An afternoon with the lurchers and Rapid

[Acuspell 329]

Managed to escape for a couple of hours with the dogs this afternoon. Nice sunny autumn day, I took a rucksack qith a telescopic spinning rod in it to have a few casts for a pike, but in the end didn't get it out. Took both Fly and Tigs, who is now just gone 1 year old and already catchinng and windinng game well. In the first part of my wood Tigs suddenly started sniffing the air ahead hard and became very interested, then suddenly he was gone like lightning. I heard the deer stamp as he set off and saw the grey back and white rump of the fallow......that was that part of the wood knackered with those two charging through it. Even so, I couldn't chastise him because it was he is bred to do - hunt. I could without him running in like that though, that restraint will come in time.

 

All back as a unit again we worked through the rhodies and larch and I saw a branch in an oak moving (there was little or no wind). I stopped and kept the dogs close in, looking hard I saw a squirrel on a branch at about 45 yards, half obscured. I steadied the rifle on target and squeezed off the shot into its ribs. The .20 Exact found its mark and the squirrel was bowled out of the tree. As it fell the dogs shot forward and Fly nailed it on the ground. There was a squeal and a yelp almost together. She had got a bite from the little blighter and dropped it - Tigs dived in, in a flash and as he grabbed it he shook it so fast it had no chance to react. A really violent, fast shake that had the squirrel hitting his ribs each side! I got him to retrieve it and took the tail off. Then I paunched it and gave him the liver and kidneys - Fly didn't want any. With the tail in the bag I left the well crunched body for the foxes and crows and we moved on.

 

I thought about a few casts but as the sky was already changing colour I decided it was too late and went up the hill to get in position for a few pigeons. With no wind it was difficult because they were pitching in anywhere, not anywhere in particular. I stood against a tree and heard the whistle of wings - looking up I saw a singleton swing in and land in a tree about 50 yards away. I could just about get a shot through and rested the rifle against the trunk of the tree and put the first BDC circle on the pigeons breast. The shot went home with a loud thump and the pigeon didn't move. It didn't fall out of the tree either. I looked again and it was stood exactly where it had been when the shot went home. I fired again and hit it a second time, still it didn't tumble. At that report a cock pheasant cackled out in the field. I put the dogs to sit with my rucksack and crawled forward the 15 yards to where I could spy the field. There he was, suspicious of the sounds coming from within the wood. I got bead on his head though, I guessed it was 35 yards, squeezed off - and missed clean. Not over the top, but off to one side, I had pulled the trigger rather than squeezed it. TWONK. he was off on his legs before taking wing with a loud cackle, as if laughing at me. The dogs were still sat where I had put them. Looking up, that pigeon was still stuck in the tree. I put another shot into it, but it still stayed put. One for the foxes when it eventually lets go. other than a few scampering squirrels and already roosting pigeons, that was it, but it blew the cobwebs away and left me in no doubt that the Rapid is indeed the daddy. Sorry, no pics because I didn't take a camera with me - I was having a day to myself.

[j j m 6,563]

sounds like you had a good day mate,enjoyed reading this

[dtw 42]

Good write up, enjoyed the read.

[Daz 7 563]

Nice Bud

 

Nice to get out and about.

 

atvb Daz 7.