Axe Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Got a call from the head greenkeeper of a course I picked up a few years ago. Fantastic course and good size but rarely have we ever had much on it. Anyway, I went to see the guy to find out what's going on. Millions of rabbits everywhere he says. I start asking about the locations and he says oh you see 2 or 3 on the 1st tee etc., I chuckle quietly to myself millions eh! Anyway it turns out they have let another guy on who goes weekly, but he's not keeping the numbers down. So, last night popped down at 9:30pm to see what the score was. As I turn up to meet SL I find him quietly held up in the back of his wagon having already taken a rabbit with his LR. Quick check of the course and we wander out, light is fading fast but not many signs of Rabbit. What we do see are very weary indeed. Not surprising having been shot at every week. Walking back one jumps out of the hedge, takes one look at us then jumps back. He's not content with hiding and jumps straight back out again then legs it out into the middle of the fairway. SL keen to get another, lies down on the pods and takes another cracking shot with his 9 Iron and chips a perfect 60 yarder. Into the wagon we jump with me popping my head out of the roof with my HMR. Its not long before we see a group of 3 sitting out on the fairway. Down goes my first of the night. The remaining two are a little quizzed by the wagon and can't decide which way to run. One finally stops and down he goes. Slightly further out another appears but I miss it We work our way round the course and the rabbits remain weary but we are managing to get a few. Having taken a good handful we stop to change over. SL now targeting we drive back round, dodging the automated sprinklers that seemed to be following us. Making our way through to the driving range we spot one sitting out on its own, SL bags another cracking shot. We then edge into the corner of the range itself and 7 or 8 pairs of eyes look back at us. Clearing the overhanging tree we stop and Brian takes 3 in fairly quick succession. Just as I start the wagon to drive up to them, 3 more run across. First gets the drop at 60 yards then the next at 80 yards. The last shot was a long one out to 150 yards but at my angle I couldn't see him, the shot is taken and I hear 'who's the daddy' over the headset. Off we go to pick them up and all were well placed head shots. We have a little trouble finding the 150 yarder, in fact, its no where to be seen, who's the daddy indeed We carried on and round the course back over our tracks to the car park. In all we shot 22 very lamp shy rabbits for a couple of hours round the course. Pleased as punch we laid them out to take a pic. Two were missing as one somersaulted into stinging nettles and 'who's the daddy' was never found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 (edited) . Edited September 22, 2009 by JohnGalway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Nice one, glad to see you two are still getting out and about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Good going lads, the 'keeper will be pleased with that haul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyr8 Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 greenkeeper myself.we had a few rabbits that kept me in rabbit stew once a week.suprised there are not more reports on golf course shooting.most courses have problems with not so much rabbits but corvids.a golfer takes a divot if it is not replaced within 15 minuites it dies.if the divot is put back magpies or crows come along and flick it out looking for food,divot dies.the other wildlife they kill is also a big problem.we had partridge on the course and a big covey built up,we had over 30 chicks at one time,within two days the magpies killed them all.wild ducks nested in the wild areas we set aside for wild life the crows killed and ate the chicks as they made there way to the river.we had hundreds of yards of hedges on the course that song birds used for nesting,between magpies and squirels we lost nearly all of them.it could be worth while aproaching any gols clubs in you area and asking do they have any problems and offer your services.ask the head greenkeeper first and put a letter into the secretary/manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Well Done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted June 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Between our little band of brothers we have I think 7 courses in all. Alot of them though, allow just about anyone on them, so get extremely over shot. The problem with shooting golf courses is the times you can get on them. The course we shot last night has players arriving as early 5:30am on summer weekend mornings and last night we saw golfers on the putting green at 9:45pm. Still we had a cracking night and having been back today to report our success, know that the keeper is extremely pleased with our efforts. Its good to know we are appreciated once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxwell Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 nice write up Axe, well done lads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Great shooting mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Great session lads, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky-shot Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 like it m8 keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyr8 Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 the magpies on my place could spot a gun at 200 yrds away.used to start work at 5am and carry the gun on the greens machine with me,could get within a few yrds of them this way.on foot no chance.had an old 9mm single shot bolt action shotgun i carried in the tractor. very quiet,could use it during the day.very effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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