New Grounds
The other evening while watching television I get a phone call from one of the owners of a permission I shoot on, I try to visit once every couple of weeks and when I do drop by I send him a text just to let him know I am there should he get a phone call from a concerned friend or neighbour, I let him know the next day how I get on just to keep him in the picture. That generally is the extent of the contact I have with him unless I bump into him or his wife when I turn up to the permission, I should explain at this point that the permission is 4acres of horse paddock and I try to keep the bunny numbers down to a minimum, so to get a phone call from the owner is not unheard of but is a rarity.
Fearing the worst (losing the permission) I answered the phone, a cheery voice answers "Hi Rev." Just a quick call to see how your getting on, oh! and to let you know that you can now shoot on the neighbouring 4acres. That's fantastic John, I look forward to a good nights shoot.
John went on to explain to me that his brother-in-law had brought the land next his and as he had rabbit proofed his paddock most of the bunnies were hiding out in his brother-in-law's field. The phone call was to let me know I could now shoot that field as well but also to ask if I could drop by after work to introduce myself to his brother-in-law. Not a problem after all its the least I could do now I have 8acres to shoot on.
The following evening after work and on the way home I dropped by to see John and his brother-in-law, both of them are very easy to talk to and eager for me to shoot those 'pesky wabbits'. After a short chat and a walk of the new grounds I said my farewells and carried on home.
Felling very chuffed with myself and looking forward to the prospect of fulfilling shoot I contacted my only friend and shooting buddy (Bryan) to see if he would like to come out the following evening for a hunt, and yes if you are wondering I did clear it with the owners first. A few moments later my phone pings and there is a message from Bryan. I can almost sense the excitement in his reply (he still fairly new to shooting) Yes he said, he looks forward to it. So we set a time when we will meet up.
The following evening arrives and just before I leave work I make sure my PCP is full on the air gauge, that the zero is still holding on my scope and that I have a tin of pellets the the shoot. Just before I set off a drop Bryan a text to say I'm leaving work and ill see him at the fields when he can get there. While on route to the fields again my phone pings, of course I cant answer it as I'm driving but I guess its an acknowledgement from Bryan.
As I pull up to the fields the sun has long since set and the horses have been put out, its quite dark already so I park up a get myself sorted and ready for the evening. All set and ready to shoot I remember that I had received that message better check that before I set into the field, as I thought it was from Bryan, but not the news I was hoping for, Bryan's daughter had come down with tonsillitis and he was unable to come out to play tonight. Oh well I would just have to shoot by myself tonight, a quick scan of both fields with the night vision told me that most of the activity was up the top end of the fields (as per normal). Off I set slowly staying to the shadows, half way up the field I stop to say hi to the horses so they don't get spooked by me moving around, onwards to the top end of the field ......... while petting the horse I notice some movement further up on a fence post, on closer inspection it turns out to be a barn owl looking for some dinner. I grab my mobile and turn on the nitesite, I managed to get a couple of pictures (not the best quality) before he flew off.
Time to move over to the new ground, I climb over the three bar fence give it a few minutes and then start to make my way back down the field to where they are all sitting eating the grass.
There isn't a lot of cover in this field so I have to stick to the edge as I work my way down the field, once in place and settled I switch the nitesite back on, after a sweep of the lower end I count fifteen rabbits spread out across the field, time to work.
Of course after a couple of shots they wise up and scurry back to the burrows, fifteen minutes later some are brave enough to pop back out, now at this point it pays to be patient if you shoot too soon the rest will run straight back down the burrows, the trick is to wait till they come out just far enough that after a shot the others run but not all go back underground at that's the next one to pick off.
So my evening carries on like this to the point where I get a little board with nobody to chat to, so I decide to call it a night after three hours pack my gear up and head on home.
Total for a short night was four bunnies, two I was unable to retrieve from the hedgerow due to thick brambles the other two I left for the resident fox as he helps me with the job of keeping the rabbit population down.
