Been continuing with the never ending quest to rid the golf course of rabbits. Was out last night to do another coupla hours and I experienced a noise that I have never heard in all my years of being outdoors in the dark. Nearly always hear foxes barking and owls and bump Muntjac and Roe that noisily run off chattering and barking away. I have been stampeded by badgers and heard them running past like steam trains along with a variety of other species that do their own thing but last night I heard twice (in totally different areas) a steady hissing sound that went on for about 5 seconds and sounded aggressive. Both times it sounded no more than 20yds away. Both times I was on open ground but fairly close to cover and waist high grass and thistle and cover. The hissing did not continue and disappeared as quickly as it started. It was similar to a domestic cat getting arsey and also slightly similar to a snake hissing. It wasn't horribly loud but sounded agitated and I felt like I was the cause of it. In both instances, I was in the dark, unlit and static. As soon as I scanned around with a torch and the thermal it stopped. I could see nothing in the torch light nor the thermal.
An owl could come in and leave without being seen but I am yet to hear one making a hissing noise and this sounded like it was on the ground. I have heard badger huff and puff up and grunt around when cornered but not a steady hissing. Anyone got any suggestions. I do not scare easy but it was one of those noises that goes straight through you and I will admit to being slightly unnerved by it. The last time I felt so uneasy at night was years back when me and mate inadvertently entered a field with horses in that then spooked and then started legging around us in circles like crazy dogs.
And a couple of images and vids from the thermal. This place has an abundance of wildlife. They all seem so tame. The foxes follow me around all evening and I am yet to attend when they have not managed to steal at least one of my rabbits. They are in and out like a top rank SAS member. Plenty of muntjac and roe about as well with a few owls doing the rounds. I always seem to spend most of the evening watching wildlife rather than knocking over bunnies.
An owl could come in and leave without being seen but I am yet to hear one making a hissing noise and this sounded like it was on the ground. I have heard badger huff and puff up and grunt around when cornered but not a steady hissing. Anyone got any suggestions. I do not scare easy but it was one of those noises that goes straight through you and I will admit to being slightly unnerved by it. The last time I felt so uneasy at night was years back when me and mate inadvertently entered a field with horses in that then spooked and then started legging around us in circles like crazy dogs.
And a couple of images and vids from the thermal. This place has an abundance of wildlife. They all seem so tame. The foxes follow me around all evening and I am yet to attend when they have not managed to steal at least one of my rabbits. They are in and out like a top rank SAS member. Plenty of muntjac and roe about as well with a few owls doing the rounds. I always seem to spend most of the evening watching wildlife rather than knocking over bunnies.
