Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Well ive had a blessed childhood when it comes to joys of the countryside and living in it from a early age. I was born in a farm cottage in rural oxfordshire farm 38 years ago yesterday dad was a milking 60 cows and mum a wife . Well after some enjoyable years until I was six when dad had to give up milking for health reasons . We move to a larger village in which was better for making friends but still having plenty of outdoor fun . We had a small local brook that run into the thames that despite its size held some good fish the two most memorable was a 6llb cock brownie with huge jaw which being young we knocked on the head and ate it ,wish I had released it now, I caught that while live bait baiting for pike there was outlet were some treated shit use to flow into the brook with massive minnows ,that we use to catch for livebait ,the joy of watching that live bait bod the float in panic as a pike went to strike . The biggest pike I caught out of that brook was a 14llbs which was huge for size of the brook. Had many injuries on my bike I never had a BMX till later on I had a america bike from a lad who dad was based at upper heyford ,the only brakes was the rear and was peddleback . I was messing around the roads and lad kicked a ball it went between the wheels and throw me over the handlebars ,and was knocked into a coma for 4 weeks ,which huge facials scars and scabs . Just after that the old man and mum split up and after legal battles I was placed into care of the old man. Well he had got a job back on the farm he grew up on in very rural part of wiltshire which now had the mighty M4 cutting though the farm instead of endless downland grass. The tied cottage was part of the job and dad was working on farm as a maintance man this farm had little or no money spent on it since dad had left 50 years before. I had some great times despite the isolation of farm life and had caught and shot so much it became a way of life to point of obbession . Ever minute spent out with teal my black lab hunting and then a wee pup called pepsi arrived a short stubby face I thought no way is this going to turn into a sleek fast lurcher . Well as time passed she grew to lovely sleek dog and behind our cottage she use to bound onto of round bales in effortless manner . I use to spend either my time working her over ferrets and hare coursing over the huge area between our cottage and lambourn . With some memorable catches to returning home empty handed . My other passion was shooting the humble woodies with my single barrel hammer action 12 bore which I look back with joy and how the hell did I get away with that for so long,as the old gun was designed for short paper cartridges not the 67mm plastic ones ,so I had a short length of 1/2inch copper pipe with lead melted into it and hook with string to drop down the barrel to knock the spent cartridge out of the chamber . Well the downs where blessed with fine clover leys which attractted alot of woodies and the fun of summertime when they where thirsty and I use to stake out the water troughs . Upto about 11 the most I shot was 20 at best that was until the first year we grew linseed Well it was drilled and once sprouted the woodies poured from swindon which was a good 20 miles away and on that bright sunny spring day with binos you could see the huge flocks tracking from miles away. Sat there with my 2 litre coke bottle cut in half paint in a shiny grey with white collars ,which most days spooked the hell of the woodies. Not this day they poured in the old single barrel was red hot I shot 202 that day ,and that is when my passion started for gaining more land to hunt. I have shot some fine bags in the next 20 years and one time where I had a mini and filled the back up with woodies shooting over peas and teal had to get onto of pile sqeezed between the pile and roof . Along with the disapointments we all suffer and need to suffer to learn from your mistakes . The early days of ferretting was less fruitful as numbers where low but boy you had to work hard to bag a few ,learning art of snaring and catching well is one of most enjoyable things to teach young I feel. What strike me after last weeks school holidays does the average young lad do what we use to do and enjoy have we lost the countryside from our young on average yes with a few who was as keen as we where ,which is joy to meet and give our knowledge and funny stories to too. So I feel what a lucky lad I was in my childhood with many more stories like the storm of 87 when the chimmey blew down on my bed and I never woke up. ATB Cookie 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulus 26 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Your bad Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulus 26 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Your bad i was raised by nuns Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stabs 3 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I love reading about shit like that. Well done Cookie. I often sit and reminisce about my childhood and there are obvious parallels with yours as we're the same age and were clearly interested in exactly the same things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulus 26 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I love reading about shit like that. Well done Cookie. I often sit and reminisce about my childhood and there are obvious parallels with yours as we're the same age and were clearly interested in exactly the same things. alot of the more mature people on here are all of a simular upbringing, all very different nowadays, but its still good to see the younger ones on here asking questions and getting into the stuff that we just took for granted. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stabs 3 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Damn straight Paulus. That's why we have to be careful and not drive them away with ridicule when they ask daft questions. We would have got a clip round the ear but it's different when there's the potential to embarrass yourself on a worldwide stage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulus 26 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Damn straight Paulus. That's why we have to be careful and not drive them away with ridicule when they ask daft questions. We would have got a clip round the ear but it's different when there's the potential to embarrass yourself on a worldwide stage. thats very true. it must be hard for them when they read and believe some of the fantastic feats of man dog and gun posted on here, we could start a thl apprenticeship like the old YTS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nothernlite 18,077 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 good read cookie atb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Your bad i was raised by nuns Scothunter was raised by Huns............ Well my childhood goes like this............Brought up in a very small mining village in Fife. But growing up in the town didnt feel right and all i wanted to do was stay up at my Grandads house. 17 acres surrounded by Forestry. He got the place through his work as he worked as a Forset Ranger doing vermin and deer control. I'd spend all my summer holidays up here through school and and every sunday, great fun. Always 2/3 labs kicking about the place.....coming out getting rabbits. I'd sit beside a hole for hours and let them dig down and belive it or not i got a few rabbits that way... Walking round the forestry at the age of 12 with a .22 rifle or a shotgun popping of rabbits a nd pigeons with no license.....imagine he let me do that now. Jail!!!... There was also a shooting syndicate on the place......put down about 400 birds and although i never got to see the best of the shooting because the woods where alot higher then it was once a cracking wee shoot for friends. My younger years i can remember fixing up the rearing feild and feeding birds.........checking pens and learning tricks of the trade. Setting snares and sorting problem hook beaks...(shoo shoo go away we'd say)... I remember the first time i was left to look after the young poults. I didnt have a license but i could drive and my Grandad was going away on the day the poults were to be put in the pen. When i went to check in the morning there was about 20 with there heads off......a f*****g owl.. Boy did i wait the next night for that owl but it never showed.....lucky for it as it was going to get a number 5 pumped into it...... Ever since i was little i knew i wanted to buy the place and when my grandad passed away in 09 i did and i doubt i'll ever leave the place...... 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Your bad i was raised by nuns It sure was not DAVID BAILEY Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulus 26 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Your bad i was raised by nuns It sure was not DAVID BAILEY my photography skill have come on leaps and bounds, i can now turn it on and i have even learnt how to remove the lense cap Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Paulus should you not refrase that to my sex life is like a nuns Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulus 26 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Paulus should you not refrase that to my sex life is like a nuns not many benny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Paulus should you not refrase that to my sex life is like a nuns not many benny DING dong This would be our luck you can have first choice Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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