Toombsy Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Just returned from one of the best days shooting I've ever had - not a huge bag, but a bag with a difference compared to my normal sessions The intention was to go out early doors with the T-bolt rimmy, have a try for a few rabbits, then pack that gear away and get the decoys out. The first bit went to plan. Got out at 5am and headed for the usual places for rabbits. The first field is basically a lawn and a bit tricky as it's so flat with no cover. Missed a rabbit there, and bagged one half hour later right at the far end of the field. Popped over to another part of my permission where the crops aren't so dense and found a few rabbits, including a ginger one . I've seen black, brown and black and grey rabbits, but never a ginger one. Stalked to within 90 yards and they spooked - all but the ginger one... so I bagged him Walked up a few boundaries after that, missed another shotting through crops and eventually got a clean shot and hit another. This rabbit had a foot missing - just a stump on his hind leg. It looked quite recent injury or a birth defect, but it had healed over with tough skin. Then, by 8am I had shot enough rabbits for what I needed so headed off to the rape and linseed fields I have been keeping my eye on all week. Out of the two the rape looked the most promising during the week, but there wasn't anything there, so I set up on the linseed, after six pigeon lifted when I took a look at it . Set up a rotary and eight deeks along the edge of the field and in the bare patches and waited. Nothing... for three hours. Only saw one pigeon and that was out of range But on the edge of the rape field I've been seeing loads of crows around the far corner - about 200 yards from the perimeter of a caravan site. It's just perfect for birds, but too close for a shotgun, so thought up a plan . I ditched the shotgun, took a few bits to make a hide, grabbed the rifle and some ammo and thought I'd try see if I could get any with the silenced 22. Never shot a crow before. Turned out to be a wise move. There's a huge pile of old corn there at the end of a grass track - so that's what was drawing them in All I had to do now was to make a hide, load up and wait. I couldn't sit up in the rape or the wheat as I couldn't get a clean shot there, so I had to build a hide on the track, 80 yards away. Ended up hanging my Stealth net over the four hide poles, rammed into the ground at angles, then covered it up with grass and broken rape stems, and I climbed into it backwards. It seemed to do the trick as only minutes later a few feral pigeons arrived, hovered over the corn and dropped in only to vanish in the long grass. Over the next two hours there were feral pigeons, woodies, yellowhammer, jackdaws, carrion crows, pheasant, starling, a rat, one magpie and even a pair of mallard dropped in to the corn . But they all vanished into the grass when they landed. Got a clean shot at a woody, hit it but lost it in the rape. The same happened to a crow - the first I've ever shot - but that flapped into the wheat and I lost that too. I wasn't having that so I had 20 practice shots at a chunk of wood in the corn and all the shots were hitting to the left, so re-zeroed the scope. The next four shots did the trick, especially when the birds started landing right on top of the corn instead of around the edge of it... got another two crows, a woody and a feral pigeon . Really enjoyed the day... was loads different to the norm and although it wasn't a huge bag, it definitely put me to the test. Will do the same later in the week, after trimming the grass back a bit so nothing can hide. Here's a few pics, over the next few posts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toombsy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 One of the rabbits had a hind foot missing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toombsy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 The hide. Not a great place to put it, but had no choice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toombsy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Another view of hide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toombsy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 And the afternoon's bag. Not massive, but never had a mixed bag like this... Thanks for looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroku4399 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 nice one sounds like you had a good day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev 1 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Well done good result.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Great shooting mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA-airgunner Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky-shot Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 nice 1 mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 sounds like you had agood day well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.