 roe in a hollow grazing..........off for the .222 I think

 

Jim accompanied me as I stalked them across to the hollow in the field, which they had vacated, so we ducked back as they may have carried on towards a burn that leads to the wood. As I crested the rise I didn`t see them, though they saw me as they were laid down in amongst some rough ground

They jumped up and bounded over the burn and I hit the deck as they seemed to be hesitant, which would mean that not all of them had seen us, I watched the tail ender as she came to a halt about 160yds out. As I was higher up than her the backstop was great so I took aim and shot her. She jumped and hunched up, so I knew it wasn`t a good shot and she trotted off over the rise, quickly followed by us. Jimmy followed the trail of the doe and I went further to the right as she would likely follow the dyke to the wood. I hissed at Jimmy to stop as I crested the rise as she was in front of me and I didn`t want her spooked to run further as she was at 200yds or so. She turned side on and I gave a little hold over and she rolled onto her back and died.

Not the best way to go On inspection I had been a good bit back and had hit the liver, possibly the wind but more likely just me, but the second shot was on the money.

 

We then went up to the wood to try for some woodpigeon, but after an hour and a half we had seen 4 and Jim shot one, brilliantly I have to say as I missed it and it was doing Mach 2 when he hit it.

 

Off stalking/culling again tonight and then fillet steak and chips when I get home.............I hate my days off

[groach1234]

Such a tough life henry

 

George

[henry d]

It was even better in the evening, I went out to an open area of winter cereal with the intention of taking a doe or two out and on the way there I saw something I had never seen before, 60-70 swans flying up from the valley and over my head and honking like mad, it was awesome. Later, as the sun was setting and casting shafts of light up out of the clouds, I also saw the first woodcock roding along the wood edge, absolutely magic.

 

As for the does, they were in an area that I couldn`t get to before it was too dark, did I care.............nah it was magic to be out. Sometimes just being out is the reward.