Last night at Pool Bank

[Phantom 631]

Decided to call in at Pool Bank yesterday evening.

The bunnies are getting weary when I turn up early now

 

As I approached, I saw the owner walking down the A63 with her dog (purebread Border Collie) called Patch.

I hung around until she reached the driveway and had a nice little chat with her about the bunnies.

I told her that last time I was there at 04:00 ish, I had seen bunnies on her best lawn and she was mortified!

I then asked if she had seen any more on the Goose paddock? she replied that there had been 4 adults but she had not seen any kits since I was last there, she was pleased with that and she also told me that Mrs G (bunny land owner) had called her to tell her how wonderful the job I was doing for her and she thanked her for reccomending me

 

We wandered round the back into her garden and she told me that the old goose was dead

She told me that Chucky Fox had managed to slip through the fence and into the goose shed where the old one lived and it had savaged the old girl.

 

I told her that I would if need be, set some Fox snares if she wanted me to, but she said she wished she still had the rifles that her late husband had on FAC for me to use

Sadley there was no way on Earth that land would now be considdered for FAC use

Motorway on one side, industrial (soon to be Tesco's) on the other side, children next door and so on and so forth......

 

Mrs A' also told me that she had had the little fluffy feckers in her veg plots now and they had destroyed over half of her cabbage crop this year already!!

 

I left her and walked towards the goose paddock and a big old buck caught my eye from the left, well he was off like a rocket! there were another three in the goose paddock but they got wind of me and were gone before I got my baby out of the slip.

 

I got myself settled at the far side this time, which means I had to be very selective when it came to targets as I was laid prone with my gun pointing at millions of pounds of agricultural /m horticultureal green houses so the only chance of me hitting a bunny depended on wether it had a tree trunk or a fence post directly in line with its head and my muzzle! If those conditions could not be met, then I could not release a shot especially as people were working inside the glasshouses!

 

Eventually as I was laid up I saw quite a number of kits playing their juvinile chase me games and eventually I decided I really had to do something about these, but I didn't want to shoot them. so as Mrs A was not around, I decided to let them play and wait for another day when they will be a little larger and better targets.

 

It was hot and I noticed a young kit, sat outside a warren entrance through my scope. I decided to try and catch it, see if my stealth skills and camo was up to scratch. There was no cover between us, just a heavily cut back headge row.

I stalked up to the side of the paddock and moved just over half way down the length, moving slowly and cautiously.

Reaching the kit I had my boots less than 8inches or so next to it. Bending down slowly, I reached with my camo gloves towards the bunny and pinched its sides between my fingers and thumb and lifted it up in my hands.

 

Have a ganders

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6k26ExsR_8

 

All in all this little girl was less than the length of my Sony Ericson K750 camera phone.

 

I took it back to Mrs A's house and she said "I hope your not going to offer me that as a pet!, its a cute little scratt, but it'll grow up to be a bloody pain it will!"

she gave me a shoe box to put it in (the one in the video)

 

Sadly it died around 02:00 this morning while I was stroking it

 

Anyways back to it,

 

I hit a big old doe later on and then a halfgrown about an hour later, there were others but unfortunately, they presented risky shots if I missed or the (more likely scenario) pellet went through them and hit the glasshouses behind the fence and trees.

 

The old Doe was hit from about 25 meters and was far from a perfect shot in my opinion I had misjudged the distance and the shot ripped through her lungs but missed her heart enabling her to run off and made it through the fence, then came back on herself before laying down and dead. This must have taken at least 25 to 30 seconds and really shook me up. It seemed like an eternity for me so I'd hate to think how long it seemed for her. Deffinately a poor shot on my part I am ashamed to admit.

 

I am debating wether to go back to Yards or persavere with meters? I've had a few less than perfect shots using meters, is this just until I get used to it I ask myself and how long will it take before I do get used to it?

 

I am planning on getting a laser rangefinder next week so that should help!

 

The half grown presented itself soon after but it was over half an hour before it stopped in a safe position for me to take the shot. This one was taken at just over 30 meters and was a far better shot

 

Phantom

 

 

 

 

 

[stealthy1 3,964]

I think the problem with the bunny kit maybe that was still being fed by the doe, the doe's leave the kits and only visit them to suckle them a few coulple of times a day, the rest of the time they just nibble on what they find, we all have the odd bad shot from time to time, so dont beat your self up about it, have a slut

[chris strilciw 1]

hey tony great job sneaking up on one bud but i would watch wat you say and post about it my brither was in court to day for the very same thing and was fined 300 quid cause somebody phoned the rozzers and they classed it as animal cruilty for taking it from its natural habbit and it died because of that so watch out mate, nobody can allways get perfect shots mate crap when it happens though all the same

 

atb chris

[Phantom 631]

hey tony great job sneaking up on one bud but i would watch wat you say and post about it my brither was in court to day for the very same thing and was fined 300 quid cause somebody phoned the rozzers and they classed it as animal cruilty for taking it from its natural habbit and it died because of that so watch out mate, nobody can allways get perfect shots mate crap when it happens though all the same

 

atb chris

 

Thanks guy's

 

Chris:

Strangely, If I were to have let it loose again; I would have broken the law and been guilty of an offence! As well as being deemed to have broken my contract with the land owner as well

I am appalled that your brothers solicitor did not point that out?

 

I thought I'd give it a chance at life it was either I wrung it neck or try to look after it.

So my argument would be, was it cruelty?

After all in this country we are required by law to kill/control them

I was simply trying to control the rabbit without using lethal means as per the requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act

 

Phantom

[davyt63 1,845]

hi tony

very good post buddy

chaz nearly done the same thing a couple of months back,but his one got away

me tinks your going soft in ya old age!

 

why did ya chage from yds to mtrs?

 

shame about the body shot! but these tings happen,nice 30mtr shot though

have a sp on me!!

 

PS who! the f**k was that in the video!

 

regards

 

davy

[Phantom 631]

hi tony

very good post buddy

chaz nearly done the same thing a couple of months back,but his one got away

me tinks your going soft in ya old age!

 

why did ya chage from yds to mtrs?

 

shame about the body shot! but these tings happen,nice 30mtr shot though

have a sp on me!!

 

regards

 

davy

 

Yeah thats me Davy, soft and senile

Changed from yards to meters just to see if I could get on with them as at 10mag the M1 Scope gives me exactly 5 metre increments for each of the mildots.

Good news though is The DWP have finally agreed what they owe me and they reckon I will have the 1500 or so in my hand next week so after paying off my arrears with the council, I'm investing in a guntuff and putting some aside for going away for a couple of days during July to meet up with a few friends and have a laugh

 

Phantom

[Phantom 631]

 

PS who! the f**k was that in the video!

 

regards

 

davy

 

Dunno, think it was someone called Tony, very distorted due to close proximity of the wide angle lens on the phone

 

Cheeky git!

[davyt63 1,845]

hi tony

very good post buddy

chaz nearly done the same thing a couple of months back,but his one got away

me tinks your going soft in ya old age!

 

why did ya chage from yds to mtrs?

 

shame about the body shot! but these tings happen,nice 30mtr shot though

have a sp on me!!

 

regards

 

davy

 

Yeah thats me Davy, soft and senile

Changed from yards to meters just to see if I could get on with them as at 10mag the M1 Scope gives me exactly 5 metre increments for each of the mildots.

Good news though is The DWP have finally agreed what they owe me and they reckon I will have the 1500 or so in my hand next week so after paying off my arrears with the council, I'm investing in a guntuff and putting some aside for going away for a couple of days during July to meet up with a few friends and have a laugh

 

Phantom

 

hi tony

stick to what ya use too, why change a good ting!

DWP news is great news so i will finally get to see who the f++k you are lol

 

well done buddy looking forward to meeting ya

how you getting here?

 

regards

 

davy

[Phantom 631]

well done buddy looking forward to meeting ya

how you getting here?

 

regards

 

davy

 

Not sure yet Davy, I'm thinking of making my way along to the A1 and cadging a lift in a big truck either that or I will be going down to Swindon by train and maybe get picked up by one of the local strange bolkes that live down there?

 

I'll have to invest in a tent or an Individual Protection Kit to cover my bivi bag and sleeping bag

 

Phantom

[davyt63 1,845]

well done buddy looking forward to meeting ya

how you getting here?

 

regards

 

davy

 

Not sure yet Davy, I'm thinking of making my way along to the A1 and cadging a lift in a big truck either that or I will be going down to Swindon by train and maybe get picked up by one of the local strange bolkes that live down there?

 

I'll have to invest in a tent or an Individual Protection Kit to cover my bivi bag and sleeping bag

 

Phantom

 

if you are coming buy train i will come and get ya,or you may be picked up by a pest via A1:thumbs:

[Phantom 631]

Cheers my good fellow

 

I'll let yah know what I decide is easyest

 

Phantom

[chris strilciw 1]

hey tony great job sneaking up on one bud but i would watch wat you say and post about it my brither was in court to day for the very same thing and was fined 300 quid cause somebody phoned the rozzers and they classed it as animal cruilty for taking it from its natural habbit and it died because of that so watch out mate, nobody can allways get perfect shots mate crap when it happens though all the same

 

atb chris

 

Thanks guy's

 

Chris:

Strangely, If I were to have let it loose again; I would have broken the law and been guilty of an offence! As well as being deemed to have broken my contract with the land owner as well

I am appalled that your brothers solicitor did not point that out?

 

I thought I'd give it a chance at life it was either I wrung it neck or try to look after it.

So my argument would be, was it cruelty?

After all in this country we are required by law to kill/control them

I was simply trying to control the rabbit without using lethal means as per the requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act

 

Phantom

 

hey tony thats what i thought but it was an odd law they done him for it wasnt exactly animal cruilty it was along the lines of causing sufering and mistreatment to it if you get wat i trying to say cant mind the exact name of the law but along that way anyway, but all the same great that you caught it, take it you lot meeting up for a ?

 

atb chris

[Phantom 631]

Hi Chris,

 

Yeah I get what you say

 

I think its plain wrong that your brother got done for cruelty for trying to 'humanely and non-lethally control a pest species'

I would be filing to have the conviction overturned and use the Wildlife & Countryside act and the General License's as the main reasons to have it overturned

 

Phantom

[stevieskin 4]

If you are talking about rabbits then general licences do not apply.

 

So would not be an argument in court.

 

As regards the baby rabbit , it nay have been to early in its life to take away. The white spot/flash on its head gets smaller as it develops and grows, in this case it could mean the baby was still nursing from mum and would be pretty hard to keep alive in captivity. Just an idea.

Edited June 26, 2010 by stevieskin

[venomviper 129]

hi ya tony

fantastic vid buddy

and great write up to and pictures as well and i think we all have that minute warm spot were we want to take the kit home and then shoot it relapse i think lol but no i have done the same thing once before and took one home but i had found it on the road with a broken leg and the THE WIFE SAID STOP AND GET IT i fixed its leg and all well and released it

nice rabbit curry

but good on ya tony pal nice write up once again and great shooting pal

 

shay