Beautiful weather for a dawn walkabout

[Mentalmac]

Hi Everyone,

 

Such a beautiful day on Saturday that I decided to forgo the large box of ciders looking at me and having an early night so that I could appreciate the dawn chorus and weather on Sunday morning.

 

I was at my permission at 4:45am and kitted up and left the vitara parked up a while back and went out on foot. Although it was due to be a warm day, it was fairly chilly first thing and wearing a jumper under my camo jacket was to be my undoing later!

 

I first ventured to the bottom field and walked through the small wood - pretty hard work keeping quiet in there at the moment, lots of dry leaves - saw a few greys in the trees, alas I was ill-equipped to shoot them only having an HMR on me and seeing one walking 30 yards in front I felt a little over kill as well.

 

This was the view as the sun had started to break through the mist on the fields and it was staggeringly beautiful - shame to shatter the tranquility with the crack of the HMR.

 

I got to one of my favourite vantage points where I can lay on a bank poking the rifle through an old fence on a high bank which allows me to rest rifle on the bipod and look to the hedges and bottom field gate - the burrows are in front and the rabbits tend to be within 60-150m from here.

I spotted 2 that I felt were most logical to shoot and chambered my first round and flipped safety off.

 

I took the first shot and instantly cycling bolt as quick as can and tracking gun toward hedge where the other headed and unfortunately for the rabbit, it stopped and looked back and went down in one.

I then thought I would sit out and enjoy the sun on my back and see if any more ventured out, or if any greys wanted to walk between the large tree's and the spiny (They often do this and being up on a bank I can soot them at approximately 70-100 yards out.

 

Alas, no more quarry to take came out. However, i could hear something in the crop next to me and as I turned there was a partridge wondering about not 10 yards from me - at one point it came within 6 feet and then just slowly walked off - amazing.

 

Then I heard the honking of geese and stayed put to see what all the noise was about and then two landed around 70-80 yards infront of me. I enjoyed watching them waddle around a bit and then they took flight so I decided to call it time and head home for tea and medals. (Disclaimer - I didn't have a round chambered when looking at these geese, I was just using scope to take pic close up for you lovely lot).

 

 

 

[A1Decoy]

Nice pics and nice write up! Thanks for sharing.

[Duckman91]

nice shooting and that's a lovely looking gun:)

[Mentalmac]

Thanks Duckman91 and OscarA1!

 

Was a great day and thanks about the gun, I love it to bits. Heavy though with the stainless fluted varmint barrel but it's good for long shots off bipod. Sometimes take my beanbag for under the stock too and lay on the bank or the trailer under a net and can go a good distance with it.

[camokid]

looks like a cracking day .. that's one of the best things about this life style you see plenty of sights that most don't get the chance .. well done

[Mentalmac]

looks like a cracking day .. that's one of the best things about this life style you see plenty of sights that most don't get the chance .. well done

Thanks :-). Definitely, I often talk to colleagues about things I have seen and they always marvel at what I see.

Dawn is definitely the best time - when you can't hear anything but for the noise of the animals all waking. Except when you take a shot it doesn't half make you jump.

[m greeny]

First light and the sun rise is the best time of any day