COVID last week has left me with a legacy of aches and pains. Every bone including teeth hurt still and it's getting me down, the hips especially hurt! Everything is hard and the drive to get out is waining, especially to go get this season's first pheasants.
Well after a long night out with modern gear on varmints and aching all over for it the next day I decided a gentle waddle into some wild pheasants on my patch with some primitive hardware and no tech was in order!
It's been so long since I've been out with this flintlock I felt naked! No thermal, no optics, no binos, just a knife, flint and black powder!
At first I was rushing and not looking but I soon got back into the rhythm. Slowed down and started to watch more, move less. Then I started to enjoy myself with the simplicity.
Now this ain't no flying bird hunt like most of the UK conduct pheasant hunting, no, it's stalking them only these birds are not stupid, they are wild. All I do is keep the foxes down and they breed. I keep the hens but take the cock birds. I do wing shoot them but occasionally with the flintlock trade gun put the sneak on for a sustainance bird or two.
Well I got me my first two of the year. Considering the rain and damp I did suffer a couple of miss fires but after knapping the flint got fire.
Loads were 4f and #5 shot.
Anyway the pictures oh and my favourite snitzl coming up
.
View attachment 266051
View attachment 266052
View attachment 266053