An Evening After Work

[Craig Fosse 286]

Hello guys!

 

Went out yesterday for a mooch after work, have just adjusted my trigger on my s200 as it was a bit heavy. The land where I shoot has had a bad harvest this year and the covers have only just come off the jersey royals. That being said the farmer has asked me to keep the local population down as much as possible. It was a great day to start with so I set a hide up on a rabbit warren. However after half an hour the rain set in and the winds increased. I sat under a tree for a bit to get out the elements wondering on the course of actions...leaning towards the fact of going home. So I thought maybe one more mooch in the wood and I will be off.

 

On return still nothing but just exiting the wood sucking on my wounds because I knew I wouldn't get anything tonight. I spotted a rabbit 70 yards away, out came my bipod legs ready for the long belt buckle crawl over an open field to see if I could get within range. The wind was blowing towards me so the rabbit couldn't hear me very well. Few clicks of the range finder and the heart pumping expecting the rabbit to bolt any minute and I'm lined up, 35 yards, with half a mildot left for wind compensation and down it goes, leg kicking. Mega chuffed. During the stalk the sun had come out but it was still pretty windy. A text from the wife, luckily a batch of crow sounds from my text message ring tone as I forgot to put it on silent, telling me to take as long as I want as she's got a programme to watch on telly. I thought maybe ill have a little look around after all

 

1 down. I forgot to mention I managed to purchase a jack pyke loose leaf guillie suit last week for half price on ebay and this is the first time it's been used.

 

Light slowly going I enter the woodland again, Unfortunatly it's the type of place where you just make noise after noise, but there's so much foliage that you can tend to walk slowly stay still and watch the woody's land, but its very very hit and miss. Which is exactly what happened. 20 yard woody through twigs, at first I left it just not trusting the true line through the branches and twigs. It's always frustrating when you see a haze of cris cross twigs through your scope but can see the woody perfectly. Up came the hood and a slow stalk around and I managed to find a gap in the branches fit enough for the head... Standing supported in a tree surrounded by holly bush and one mill dot elevation, down it pops. This coming from the bloke who nirmaly goes out and doesn't expect to shoot anything, great I thought.

 

With light fading fast I decide to call it a night, back to pack up my hide where the rabbit warren was. Only to find a big fat Cockbird. Now before anyone says, I'm allowed to shot phesant this time of year under jersey pest control licence as they are not a game bird over here and have no season. I am however finding it very had to track them and stalk them with an air rifle. Any tips would be appreciated!

 

Down on my belt buckle and I get withn 30 yards, the cheeky bugger decided to start grazing slowly off into a pile of bracken. I could of taken a shot I reckon but I just didnt want to chance it. Luckily for me, sounding like an episode out of airgun magazine, just as the phesant goes in a nice healthy doe rabbit charges from her hollow. Side on shot and a click of the tongue and she rolls over nicely.

 

Hope you enjoyed the read...just shows you the day before I went out with my mate, completely sunny low wind day and nothing, today, rain wind and a bit of sun and a mixed bag.

 

I came home to a wife who has always supported me and took a snapshot of me with them.

 

Craig

[Craig Fosse 286]

 

Me back home just as the last light goes.

[Elliott 436]

Nice write up Craig, you did well in those conditions pal. How effective does the gillie suit seem? Sounds like you've got a lovely wife there too

[Craig Fosse 286]

To be honest mate, I cannot rate it enough, however baring in mind it does exactly what it says on the tin but for £ squid, I wouldn't fork out that money for it because I just think any suit for that amount is too much. However I managed to get it off ebay for 50 and its absolutely class. Around my permission I have a lot of brambles and they don't rip it at all. If you sit under a tree and are happy taking sitting unsupported shots you wouldn't need a hide. however I use a bipod and until I have jack pyke leafed that I still need one. You literally look like a bush. I just wouldn't spend the money on one because I don't have that much to just put on a guillie suit. I can honestly say I won't ever wear anything else again, in winter you just have more layers underneath it and in summer less layers. One thing though that I was warned about is its quite see through, so make sure you wear ordinary hunting clothes underneath.

 

Verdict. If you want one and have the money to, GET ONE.

[Mawders 595]

Craig that's a quality post mate, thanks for sharing, work and weather here is stopping me having an outing at the moment. That jack pyke outfit looks awesome mate.

 

ATB

 

Mawders

[Craig Fosse 286]

Cheers mate, right place at the right time for te ghillie suit, still I blooded it well , the weather here is horrendous too but hopefully I can get out for an hour tomorrow, there is a phesant I have seen the past few times round te farmers house which I want to try and get

[Elliott 436]

Cheers mate, right place at the right time for te ghillie suit, still I blooded it well , the weather here is horrendous too but hopefully I can get out for an hour tomorrow, there is a phesant I have seen the past few times round te farmers house which I want to try and get

Good luck

[Craig Fosse 286]

Ill need it

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

nice going mate. i like my jackpyke llcs ghille aswell very good arent they

 

Edited April 10, 2013 by Skot Ruthless Teale

[Elliott 436]

Nice going Skot, nice to hear that you're also favouring the man's calibre like Si and myself

 

The gillie looks the part, if I had woodlands on my perms I'd consider investing in one

Edited April 11, 2013 by Elliott

[Craig Fosse 286]

Awesome skot haha , yer I must admit, I feel a lot more confident just sitting under a tree now rather than having to pull my hide out with me

[woodcote1 88]

If you leave your suit out on the washing line when its wet and windy for a couple of days, when it dries it has a better effect.

[Craig Fosse 286]

Sounds good ill give it a try

[mark williams 7,563]

Great write up mate,

The gillie suit is great,

 

atb

Mark

[j j m 6,563]

great write up bud