Sounder and Dannys trip up to Connemara

[Guest JohnGalway]

Hi folks,

 

Well I had this all written out earlier and Firefox up and vanished on me, feckin thing lol.

 

Not had a night out as late as last night in a while

 

I was messing around here at home yesterday afternoon when Sounder gave me a ring, "I'm thinking of traveling tonight, are ya doing anything later?", "Come on up!". I was a bit concerned, as ye'd expect when lads travel a fair distance for a nights shooting I wanted them to be able to go home after having a good night and bagging a few foxes.But with the nature of the game there's never that guarantee up this way I'm afraid. I checked the weather on the Met.ie site, cold, calm with clear skies. Beautiful night for rifle shooting, there was a good chunk of the moon showing and a more stars than in Real Madrid but we'd just have to deal with that.

 

Sounder and Danny arrived sometime between 9.30 and 10pm (he didn't get lost this time, or didn't admit to it anyway ). After the usual mug of tea, chat and gun fondling we managed to prise ourselves out of the house just before 10.30. Plan for the night Danny is on the lamp, Sounder has his Tikka .243 with lovely S&B scope and thankfully a T8 mod , I brought along my battery pack, and considered the shotgun but on a calm night it's a waste of time so dragged out the Remington .223. Sounder had also brought his bitch "Lady" along to help picking up foxes, she's not long after pups so it'd be a nice easy run out for her.

 

First stop is an area my sheep graze part of the year, a neighbour also lambs out there in Spring so knocking foxes over is doing him a favour too. Danny spotted a fox mooching around out on a hillock. He wasn't too fond of looking at the lamp, so we had to move to another spot to get a better look at him. Sounder got the Tikka set up, I ranged the fox at 222 yards, Danny dropped the beam down to light up the fox and there was a Crack!... Thud! out of the end of the T8. Nice shooting Sounder I could relax now since the lads had at least one in the bag We headed out and spotted another fox, probably this ones mate, but she didn't want to hang around and after passing some sheep we lost sight of her. We picked up our fox and made our way back to the 4x4, me going to my knee in a bog hole in the process , keep me awake for the night anyhow!

 

On to our next stop, we were driving slowly along a private road. Spotted a fox way out, a good 600 yards or more. Tried calling him in but he was already traveling away from us and showed no interest in backtracking. On we drove and spotted another out in a marshy spot. Danny had him in the lamp, I was the shooter. fox was 184 yards out, I hesitated too long, felt like I was going to fall off the 4x4, never got comfortable with the rifle So I didn't take the shot. My own fault, I could have taken him really but I was happier than if I'd missed him. We followed him out a bit into the bog but he was cute enough, staying well ahead of us. We think there may have been two in that spot.

 

On we went, Sounder spotted a pair of eyes on a hill along a river. Muzzle of my unmoderated rifle was too close to Dannys head, didn't want to deafen the poor lad, the excuse book was out in force last night . Our fox went around back of the hillock so we'd to move a bit for a better view. He came back down the hill to have a hunt around in the long grass by the river bank. Sounder sent him an early .243 Christmas present and knocked him down on the spot at 120 yards Tell ye something, they sure do make a mess of a fox!

 

We headed out to pick him up. On our way back we were walking along the top of that same hillock. I'd my rifle and Sounder the battery pack and Striker. He saw a fox watching us from below on a flat Think we were all a bit surprised at this one. He had to have been able to see us against that clear night sky, best I can figure he was waiting for his mate to come along (sorry fella, not gonna happen). I got down with the .223, Sounder lit him up and I sent a 40 grain Vmax into his chest bowling him over on the spot Poor Danny had to navigate the swamp to pick him up!

 

Photo of our nights bag and both rifles.

 

 

I'd say we spotted something like 9-10 foxes during the night, difficult terrain and lack of interest from some of the we ended up with three nice foxes in the bag Nothing wrong with that number for around here to be honest.

 

It was a pleasure to see Sounder again and of course to meet Danny who's a top class lamper, nothing got by him during the night There was some good shooting and a no small measure of craic to be had Ye're welcome up again any time lads and I'll be down myself to miss a few Also must thank the two lads for traveling that distance, I know ye didn't get home until late because of the icy roads.

 

Can't remember if I've left anything out from the first time writing this, am sure Sounder will fill in any missing bits

 

A great night

[mattydski 560]

Good read John.

I realy need to get out myself.. But work, work, work, travel, work, work at present..

Nothing better than a nightout with friends.

Matt

[SNAP SHOT 194]

Nice on guys good to see you all out and about with a good result too............... SS.

[Huffski 1]

Wow your a good story teller mine are normally just a sentence good read good'un

[The one 8,524]

Good on you for taking them out and getting them into stuff

[markbivvy 6]

good do lads , and well written john.

[scent 509]

great night john i was just on the phone to sounder he said yee had a great night up there fair play lad

[hunter1 63]

read john.

[sounder 9]

well john that was well wrote i think you covered it all . it was a good nite, always nice to get out on new ground, danny did do well on the lamp as he said ....i never seen so many sheep..... ,as john said it was a late one, got to my bed at 6, but i enjoy the nite, thanks you john for a great nite, must get you down here soon,

 

it was also great to see the .243 and the.223 work together,two driffent set ups work at it best to do the same job.

thanks again john much appreciated

cheers sounder

[Guest JohnGalway]

Thanks for the comments fellas, yeah like Matt says it's always better to be out with mates It's just not as much fun otherwise!

 

Yeah I'll be down whenever it's handy for ye Sounder I bet Danny had a good sleep on the way down after counting all them woolies

[SportingShooter 0]

Well Chaps,

 

You did have a good night.

 

It's great to be out with friends, and I bet none of you stopped laughing at that Danny all night, despite his good lamping

 

Good Craic, Good Shooting.

 

SS

[sounder 9]

cheers ss

[the cheater 1]

Sounds like a cracking night out fellas well done

 

Crisis of confidence John? just waiting for the easy ones your so sporting

[Guest JohnGalway]

  the cheater said:

Sounds like a cracking night out fellas well done

 

Crisis of confidence John? just waiting for the easy ones your so sporting

 

Nah, just not used to shooting off the top of the jeep, didn't feel right to me, thought I was gonna fall backwards, not good with loaded rifle really! Will do better on the return trip Lol @ sporting, sure I'd have been as happy if Sounder and Danny had shot them all

 

How'd you get on with them fezzers?

[the cheater 1]

Had a really good day.Set off in a blizzard with about 4inches of snow on the road(this cleared after about 7 mile and had a wet but clear run across to the lake District...apart from when my cousin wanted the interior light on and hit the button for the electric sunroof yep snow on left shoulder,right shoulder and top of my head then pulled over,stepped out of the motor to clear it off and got slushed by 2 passing cars good laugh tho!!

 

Didn,t shoot to well on the 1st drive as i had to avoid some power lines but got a hen.Stood in the hotspot next drive..and they all went the other way..phew No shot on the next 1.

 

Missed a sitter on the 4th drive in front of eveyone but then got 4 out of 4 on the next.These were good fast birds so i was really happy and then dropped a really high 1 off the last.Excellent banter all day and a few brace of Pheasant to bring home

 

Been an interesting weekend,got 2 Roe on friday morn,out for a call last night in a field we saw 2 sets of fox tracks through,but nothing showed and had to pick 2 of the lads up from the pub(was due out with them but full of cold)still i,m off to that new place we got the Foxes from the other week later..little trooper that i am!

 

Do you want a pic of the pose

Edited December 7, 2008 by the cheater