Big_Sam Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Well I visited my first permission in the North (got three down south), not quite what I expected. It is mainly open fields (300 acres) with two woods at either end. I saw one rabbit that bolted from the field (well out of range), a woodcock and two roe deer in the forest bit. The main thing is that the land is on a slight rise and very exposed, houses about 600 yards away, you can be seen on all sides, not ideal for keeping a low profile. I though my bacon was toasted when a SSPCA (like RSPCA) van turned up, so I sat in a gorse bush until I saw what they were up to Nothing worse than bunnyhuggers to deal with... but thankfully they were just there to moan about some dead sheep that had not been buried. Really very little about to shoot, might have been the weather, it was frosty and the ground was solid all day. Not sure about it really, its not my usual type of land, I am used to broad leaf woods and hedges, this is all open flat and the forest bits are too dense to walk through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Well I visited my first permission in the North (got three down south), not quite what I expected. It is mainly open fields (300 acres) with two woods at either end. I saw one rabbit that bolted from the field (well out of range), a woodcock and two roe deer in the forest bit. The main thing is that the land is on a slight rise and very exposed, houses about 600 yards away, you can be seen on all sides, not ideal for keeping a low profile. I though my bacon was toasted when a SSPCA (like RSPCA) van turned up, so I sat in a gorse bush until I saw what they were up to Nothing worse than bunnyhuggers to deal with... but thankfully they were just there to moan about some dead sheep that had not been buried. Really very little about to shoot, might have been the weather, it was frosty and the ground was solid all day. Not sure about it really, its not my usual type of land, I am used to broad leaf woods and hedges, this is all open flat and the forest bits are too dense to walk through. Give it a chance as it may be teeming with quarry once the weather warms up a bit. Good chance of crow's, magpies etc in the woods as wella s squirrels (if the grey variety is there). All the best though. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Sam Posted January 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Cheers mate, yeah I reckon that being a combination of feeling a bit under the weather + no rabbits = unhappy hunter. There was a carp load of feral pigeons round the cow shed, might just try them next time, also tons of rook in the air, shotty heaven (when I get the SGc...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Feral's should be easy to decoy, try it using the airgun, or even having ago decoying the rook's with a dead rabbit, or BoP decoy. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Nearly all land these days is owned by what I call 'Prairie farmers'- no hedges, woods or spinneys ****** all cos they flattened them just to get another ounce of grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Yep and then moan about the wind blowing all the fertile top soil away Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Sam Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Nearly all land these days is owned by what I call 'Prairie farmers'- no hedges, woods or spinneys ****** all cos they flattened them just to get another ounce of grain. Up here unfortunately it is just the way the natural landscape is, very flat and open and nothing really grows as it is too cold and windy. This farm does mostly sheep and cattle as trying to grow anything up here is useless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaggyRS6 Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Keep at it. I was out yesterday most of the afternoon on land that's normally full of rabbits. Nothing showed. Try laying up in a spot and just observe what goes on for 30 mins or so. Then try another spot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 So you only shoot with an air gun at the moment? That's going to be hard work out in the open! Stick with it though, I'm thinking that once you've done a little more walking you'll figure out where to stalk gently and where you can march along without fear of scaring the quarry. When you get the hot spots worked out you can get some natural hides sorted against your dense background to wait for the bunnies and crows. Use your first bunny to get the crows in, and you'll have a great day! In the future you could even use the range issue as good reason for a FAC I should add I have a lot of respect for airgun hunters. The limited power available makes you one of the finest stalkers around. I learned with an airgun, and I think it's hard to beat that feeling you get when you've outwitted something as sensitive as a Rabbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Sam Posted January 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Thanks mate, I am going to keep at it, afterall a bunny is waiting out there for me to eat it! With the shotty certificate application in I am expecting to get it back about march... so plenty of time to perfect my stalking skills with the air rifle. Range really is an issue. I was measuring some of the fields using the aerial mapping, there are three that are 1,177 feet long and 424 feet wide. That is a lot of open ground. The other major major problem is that up here the sun stays only a few degrees above the horizon and you are blinded for 180 degrees vision unless it is cloudy. The farmer did mention he had an old 10/22 kicking around. If I cant get within 50 yards of them I might ask him if I can borrow it. And because the fields are so open I would be in sight and sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I'm not even sure a .22lr will help you on land that open (although it's worth borrowing it for the fun of it). 70 yards would be reasonable going for a semi auto, the only advantage being you can go for chest shots at that range giving you a slightly bigger kill zone than the airgun. If the rabbits are a real problem to the farmer, maybe ask him if he has a spare silage bale he could place out in the field for you at a pre arranged spot where you see a lot of activity? That way the bunnies will get used to having an object on their patch, and it could be made use of as a barrier to aid stalking or even to wait behind in ambush. Let us know how you get on anyway. Maybe when the shotty arrives a local ferreter may be able to help you get your bag up by pushing them out for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 You might also see if the Farmer would permit a permanent hide or three. I use to shoot over some very open land with no hedgerows, or cover. By placing four straw bales hides (two were reinforced with chicken wire to stop them collapsing) around the fields, we had some very good shooting. I would also consider setting up a normal hide in the field facing the woodland (assuming a safe air rifle shot was available), just for the day. There is a very good chance the rabbits would ignore it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Sam Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Some good ideas thanks chaps I got the permission to shoot rabbits only at the moment as the few that are there are burrowing and making holes for the cattle to break their legs in. A much bigger problem is actually the crows which attack the sheep. He has lost two sheep in the last month to a combination of weather and crows. But they are very mobile and the air rifle is not suitbale, I think with a shotgun I might be able to be more effective. Hopefully if the weather keeps up I will be out next week to have another look round, and I will update you on progress! Cheers, Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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