Here be squirrels

[adzyvilla]

Time: 14:45

Location: Mid Norfolk 

Conditions: Mostly sunny, still, 8°c 

Joined by father again for a grumpy cameo, I think mum forced him out of the house before the risk of serious injury became severe. He has rat issues in the sheds since the wet weather has forced them to find drier haunts and his mind was firmly on fenn traps and cat food bait. Over a quick cuppa we discussed our prospects and we both agreed they didn't look very hopeful. Still, it was nice weather to be out in, if not good weather for shooting pigeons.

Approaching via the usual route, we drove down the track between the (still) standing maize and the shelter belt that runs at right angles from the estate road and watched as a hundred or more woodies flitted out and away above us, scattering into distance. Of interest to me was the plague of squirrels running out of maize and into the ivy clad trees that line the edge of the belt. It was then that I decided they needed my attention more than the pigeons at this point of the afternoon, so we parked up by the release pen and went our separate ways.

With the dog pretending we were out beating, working the undergrowth while I had my eyes firmly fixed on the treetops, we worked our way back along the centre of the belt. I blasted any drey I saw, much as I had done a few weeks previously when we had taken this belt through on beaters day but much as then, nobody was home. As we neared the end the dog put two pheasants up and they made their disapproval at our disturbance well voiced as they flew off out over the park. Walking back up the side of the maize I flushed one squirrel out and bowled it over before it made the safety of the trees. It was as big as a rabbit and heavy, grown fat on the remnants of the maize cobs. Thoughts now returning to pigeons, I made my way into the carr.

Wednesdays heavy rain had caused the river to rise right up into the carr and my usual spot was ankle deep in murky water. It had also disrupted my makeshift bridge so I spent some minutes repairing it as best I could and made my way to the northern (higher) side of the wood to find a dry place to stand. Much like JDog a few weeks ago, I found the midges had awoken from their slumber and were dancing in the shafts of sunlight that were cutting through the trees.

At least I didn't have to wait long for my first chance and got on the scoresheet straight away as an unwary woodie flared in for a landing right above me. My second shot accounted for another as a bird startled by the bang chose the wrong flightpath and crashed down into the flood water to my right. Dog dispatched for the wet one, I picked the other and we settled in to see what the rest of the afternoon had in store.

From the sound of it, the few of my comrades that were out were having a busy time. Jonsey (aka the one Saturday wonder) was missing again so dad and I had this end of the estate to ourselves. Although a fair few pigeons were flitting about, they weren't following the usual flightlines choosing instead to appear at random all around me, seemingly teleporting into the sky and disappearing again whenever they chose, making the shooting tough and sporadic. I focused on picking off (or at least trying to) any birds that came to rest in the pine trees in front of me and had a little success but none of the shots were clear. Two more in the bag for half a dozen shots.

The shooting seemed to have fizzled out for everyone as the number of shots echoing around me died away until there was almost silence. The birds were there, but no longer wanting to commit, and the latter part of the afternoon became a frustrating waiting game. Dad joined me as the sun dipped below the horizon and I could see he was itching to return home. His measly 4 shots, with his more familiar miroku 20b had returned nothing but more grumpiness, but at least he can no longer blame his new gun for this misses. We wrapped up after I had loosed a final few shots at some of the cloud bothering birds that flew over me, more out of boredom than anything but I needn't have bothered. The option is there to go next week, but unless the weather is more favourable I don't think I'll bother.

 

[marsh man]

Nice report once again , your dad would had been happier trying to outwit the Rats instead of keeping his boy happy , last week on ours was quiet but this week was really like a non event , started off with a virtual cloudless sky and just a gentle breeze , I had a walk around as there was nothing on the Fodder beet and next to nothing in the Fir trees , the odd shot today was far and few and as the afternoon wore on the shots got less and less as no doubt half of them must have called it a day , as you say it was a lovely like Spring day today and just being out in the fresh air was worth going out .

This was our last week and overall it have been very poor over the four weeks , roll on next year .       MM

[adzyvilla]

Cheers MM. Agreed, its been a disappointing season really. I'm mixed about next week to be honest. If the keeper says there is anyone else out I will probably go, if only to try and keep the birds moving. Plus there are a couple of sticks I'd like to cut before the sap rises too far.

[marsh man]

20 minutes ago, adzyvilla said:

Cheers MM. Agreed, its been a disappointing season really. I'm mixed about next week to be honest. If the keeper says there is anyone else out I will probably go, if only to try and keep the birds moving. Plus there are a couple of sticks I'd like to cut before the sap rises too far.

You can really see the afternoons drawing out a lot now and it make it a long afternoon if there is very little action , some years you can get some shooting off some early Spring drillings during the four weeks but with all the rain we have had lately there have been no sign of any early drillings , now the woods have finished I now get a free hand to go where I like on all the rape fields until the Peas start going in and then I keep an eye on all the various crops but I am now just as happy walking around the fields as I am shooting , still it keep the ole joints moving and stop you from ceasing up , hope your dad get the Rats sorted out .      MM

[kitchrat]

Talking of squirrels.....

I was recently going roost shooting in a 6-acre wood but the farmer advised me that a couple of chaps were going to be after squirrels. Not good but they are decent guys and we decided that they would start at one end of the wood, where I wanted to be, and then if they made a noise down the other end it could even help me. I soon found them a nice drey they could reach with their poles and 4 of the grey tree munchers were sorted. The boys moved away and from time to time I heard a few shots. I managed to fill a game carrier with pigeons and later heard that they had accounted for 13 squirrels, in the one small wood! It is quite isolated from any other wood, even well away from any decent hedge, so I was quite amazed. 

[adzyvilla]

6 hours ago, kitchrat said:

Talking of squirrels.....

I was recently going roost shooting in a 6-acre wood but the farmer advised me that a couple of chaps were going to be after squirrels. Not good but they are decent guys and we decided that they would start at one end of the wood, where I wanted to be, and then if they made a noise down the other end it could even help me. I soon found them a nice drey they could reach with their poles and 4 of the grey tree munchers were sorted. The boys moved away and from time to time I heard a few shots. I managed to fill a game carrier with pigeons and later heard that they had accounted for 13 squirrels, in the one small wood! It is quite isolated from any other wood, even well away from any decent hedge, so I was quite amazed. 

Never underestimate the squirrel. The estate i do most of my shooting on has a full time pest controller who traps 365 days a year and took well over 200 just from tunnel traps last year. We shot 51 over two beaters days and the keeper likes to shoot them whenever he sees them. But ive still never seen as many there. I think the recent mild winters and overabundance of food have been very beneficial to the tree rats, coupled with their own ability to breed all year round and produce large litters.