Daz39 962 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 So after the heads up from Mac, all the faff around method statements, risk assessments and a full on face to face with half the site, I signed my new permission papers on Thursday and headed off down to work for the first shoot last night. Due to lots of PR worries I am only allowed to shoot between midnight and 5am, so I arrived last night around 11:30 ready to zero the scope in. Everywhere seems very quiet right now with regards to rabbits, so even though the guys at work said the place was lifting, I went with a pessimistic approach and not getting my hopes up too high……until I pulled up at the security gates… Sat in front of me were 3 good size rabbits, just looking at me, just inside the permission fence, as the security guard arrived to let me in, he scared the 3 off…but that looked promising. I went in to the security building and signed in, gave him the police log number etc and the fella said good luck, you’ll likely see a couple on the lawn as you go out, so be quiet. I opened the security door and bang in front of me is the main lawn, 200yrds by 50 yrds, in front of the main building. Well, at first I froze and couldn’t believe my eyes, there were two groups of rabbits, around 6 or 7 loosely split in one group and 10-12 in a tighter bunch further away. I grabbed the security guard and told him to hold the door open, and dropped prone on the security building floor with the rifle sticking out of the door. Lined up the first rabbit and pop, down he goes (roughly 25 yrds), most of the rabbits scattered at that, but one no too far away, lined up again and pop, down goes number 2. A little further, around 30 yards, both good clean head shots, rabbit drops with no twitching. Well the security guard just starts laughing, “you’ll be a busy lad the neet” says he. I then realised, I hadn’t turn my lamp on, the place is lit just enough to be able to spot rabbits at 50-60 yrds without lamps, and just dark enough for there to be a few shadows to walk in. I think I used the lamp maybe 3-4 times last night total. I also realised, in my eagerness to get down to the perm, I’d not packed any game bags for the rabbits!! So I robbed a bin bag and laid the rabbits outside in the cool air to keep chilled. And off I went again… Not 30 yards from the building was a clump of trees, again, mr rabbit sat blissfully unaware, down in prone and number 3 in the bag. A little further on by some trees, number 4. Again, 2 head shots, again not a twitch from the rabbit. Down one fence line I saw one more rabbit, this time around 40 yards (I thought it was closer), I took a shot and he went down, lay very still then just pushed his back legs in spasm once, and he was gone. On walking over, he was right next to a warren and he’d fallen down. Damn it. As I sit and type, I realise it would have been a good idea to get a view on where all the burrows were before I started to shoot, but man, there was a plate and it was full of cakes, and I wasn’t going to wait to get dressed for dinner!! I took the two rabbits to their other 2 mates and left them. Off I go this time to the left of the front lawn. Without going into detail, I quickly picked up numbers 6 and 7. I also hit an 8th, this time, he did a huge flip, 3 feet easy, much like those in Stuarts videos. I have never had a rabbit do this, and while I was watching, he flipped into a nature reserve area that I am banned from shooting in. Or going into with my gun, should temptation be too much. I had a look for it, but it is fenced off and thick scrub. I picked up the 2 and added them to the 4 at the security building. 6 bagged, 2 lost – and I had only been on site 45 mins!!! I then had a look round the back of the site where the fence line boarders a farm field. I took number 9 at around 35 yrds near one of the production buildings, number 10 was sat in the open and I hid between two IBCs to take a lovely 40 yrd shot in the back of his head, pop, down. There were so many rabbits out, 60+ without making it up. I wasn’t even TRYING, I know the day will come when I need to stalk better, or lay up, but right now, you don’t need to lamp, they can be skittish if they hear you, or see you (with all the security lights, it is like hunting in the day in some areas), and some ran with the lamp when I did put it on, others sat still. I went back to the front lawn for another look and took (if I may say so) a lovely 42 yrd shot. Again this time the rabbit bounced like I have never seen other than on Stuarts vids. And he bounced through a metal railing fence out onto the main road!!! He lay still after a few seconds, but there was no way to get out for me, though I did have to drive past it on the way back home so I made a note to pick it up if it hadn’t been run over. It started to rain now and I checked my watch, 2am, I decided that was enough for my first night out. 11 kills, 8 bagged and 3 lost (one to pick up on the way home) and only been there 2 hours. Now 2 things hit me, 1) 8 rabbits weigh a TONNE!! I could hardly carry them!! 2) I couldn’t gut and skin on site so had to go off site to do it. And it took my nearly an hour to gut and skin the 8 rabbits and afterwards, I looked like I HAD been shot. I am a “slice and flick” man when it comes to gutting, when I went to the car this morning, rabbit guts all down one side haha, I’d obviously splattered the car with one and not noticed…had to clean that up sharp. On the way home I stopped for the other rabbit, but it wasn’t where I left it. The guard said they had a “FAT” fox come on to site, so I assume he’d nicked the last one before I could get round to it (I’d been skinning and gutting and forgot until I set off in the car that I had another to pick up). Wow, what a night, can’t wait to get down again. Here is a pick of 7 of the 8 I picked up. I’d already given one to one of the security guards and he was away before I could take a pic. 9 Quote Link to post
Longers7 720 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Well done, good bag and a good read! 1 Quote Link to post
bigmac 97kt 13,792 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Well all i can say is I TRAINED YOU WELL and now your TOP DOG AND I BOW down to you :notworthy: good shooting bud good shooting ,i no you said a lot of it was down to the rifle you used but i beg to differ yes the rifle is one of the best that money can buy but its not the rifle but the shooter behind it it dus not shoot its self and it dus not have auto aim but skot will have some thing to say about that its all down to you and to say im proud of you is an under statement you are now a hunter first and for most atvbmac 3 Quote Link to post
kanny 20,611 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Good going bud.... first nights on green rabbits are always fun but dont be supprised if they start to suss you out over time and make you work a little harder....just me pulling my car on my perm now will clear it so I have to be a bit more savvy now.... great shooting all the same ...well done Atb Kanny 1 Quote Link to post
moxy 617 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Nice result and sounds like a good spot Quote Link to post
Daz39 962 Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Timmy, no fear, there are so many burrows there must be over a hundred on there I'll bet. One area they live I can't shoot, I have to wait for them to come onto the main lawn.... Not sure beer and HW100 go together well haha! Quote Link to post
Daz39 962 Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Kanny, they normally pay Mitie to go shoot but they have only been getting 1-2 a night, lord knows what they have been doing. They are a little skittish in some places but yeah, I doubt there will be many easy nights like last night.!!! At least I can get a brew in security when things are slow haha. Quote Link to post
Daz39 962 Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Mac, cheers mate, what can I say, I had a good teacher!!! I managed to off load 5 rabbits so 3 going to the butcher tomorrow. Hey Matt, enjoy your dinner mate 1 Quote Link to post
Matt Smith 143 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I will thanks mate Good shooting! 1 Quote Link to post
the big chief 3,099 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 good read daz spot on buddy 1 Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Good read and good hunting as well! 1 Quote Link to post
bigmac 97kt 13,792 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Mac, cheers mate, what can I say, I had a good teacher!!! I managed to off load 5 rabbits so 3 going to the butcher tomorrow. Hey Matt, enjoy your dinner mate Your as good as me now time to move on to matt and get him up to your level so MATT hope your not offended by blue language as when i do start to teach you you will get it in the neck hell knows DAZ has had plenty off me atvbmac :thumbs: 2 Quote Link to post
villaman 9,983 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Can you make the picture a bit smaller 2 Quote Link to post
bigmac 97kt 13,792 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Can you make the picture a bit smaller . :laugh: he needs me to take the photos as his phone is crap at it atvbmac Quote Link to post
Daz39 962 Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 If you lot click on the photo it's very big!! Dunno why it makes me small... Moaning blind lad bats!! Haha Quote Link to post
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