First Encounetr with Sabs...horrible bunch

[Canis]

 

As a person who is used to conflict in the ring/cage you know that the more you face your fears the more easily you can react in a calm manner rather than panic. This applies to confrontation with the antis, the first encounters are terrifying but the more your faced with it the easier it is to react in the correct manner. My first real encounter other than dog walkers complaining about pigeon shooting that is, was four years ago during the first badger cull in Gloucestershire on a farm I have shot over for years. I had gone out lamping with the farm hand, his girlfriend and the farms old landrover to get rid of a fox that had been eating the chickens, probably not the best idea with the cull being on but nobody knew the antis would cause so much trouble. A vehicle came down the farm track, first thoughts that it could be police or the farmer so we approach innocently. When we were just in front of the vehicle the doors flung open and three screaming balaclava clad idiots jumped out, one filming us, one with a very powerful spotlight trained at our faces and one with an anti rape alarm screaming. Bit of a shock to say the least, luckily the old landy was infront of the antis car so I instructed the farm hand and his lass to jump in and get it started, I scrambled into the back of the canvas clad pickup with the rifle. We booted it across a field, the car unfortunately didn't go into the field and get stuck but the two others remained on foot chasing us screaming all sorts of obscenities with the rape alarm still screaming. The farm hand obviously knew the land and we got back to the farm buildings and parked up, I then phoned 101 and gave location. The antis drove around for a bit making a racket, the police arrived an hour after they had gone. The police stayed while I put the rifle away and put everything including myself into my vehicle and they then left. As I drove down the road I had a pair of lights right up my bumper, luckily my knowledge of the lanes was much better than theirs and soon lost them, what a night. The cull has rattled on every autumn for the last four years and I'll be darned if I'm stopping shooting for 2 months every year, alas I have many since encounters with the scum, don't be fooled by some lovely old boy from the wounded badger patrol, he will soon call for more serious back up. I go prepare, with mates and carrying the rifle slip and don't feel intimated anymore. The best advice I have is not to go out alone, two's good, three is great, keep your gun slip with you, when challenged try and remain calm and don't say a word, the shooter should be kept out of it and protected,use your lamp on them and film with your phone, even if pretending. Don't speak or get angry just stare at them, remember they don't know if your some ex services nutter or the vicar, they will intimidate for a reaction, they don't like no reaction, I don't even both to have an educated chat its not worth it. Once you have sized up the idiots make a steady retreat to a safe location keeping the rifle in front, if it should kick off and you have to do what you have to protect the rifle just make sure you stamp on their phones and filming equipment as sure as eggs they will be filming your reaction.

One night the antis tried to stop travellers from lamping with their dogs, every window in the antis car was smashed and all tyres punctured, the antis got a bit of a beating to go with it.

See, the happy caravan club aren't all bad !