Cabin fever averted.

[JeffinNZ]

Hi all.

I took "Isaac", my .40cal Isaac Haines for a work the other evening as it had been months since I had hunted any small game and Cabin Fever was a knocking

I have access to a property on the Canterbury Plains about 20 miles from where I live which usually cares a fair number of hares and rabbits. The terrain is dead, and I mean DEAD, flat and my trusty .223 is normally the weapon of choice as the paddocks are approx. 500x350 yards so longs shots tend to be the order of the day. Thing is though, I had been spending the day reading the writings of Bob's Blackpowder Notebook and had a hankering to take the flinter.

I loaded up and left home and on arrival spent 20 minutes talking the land owner who was pleased to see me gun in hand. After the chat I headed out and walk a few paddocks spooking some rabbits but not getting a shot as they were virtually under my feet when they lifted from the thin, dry, shin deep grass. Further on a spotted the south end of a hare heading north along the off side of the hedgerow. I now had the wind behind me so not ideal but stooped and tried to take some ground on him. I had gone about 100 yards when I made myself stop for a look around as there was every bit as much chance of game on my side of the hedge as the side the hare was on. Sure enough as I stopped and scanned right there, only 15 yards away doing a fantastic impression of a rock, was a hare looking straight at me. Well 'Isaac' made short work of her I can tell you with a .395 ball over 40gr of FFFg!!

Further on until similar circumstances I found a rabbit and it too fell to the might that is 'Isaac'. By that time the light was fading but the shot was still good.

Anyways, here are the photos. Note the horn on my bag is not fully complete and still requires some scrimshaw.

Cheers

Jeff

 

[dwarvenchef]

Out-friggin-standing :thumbsup:

I've been itching to get some squirrels lately. Got a bunch of recipes looked so I can play with my food.

The pics look great :hatsoff:

 

[sduve]

What a great hunt and a nice looking "Isaac"!

 

[Dave K]

Great way to beat cabin fever. That is a nice looking Haines!

 

[Halftail]

Nice lookin Longrifle!
Them looks like friggin Big bunnies you got there too! :thumbsup:

 

[Walks Alone]

Very nice rifle. Hope you don't mind, but liked your pictures so much I saved them.

Have a standing invite to come down your way hunting for a month with a mate in Auckland (JAFA :winking: ). I hope to take him up on it now that I am retired and free to come and go at will. We'd be mostly after your big bunnies too, but with our matched pair of 1949 Brno Hornets instead of muzzle loaders.

I forget that most folks suffer from cabin fever after long winters both there and here. I left the snow country and moved to the desert 15 years ago. Here we do have to hole up a month or two each year also, but in mid summer to avoid the high heat.

 

[JeffinNZ]

No drama there Walks Alone. Where are you located?

Yes, the hares down this way can get rather large. Heaps of meat on them - poor mans venison. Nearly had to bend that one to get it in the trunk..... :winking: