Three Down

[Phantom 631]

21_4_10

 

Got to my permission about 17:30 today with the intention of setting up and sniping along the fence seperating the paddock and the old ladies orchard and gardens.

 

As I arrived half a dozen cotton tails gave it legs to the safety of the warrens, but as yesterday one remained out, right me thinks, this one is only about 50 yards from me and I'm gonna break my own rule here and stick a pellet in a bunny before I put one in the paper. It was just too good of an opportunity not to take. So I unslipped the rifle, pulled back the bolt and slipped in a 16grain FX pellet and returned the bolt home and locked it down.

 

I began my slow and steady stalk over towards the bunny. I just got past the Power Pylon when half a dozen big woodies clattered from the Conker tree. I froze mid-step!

 

Needless to say the noise put bunny on high alert and he jumped up from his munchin', ears up head looking around he looked extremely nervous.

I was beggining to wobble on one leg, so had to put my foot down, very slow and quiet.

The sun behind me must have given bugs a clue to impending danger as he began to thump with his hind leg.

I waited, motionless until he stopped and began to relax again.

I raised my rifle slowly, but he must have seen movement because he went under the fence and that was that! Decided I'd blown it and went to pick up my things from near the gate.

 

I was hoping that as I made my way back, there may have been some sign of bunny in the cemy so keeping a sharp eye out, I catch a glimps of a pair of ears in the unused section of the lotties, between me and the graveyard. Again I froze.

 

Looking I could see that this was a very young kit, it was about 15 yards from me, so I rested the gun on a fence post and viewed it through the scope. I clicked my tongue in the hope that it would raise itself to geive me a shot, but it just flicked its ear towards me. I coughed and again, it just twitched its lug at me.

 

Eventually watching through the scope it turned with its back to me and came a little further out of the entrance.

Giving it the appropriate holdunder, I waited for the perfect side view of its head.

A second or so later, it was a done deal!, side view, click phut crack and a cloud of dust behind, the kit jumped into the air a good six inches, landing dead on its side with a bareley audible thud. Perfect I thought and laid my gun down and ducked under the fence to retrieve my prize.

 

As I got within 8 yards a big full grown bunny jumped out of the scrub behind the dead bunny, knocking it with its front paws into the warren entrance. It then caught the dead kit with its rear legs, pulling it into the warren entrance.

I must admit, this gave me quite a fright and I could feel my heart thumping in my chest.

 

I got to the warren entrance but I could see no bunny. So I laid down and with my right arm I reached inside trying to grab anything that was there. With my hand inside the tunnel I couldn't feel anything Damn, that kit was definately dead, but had been dragged down the tunnel. F :censord: K

 

I got my gear set up and placed my target out at 30 yards. I fired ten shots all went into the bull out to the 8

ring so I retrieved my target and laid patiently on the matt awaiting the first of the bunnies.

And I waited, and waited and waited :wallbash:Not a sign of the little furry feckers!

They did this to me the last time I got laid up here. Yet yesterday and the day before, they'd been out in their masses.

I decided a wander around the cemetery was in order!

As I climbed through the fence I could see several dotted around. The nearest was about 45 yards, so it was a very steady and slow stalk past the conker tree to some large headstone monuments, to get into range of the soon to die bunny. All of a sudden there was another clatter of wings above me as a few woodies left the tree. Damn it if I'd have known they were there I would have shot one for my tea.

 

Again bunnies vanished at speed apart from one that was sat quite calmly next to the central warren from where I had shot that diseased smelly buck last year.

 

It was sat about two feet away from the entrance to the collapsed grave that seems to be the hub of the central warren.

I began a stalk, using the headstones and bushes as cover and got within range. I had a good clear view of the entire bunny and I took aim; Resting the rifle on the headstone. I placed the crosshair directly where I wanted the pellet to hit and steadied my breathing.

Click, phut, CRACK as the pellet hit home.

The bunny took to the air in a single forward leap. Sweet; another flower muncher less I hadn't seen where it landed until I moved from the headstone.

WTF? Its gone! No way was that alive when it landed

I ran over and there it was down the entrance to the collapsed grave

AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH! Looks like its just out of my reach F :censord: K it!!!!

 

I reached down anyway trying with my arm to get it but could not get anywhere near (note to self: buy one of those grabber sticks!)

 

I decided that this could work out be to my advantage if its gonna decompose down there, then hopefully as I have heard from John Darling, the bunnies will move out of that warren and that will earn me serious brownie points with the Church Parish Council. Another step closer to the Golf Course

 

I walked over to the new section and took a look at our families graves then went to sit down for a while.

 

As it was getting dark I decided to make my way back to the paddock, when I saw another good sized bunny near the fence to the orchard. Game On

Keeping as low as I could until I reached a tall headstone, I estimated the bunny to be about 35 to 40 yards from me and I was not going to be able to get any closer without it hearing the dry leaves under foot rustling.

Quietly I reloaded, pushed the bolt home and locked it down.

Slowly I raised the gun over my hand on the headstone and took up aim placing the crosshair a little over where I wanted the pellet to hit.

This bunny was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen

Click,phut, CRACK! The pellet hit home and bunny jumped up and forward by a couple of feet. It hit the deck with a dull sideways thud.

I walked over to where it lay and picked up the bunny. This one was comming with me

 

Got back to my matt and the rest of the gear in the paddock when I laid bug's down for his portrait with my baby

As I did so I noticed this. For F :censord: k Sake, I'm beggining to think there is a plague of these things in this

graveyard

 

A closer look:

 

There was no way I was going to take this home to eat, so I decided to undress bugs in the field.

 

I began to skin the bunny and was greeted with this

 

The real suprise came a second or so later:

 

Some F King :wankerzo4: has already taken a pot shot at this one before, looks like an AA pellet in .177

 

and it appears to have been in for quite some time as there is no obvious sign of entry wound and no blood.

I knew its not one of mine being a body shot halfway down its back and I have not used .177 for hunting yet.

 

People who can do something like this really really feck me off big time! I have a feeling I know who did it as well, the same person who put the pellet dents in the horse box

 

Heres the pellet I fed old bugs, an FX 16 Grain in 5.52mm

 

I shook the brain out, heres the close up:

 

As you can see, the pellet severed the brain stem.

 

 

Phantom

[davyt63 1,845]

hi tony

nice shooting there buddy and read!

but a shame about the phantom shooter! pardon the pun!

 

regards

 

davy

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi Tony.

 

What an interesting post mate, and dare I say it.... funny too.

I was trying to picture your face while wobbling on one leg PMSL

 

Incredibble that, mature bun pulling the kit back down the burrow must of been its Mum

 

As for the one stuck in the open grave, christ you have some rotten luck mate

 

 

Then... to top it all,..... you end up with a war bunny, shrapnel and all

Was it the pellet in the rabbit that caused the lump mate, or was that a tape worm aswell?

 

Nice shot there, that pellet was bang on the button

 

Enjoyed the read Tony and the pic's buddy.

 

 

 

 

ATB.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill.

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

hi tony

nice shooting there buddy and read!

but a shame about the phantom shooter! pardon the pun!

 

regards

 

davy

 

 

 

 

 

[Phantom 631]

Hi Tony.

 

What an interesting post mate, and dare I say it.... funny too.

I was trying to picture your face while wobbling on one leg :D PMSL

 

Incredibble that, mature bun pulling the kit back down the burrow must of been its Mum

 

As for the one stuck in the open grave, christ you have some rotten luck mate

 

 

Then... to top it all,..... you end up with a war bunny, shrapnel and all

Was it the pellet in the rabbit that caused the lump mate, or was that a tape worm aswell?

 

Nice shot there, that pellet was bang on the button

 

Enjoyed the read Tony and the pic's buddy.

 

 

 

 

ATB.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill.

 

Hi gents,

 

I'm pretty sure the pellet in its back came from the tennants young lad. I tried to tell him how to shoot properly and have respect for the quarry, but he wouldn't listen "if it bleeds its a target" I remember him saying one day C T!

 

 

I was talking to a mate of mine today about the bunny draggin the kit down, I had assumed it had gotten dragged down by the older one because the tunnle was so tight and it couldn't shake it from its back legs.

My mate said the same as you about it being its parent. I hadn't actually thought of that

 

Colin also suggested that the lump was possibly from the pellet and not a TW. I didn't open the lump up, if its still there tomorrow when I go again I'll maybe give it a slice and find out. It did feel fairly squishy like the others so I'm guessing it was TW

 

Tell you what guy's, the difference in quality of bunnies from the Cemy to the paddock are amazing.

There has only been a few from the paddock that I've had to bin, almost all the ones from the cemy have been yukky

 

 

Phantom

[venomviper 129]

hi ya tony mate

nice shooting there matey and pictures plus one hell of a write up shame about the wounded bunnie though buddy are you shaw bill aint been around shooting of at your bunnies matey only joking bill

 

shay

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

Hi Tony.

 

The Tennent's son sounds like a little gent

 

Just had a look at that pellet pic again Tony.....if you look below the pellet, there seems to be a track/trauma line beneath it, I know that shrapnell moves, if that wound was inflicted a little while ago, the pellet could have shifted position.

 

 

 

 

Bill.

[Sweeney-Todd 208]

hi ya tony mate

nice shooting there matey and pictures plus one hell of a write up shame about the wounded bunnie though buddy are you shaw bill aint been around shooting of at your bunnies matey only joking bill

 

shay

 

 

 

Shay......HOW COULD YOU

[Phantom 631]

Hi Tony.

 

The Tennent's son sounds like a little gent

 

Just had a look at that pellet pic again Tony.....if you look below the pellet, there seems to be a track/trauma line beneath it, I know that shrapnell moves, if that wound was inflicted a little while ago, the pellet could have shifted position.

 

 

 

 

Bill.

 

I noticed the two lines Bill while I was studying the larger image I took. The pellet is right under the facsia of the muscle, can you imagine the pain it must have been in? It must have been agonising. It could have even paralysed the bunny if it had gotton on top of the spine.

 

B d

 

Phantom

[Phantom 631]

hi ya tony mate

nice shooting there matey and pictures plus one hell of a write up shame about the wounded bunnie though buddy are you shaw bill aint been around shooting of at your bunnies matey only joking bill

 

shay

 

 

 

Hi there Shay. :11:

 

Parcel arrived today buddy

 

Many thanks

 

Phantom

[BASE JUMPER 18]

nice shooting

[venomviper 129]

hi ya tony mate

nice shooting there matey and pictures plus one hell of a write up shame about the wounded bunnie though buddy are you shaw bill aint been around shooting of at your bunnies matey only joking bill

 

shay

 

 

 

Shay......HOW COULD YOU

hi ya bill

i think that is called even now buddy quote shay cant hit s--t lol

hahaha

shay

[venomviper 129]

hi ya tony mate

nice shooting there matey and pictures plus one hell of a write up shame about the wounded bunnie though buddy are you shaw bill aint been around shooting of at your bunnies matey only joking bill

 

shay

 

 

 

Hi there Shay. :11:

 

Parcel arrived today buddy

 

Many thanks

 

Phantom

hi ya tony

thanks for letting me know buddy

and they aint great buddy but they might do if not do what i do shoot them gives you a life size target buddy

glad you got them though tony

 

shay

[stealthy1 3,964]

Good shooting Phantom, if you need to get a rabbit out of a hole that its kicked its self into, try a length of Bramble with the leaves pulled off, shove it down the hole and twist, most of the time the rabbits fur will tangle in the thorns and you can drag it out, it wont work every time, but it works enough to give it a go

[Phantom 631]

Cheers Stealthy,

 

Wish I'd have thought of that. That one in the grave might have been edible

 

But there again, it may have had some kinda lurgie as well :sick:

 

Phantom