....or was it?
After work I headed out in the cool westerly driven showers.
I had my Italian faux trade gun. That is a reliable lock in wet conditions.
I had just over three hours of light left to stalk a rabbit or two but being the eternal fiddling fool I am I wanted to try sixteen .25 air gun pellets weighing 30gn each.
No prizes for guessing the outcome!
The loading combo didnt get the rabbit!
So the idea was dumped and finally out of my stupid head!
It was a good stalk though and I was keen for another. The first stalk had taken 3/4 of an hour. If there is one good thing about gout it sure slows a man down!
Soon a little further along this slang of trees on an embankment I jumped a bunny from its seat and it ran to its hole but stopped outside. I hate shooting them on their hole incase I lose them down there and Jess was at home today! I decided to try and get down to twenty yards before shooting.
Fortunately a squall came in which helped my advance all the time nurturing that lock under my arm.
Just as I was getting to twenty yards I had to carefully move to my right and sideways movement to game is a fatal give away and with that the rabbit disappeared down its hole! Close but no cigar! Whilst I pondered a magpie moved into an elder bush right next to me but never saw me. Normally they are sharp eyed and miss nothing but the squall was still blowing high speed rain in, that must of obscured me to it. I managed to get the shot off and the deed was done. I make no apologies for shooting a magpie. They are a nasty predatory bird out of control!
I managed to get the wet gun serviceable again ( look at the pan closely, its dripping!). But alas as the light dwindled away and my aging eyes I never got close enough for a shot again although I did see a few more.
Was it a failure. Not really. I loved every minute. I saw bullfinches, pheasants, squirrels and rabbits. Much better than TV!
On the way home I met a friend in the near dark walking his dogs. A terrier, a three legged whippet and a huge deer hound that loves a good scratch from me every time we meet so that was pleasant too.
Still want a rabbit. Maybe Sunday, after worship.
My foot is hurting now, where is them meds......
After work I headed out in the cool westerly driven showers.
I had my Italian faux trade gun. That is a reliable lock in wet conditions.
I had just over three hours of light left to stalk a rabbit or two but being the eternal fiddling fool I am I wanted to try sixteen .25 air gun pellets weighing 30gn each.
No prizes for guessing the outcome!
The loading combo didnt get the rabbit!
So the idea was dumped and finally out of my stupid head!
It was a good stalk though and I was keen for another. The first stalk had taken 3/4 of an hour. If there is one good thing about gout it sure slows a man down!
Soon a little further along this slang of trees on an embankment I jumped a bunny from its seat and it ran to its hole but stopped outside. I hate shooting them on their hole incase I lose them down there and Jess was at home today! I decided to try and get down to twenty yards before shooting.
Fortunately a squall came in which helped my advance all the time nurturing that lock under my arm.
Just as I was getting to twenty yards I had to carefully move to my right and sideways movement to game is a fatal give away and with that the rabbit disappeared down its hole! Close but no cigar! Whilst I pondered a magpie moved into an elder bush right next to me but never saw me. Normally they are sharp eyed and miss nothing but the squall was still blowing high speed rain in, that must of obscured me to it. I managed to get the shot off and the deed was done. I make no apologies for shooting a magpie. They are a nasty predatory bird out of control!
I managed to get the wet gun serviceable again ( look at the pan closely, its dripping!). But alas as the light dwindled away and my aging eyes I never got close enough for a shot again although I did see a few more.
Was it a failure. Not really. I loved every minute. I saw bullfinches, pheasants, squirrels and rabbits. Much better than TV!
On the way home I met a friend in the near dark walking his dogs. A terrier, a three legged whippet and a huge deer hound that loves a good scratch from me every time we meet so that was pleasant too.
Still want a rabbit. Maybe Sunday, after worship.
My foot is hurting now, where is them meds......
.
.
