A Sunday afternoon wander

[matt_hooks 188]

Ok, this is my first "report" though there's not actually much to report. More of a test of Photobucket and it's iPhone app.

 

So anyway, I have a permission which is literally the other side of the road from home, so I decided to kill an hour or so having a wander around, see what presented itself.

 

Wandered over the road with the rifle in her slip. Behind a hedge on the permission that provides a little cover from Joe Public and his prying/police calling eye. Slip the old girl out of her cover and feed her a hollow point pellet.

 

Not taken two steps when I spot a pair of ears above the longer grass. I'm thinking, hang on a sec, that grass is over a foot tall. Either we've been over-run by were-rabbits, or that's a hare! Now hares aren't rare round here, but I choose not to shoot them unless they're causing a particular problem, so I enjoyed sitting watching him lollop around for a bit. It's bright and sunny and warm, so very pleasant for wildlife watching, and gave me a chance to make sure the bino's are properly focused.

 

After a while Mr Hare decides he's bored and lollops off, and I take his cue and commence my ramblings (no, not the ones on here, the ones in the field!).

 

Got half way around the permission, to a point where it's usually possible to observe several bunnies chosing down on the horses grass. It's an all weather school in the middle of the permission, which is a few acres used mainly to house race horses, which are elsewhere at the mo hence the free shooting.

 

So got to my o/p and had a good look around. Would you believe it, not a fluffy thing in sight!

 

I'm getting a bit worried now. Have flopsy, mopsy and cotton tail become wary of my predations and decided to move to pastures greener (or at least less lethal)?

 

I have a look around, and spot the reason for the lack of bunnykins.

 

There's half a dozen red kites circling over the field.

 

I'm not kidding, there were 6 of them.

 

Now red kites are fairly common round these parts, and I have seen bigger groups, but circling over MY permission, ruining MY shooting?

 

"Of all the fields, in all the world, you have to circle over this one!"

 

Abandoning hope of shooting anything, I decide that a bit of bird watching is in order. I break the rifle, and lay on my back with the bino's.

 

What a fantastic creature the red kite is!

 

Apparently Mr Corvid doesn't agree.

 

Out of nowhere a whole bunch of black featherys appear and commence to harass and mob the kites. What a sight! The kites dwarfing Mr Crow and his friends. Wheeling in the sky, flying talon to claw, circling, dive bombing, fantastic!

 

And so to the point of the story (FINALLY, you might well say!).

 

The kites fly off, but as a final parting shot, a juvenile crow decides to have the last word.

 

Unfortunately Mr Kite has had enough. He turns on the crow and hits him. I'm not sure what he hit him with, but Mr Crow fell out of the sky. I'm expecting him to level out before he hits the ground, but no, there's a god solid "THUD" as corvid meets terra firma.

 

Now mr corvid is definitely badly injured. He's flopping around and trying to fly, but only managing to take a couple of steps before crashing on his head.

 

I'm thinking he needs a lead painkiller. (Let me rephrase. Obviously, as a responsible hunter and countryman, it is my duty to put him out of his misery as swiftly and humanely as possible)

 

Problem is he's nearly 50 yards away, and close to the boundary of my permission.

 

Now I could try and walk up to him, but it's a fair distance, and the chances are he will manage to flap his way out of my permission before I can reach him, thus leaving me on shaky legal ground for the coup de grace. The only real option is to take the shot.

 

Now I know that I can place the shots in a single hole at that range on the range, but I'd never consider the shot at live quarry in normal circumstances. But given he was already injured, I figured I needed to take the shot.

 

So lined him up with the appropriate amount of hold over, squeezed the trigger and sent him on his way with a .22 RWS super h point.

 

He fell straight away and didn't twitch.

 

Job done!

 

I took the obligatory mug shot, and put him in the bush away from J P but where Mr Renard will find him later on.

 

Here's his final portrait.

 

 

So not quite what was expected, but a good hour or so nontheless. I'm thinking of nipping out again later, but it's looking like rain out so maybe not!

 

And a SP or anyone who can name the rifle!

[chameleon 26]

Good shot, and your first post looks fine to me

[venomviper 129]

hi ya buddy

nice write up matey and pictures

and gun wise not sure i was going to say smk but looks like a supersport hummm webley i think

 

but great shooting though buddy

 

shay

[matt_hooks 188]

hi ya buddy

nice write up matey and pictures

and gun wise not sure i was going to say smk but looks like a supersport hummm webley i think

 

but great shooting though buddy

 

shay

 

Cheers fellas. Sorry about the essay, never use one word where seventeen will do!

 

And nope, no SP Shay. As far as I know it's the original stock, and she's got a few years under her belt, but never had any parts replaced and still produces full power. (That should give you a clue! )

[venomviper 129]

ahhhhhhh parker hale

 

shay

[matt_hooks 188]

ahhhhhhh parker hale

 

shay

 

Haha I wish!

 

It's more the method of producing the blast of air to propel the pellet, rather than the make, that means it's suffered minimal power drop over the past 15 or so years.

 

Any more clues and I might as well just tell you! haha

[venomviper 129]

hi ya buddy

if not a bsa or webley or ph so is it the hw??

if not i give up its staring me in the face but just cant get it lol

 

shay

[matt_hooks 188]

Sorry Shay, none of those.

 

Seeing as no-one else is playing, I'll put you out of your misery.

 

It's a Theoben Scirocco, one of the first ones off the production line. The gas ram is why it still shoots beautifully, several thousand shots down the line!

 

Got an old Axsor Gemini (there was a pic of one on here recently!) as well, which I have taken off line at the mo for some maintenance as she doesn't seem to be shooting too well!

[falcongit 242]

nice shooting mate,good write up and pic.

 

sym

[garfield 23]

cracking writeup matey and well done for not taking all the credit for the crow unfortunatly my afternoon mooch was called off early on the account of rain

[Phantom 631]

Bugger, I was going to say the Theoban it does actually look like my XS19 with a spacer on the butt.

The give away was

 

It's more the method of producing the blast of air to propel the pellet, rather than the make, that means it's suffered minimal power drop over the past 15 or so years.

 

Lovely post Matt, thouroghly enjoyed the read and the 'Lead Pain Killer' line made me grin.

 

I'll give ya a SP tomorrow as I've run out today

 

Take it the iphone app works well

Quality pic, well done.

 

Phantom

[matt_hooks 188]

Yup. Loads of people seem to have been struggling with it, but it works perfectly for me. Not tried it over the mobile network yet, was over wifi so will take it out later and try and get it going. Not sure if I can get far enough away to lose my wireless on this permission though, that's how close to home it is!