Couple Of Short Evening Trips

[chrismdd 787]

Well with work not being so hectic at the moment I decided it was time for another session or two. So Thursday evening I headed out the back of the house with the intention of trying to decoy some crows. All looked promising when I walked into the newly cut grass field as a few crows took off. Went round to the barley field and bagged a young rabbit for bait and set this out with the decoy in the grass field near my natural hide. Waited a good hour but no crows came near, even tried my old acme crow caller but this was no good (sounds more like a demented duck - are there better callers on the market?).

So just sat back and listened and watched nature around me, this included a badger cub that walked within a few feet of me through the nettles. Looked up to see a rabbit out feeding and slowly took up position and squeezed off the shot to put him in the bag. Then spied some dog walkers coming round the field away from the footpaths so knowing that they would be coming my way I decided to retreat to the barley field. The crops are all quite high now so found a well eaten 'half-moon' by the hedge and lay down in the tramline of the standing barley leading to it. As the sun was going down I managed to bag a couple more rabbits.



Then yesterday I drove out to my newer permission to have a go at the rabbits there. Went to the pea/barley field first and as before the rabbits were out but well hidden by the crop and were only seen when they ran for cover. However, one well eaten area a single adult rabbit was out and using the cover of the crop I fired off the shot, the pellet must of clipped something on the way and the rabbit went down but still very much alive so a quick second shot was needed to bag him.

Decided it was time to sit out in the grass field, found a nice position up on the bank with some natural cover



Thought it wouldn't be long before bunnies came out to play, unfortunately a clattering of sticks and shouts from the village a few fields away changed all that (when will the GL include Morris Dancers ). So instead I just lay back in the sun and had a doze to pass the time and allow the bunnies to get used to the new sounds



After an hour and a half as the sun was setting I opened my eyes and lifted my head to be greeted by half a dozen rabbits out feeding. Decided carefully who to go for first with the intention of getting more than one. Went for one close to the hedge first so that those out in the field would run back but hopefully stop just before the hedge providing a second opportunity.

First shot felled the bunny number one, instant reload as the rest scarpered and a second shot brought down bunny number two, looking round to my right a caught sight of another hidden in the long grass by the hedge, a final shot put bunny three in the bag.



So a nice couple of short evenings out before the weather changes for the weekend.

Chris

 

[moxy 617]

Good going chris and a nice write up.

I think it's more the technique with the caller. But I can only get a high pitched squawk from the one I have.

[chrismdd 787]

Cheers Moxy,

 

I just saw this on youtube, he definitely makes it sound better so will give it go before I bin it:

 

[The one 8,463]

Nice going mate at least your out getting a few

[villaman 9,983]

Nice read and nice pictures

[Gaz 177 263]

Nice little post that Chris with some good piks too

[j j m 6,533]

very good

[Rez 4,957]

Highest quality those look.

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

Well done Chris.

[celticrusader 78]

Yes good job mate and good read, I love that feeling you get when lying in ambush waiting for them to show and then seeing them appear its a feeling I got from your read mate.lol

[combatjohnny 2]

Nice write up Chris, it's almost like being their with you ! Amazing how time flies when you are sitting waiting for them to show, a couple of hours goes by in no time.

Funny how the looking away or having a doze seems to work more often than not. You then look up & they are out and feeding happily unaware of you !