Hunting Diary -- A Day to Remember...

[C3PO 118]

It had been some time since I had visited the farm so it was high time to pay another visit. With the beautiful warm weather this afternoon was perfect. As I approached the farm along the country lane, rabbits were darting here, there and everywhere. There seemed to have been an explosion in the local population. Little did I know the afternoon would lead to some fireworks of a different kind.

 

Today I went with my HW100K in .177. Normally I'm kitted out with the FAC Rapid but in practice you're quite limited with the shots you can take with the extra power. It's not a rimfire of course, but there is still three times the power of a "normal" 12-footer ... and that means the pellet from the Rapid is doing 12ft/lbs at 160 yards!

 

After parking the car -- I've recently changed it for an estate ... much more versatile -- I pulled the gun bag from the back and headed down the lane to the field. The normal nut and bolt arrangement around the chain holding the gate shut had rusted since my last visit and I could not open it and so I clambered over close to the hinge side (thanks Mat Manning for the tip on gate etiquette!). Soon I was at the end of the field in my most familiar sniping position easing out the extended legs of the Harris bipod in a position where rabbits would emerge from their burrows.

 

 

The ground was soft with a blanket of lush grass negating the need for my bean bag. Fifteen minutes passed and peering through the Legend I caught sight of two little ears poking around amongst the grass stems some 25 yards ahead. The rabbit could not have been more than a few weeks old and seemed unfazed by my presence. But approaching the site there was a much bigger adult I was more interested in for the "pot". A few minutes later the adult duly appeared at 30 yards -- just the distance I had zero-ed to in the garden earlier in the day. The safety was released, the pellet launched and the rabbit taken down.

 

Next, I moved into an adjacent field where some old railway sleepers (what they're doing there god only knows) serve as an excellent piece of cover. This spot claimed four rabbits within a few minutes ... a superb position which will be saved in the memory banks for future expeditions.

 

 

But what marked today wasn't any success in the field as I was about to find out. After the railway sleeper spot, I returned to the original field and lay in wait again for more rabbits. Sure enough, one duly appeared and was dispatched efficiently. .177 is growing on me as an effective hunting calibre after being a .22 man all my life. After the kill, I got up and moved towards the quarry and in doing so became acutely aware of a large amount of movement to my left. I turned and before me was a herd of 40 cows running fast in my direction ... and just 30 yards away. How I had not spotted them I do not know. With the rifle in my left hand I was about 10 yards from a barbed-wire fence so I jumped over it with the sound of hooves close behind. I almost cleared the barbed wire but managed to cut my trousers and leg area ... thankfully nothing bleeding and everything in tact. A scary moment.

 

I wondered back into the railway sleeper field to collect my quarry and brought them back to the first field, through which I have access to my car. Walking along the fenceline, I noticed the cows at the very far end of the field and so I hobbled over the barbed wire with rabbits in hand and moved "purposefully" towards the gate, acutely aware of the herd. Well, they'd spotted me again and were moving in my direction. I couldn't turn back to where I had just entered the field because it would put me on a collision course with the cows -- I had to keep moving towards the gate and hope that they didn't try a "lead pursuit intercept" to cut me off.

 

It turned out that they didn't have to try any aerial-style combat manoevres. They started to canter at a hellava rate of knots and I was bloody scared. They were going to get to me -- and quickly. My only option was to dart back over the barbed wire but in this part of the field it was crotch-high and firmly in place with several lines. All the while, the herd was closing in. I had no choice -- over the barbed wire it had to be. First things first -- prioritising I made sure the HW100 was carefully placed over the other side ... don't want her scratched or damaged -- then I took three steps back and leaped Jonathan Edwards-style over the wire.

 

I damned nearly got away with it. But as I passed over the fence my ageing legs failed to properly stretch and I charged ridiculously into the barbed wire. The momentum was such though that I couldn't stop so the sound of violent tearing of cloth around the crotch area gave way to the perilous sound of hooves again. Bloody hell this is ridiculous I thought at the nonsense of the situation.

 

 

I looked down and my trousers were well torn, boxers too torn but my all important bits thankfully in tact and unscathed. Which is more than could be said about my legs which had been whipped by waist-high nettles. I was stuck in an area of farming no-mans-land with an even high imprenetrable barbed wire fence ahead and the herd of cows blowing and growling away three feet behind. My quarry was dropped before making it over the fence and now the cows were more interested in the rabbits ... some of whom were licking them as if they were newborn little cows.

 

 

I was completely stuck and relutanctly called the farmer on his mobile to clear the situation. Dammit -- the mobile was off! With no cavalry to help, I did what every self-respecting man in a hunting scenario does when he hits serious trouble. Called my wife. "I'm sorry, darling, I cannot collect you I have had a drink...you'll just have to work something out I suppose..." But I didn't want her to collect me -- just some moral support!

 

Five minutes passed and I made a decision to wade through some thick brambles and nettles to get to the road. The gun was in its bag and the magazines "de-loaded" and removed so everything was safe. Ignoring the stings I got to the road and felt immensely relieved ... and headed back to the car -- minus my quarry and very much minus my pride.

 

I'll be back tomorrow just to get it out of my head. Thanks for reading.

Edited May 11, 2008 by C3PO

[SEAN3513 7]

bloody bull calves............................they do it every year................just stand your ground mate they won't hurt you !!!!..........think they must get a bit high on the sweet spring grass.

 

nice day out ...non the less...........good read mate.

 

regards

 

sean

[ferretville 69]

Great read mate cow`s is funny thing`s mostly curios. Next time turn and face them and schoo them they will move on . If they don`t try walking toward`s them they usally feck off , big herd`s can be bugger`s though. Get yerself a game bag and you won`t be losing yer bunny`s to the cow`s :11: cheer`s FV

[andy s410c 61]

Good post C3PO & good pics.Have the same problem on my shooting land being harrassed by livestock not the 4 legged type but the feathered type..a gaggle of GEESE I always try to keep my distance from them after a nights lamping last summer they chased me all over the bloody place!!!! :blush:

[C3PO 118]

The trousers after the barbed-wire escapade:

 

[Coney 3]

Great post and lucky in both respects!

[C3PO 118]

Well I returned yesterday to the farm -- and steered clear of the field where the cows were just in case. Had a less productive trip but took this rabbit at one of the favourite spots at 20 yards, easy shot. He presented himself straight on at the third post down:

 

 

and the spoils of the day:

 

 

I returned to do some sniping in the adjacent field to the "Wild West" and took a young rabbit from my sniping position. I had been sitting there for 15 minutes when I heard some rustling behind me next to the barbed wire .... guess who it was:

 

 

 

Perhaps they're my new fan club?!?

[gilly-93 31]

Id ov hit em straight on nose with stock that would make em think again lol good shooting aswelll

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

The cows are just curious mate,if you walk towards them they will go away.

I shoot on a farm where there are cows and bulls,they come over to have a look but after a while they just go about their business.They won't hurt you so don't worry