Due at one of our permissions this morning. There will be three Guns out, me, a guest, and a regular who will be late because he has to take his dog to the vets first.
So at 0330 (ish) I am bimbling through the English countryside in my trusty old 110. There is little other traffic on the roads - just the way I like it.
Just before some roadworks, I am aware of a set of headlights behind me that seem "unnatural". I drive below the speed limit (even at 0330 hours) and most traffic is happy to overtake me and I always facilitate that. This fella did not want to overtake.
Up ahead there is a steep section of road, which turns into a dual carriageway. I assume he will take the off-side and be on his way. But no. He is hanging back. I need to turn right at the top of the dual carriageway and indicate that I will be moving over to the off-side lane which will allow him to safely "undertake' me. He declines to do so.
I am now concerned about who this is, and what they want. I take the right at the top of the dual carriage way. He follows on.
We are now in deep dark country roads territory. There is a cross-roads up ahead. I utilise a technique (legal but alarming to see) to take the cross-roads without undue hesitation.
He does the same. Then he hit the blues. I am looking in the rear-view and can see two halogen headlamps and a blue strip light. I cannot make out if the vehicle is 'marked' or not.
I give him two flashes with the hazards to let him know that I have seen him. I will not stop until I am satisfied it is the Police or I can make my way to a lit area - there is a nearby petrol station and hospital. He follows me for about a mile when suddenly there is a big house with lights showing onto the road. I pull over.
Turning in my seat to see what is approaching, I see a dark figure wearing a face-mask - I am straining to see any sign of uniform. Eventually he stands outside my driver's door and motions for me to turn off my engine. I note his uniform, taser and body-worn camera. I also note his partner take up position just behind my driver's door.
"Why did you not stop when you saw the blue lights?'
"I was going to stop when it was safe for me, to do so'?
"Well I have just called this in as a 'fail to stop'"
At about 40 mph for about a mile, it is perhaps the dullest Police chase I have ever been involved in. I decide it is prudent to not tell him that.
It is soon established that I do not have my driving licence with me, the vehicle is taxed and insured and is (in fact ) registered to my wife.
It is explained that the reason I have been stopped is the vehicle I am driving (Landrover 110) and the time of day. I have absolutely no issue with that. It is in fact, the very same reason given by the young Sergeant who stopped me about two years ago in the same lane.
The Police driver explains that he could report me for 'without due care' at the cross-roads. I explain why I did what I did, and am told that that would be a defence for the Magistrate to hear.
Fine I will tell them if I have to.
I then explain the reason I did not stop immediately was because (notwithstanding the blue lights) I could not make out if their vehicle was 'marked'.
I leaned out of the truck and look back at their car - I could still not make out any 'Battenberg' markings.
The PC suggested that perhaps he need to give me an eyesight test. This annoys me. I cannot see marking on their car because it is dark, they have two halogen lights filling my rear-view and a blue flashing strip.
In any case, Section 96 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides this power for Police to test your eyesight -the test can only be carried out between 8am and 9pm, and only in daylight.
I decide discretion is the better part of valour and decline to educate him on the Act.
Somehow we manage to part without FPNs or Summons being issued. I wish them both a safe night and wonder if that was his politest ever stop.
Just a simple, routine traffic stop - perhaps he was tired, perhaps he was a wee bit 'hyped' from the 'chase' but it was a great reminder how much of an impression every encounter with the public can leave on that member of public.
Anyhoo!
Back on mission.
Park up at the top of the fields. Kit up and yomp in to the seat. The vermin have completely eaten the insulation pipe and sniper tape and so I have come armed with plastic pipes (salvaged on a litter-pick) and more sniper tape. It is still only 0430 so I work quickly using a hacksaw and head-torch.
By 0500 I am settled and eating a sandwich and drinking from a flask of vile coffee.
The TI picks up a hare, a fox (which at some point is spooked by the light from the thermal eyepiece) and off in the distance a Roe.
By about 0700 I have switched over to the binocular. At about 140 yards is a deer browsing the tree line from left to right,. I cannot sex the best until about 0715.
I have placed the Vorn across the (newly repaired ) gun rail of the seat, and the shot, when it come looks good.
Wating ten minutes, I dismount and make my way across to the shot site. No sign of a dead deer. No paint. No pins.
I take off the onesie and a couple of extra layers. After an hour there is not a trace. Our syndicate dog is at the vets. this morning. Typical. I may have to call out the 'professionals'.
I go and bring the truck down to the shot site. I scan with the TI from the roof of the truck - nothing. I use the binocular through the woods - nothing. I walk the boundary of the wood - nothing.
Last week's story from @Woodsmoke starts to ring bells.
I am close to giving up. "Get back in there and criss-cross the wood".
Then at the last knockings I see her. She has turned into the wood, run about 100 yards and then fallen into a hollow the size of a two-story building. The drag out reminded me of the Highlands.
A suspended gralloch on a nearby tree and she comes in at 18kg dressed.
Quite the morning...
So at 0330 (ish) I am bimbling through the English countryside in my trusty old 110. There is little other traffic on the roads - just the way I like it.
Just before some roadworks, I am aware of a set of headlights behind me that seem "unnatural". I drive below the speed limit (even at 0330 hours) and most traffic is happy to overtake me and I always facilitate that. This fella did not want to overtake.
Up ahead there is a steep section of road, which turns into a dual carriageway. I assume he will take the off-side and be on his way. But no. He is hanging back. I need to turn right at the top of the dual carriageway and indicate that I will be moving over to the off-side lane which will allow him to safely "undertake' me. He declines to do so.
I am now concerned about who this is, and what they want. I take the right at the top of the dual carriage way. He follows on.
We are now in deep dark country roads territory. There is a cross-roads up ahead. I utilise a technique (legal but alarming to see) to take the cross-roads without undue hesitation.
He does the same. Then he hit the blues. I am looking in the rear-view and can see two halogen headlamps and a blue strip light. I cannot make out if the vehicle is 'marked' or not.
I give him two flashes with the hazards to let him know that I have seen him. I will not stop until I am satisfied it is the Police or I can make my way to a lit area - there is a nearby petrol station and hospital. He follows me for about a mile when suddenly there is a big house with lights showing onto the road. I pull over.
Turning in my seat to see what is approaching, I see a dark figure wearing a face-mask - I am straining to see any sign of uniform. Eventually he stands outside my driver's door and motions for me to turn off my engine. I note his uniform, taser and body-worn camera. I also note his partner take up position just behind my driver's door.
"Why did you not stop when you saw the blue lights?'
"I was going to stop when it was safe for me, to do so'?
"Well I have just called this in as a 'fail to stop'"
At about 40 mph for about a mile, it is perhaps the dullest Police chase I have ever been involved in. I decide it is prudent to not tell him that.
It is soon established that I do not have my driving licence with me, the vehicle is taxed and insured and is (in fact ) registered to my wife.
It is explained that the reason I have been stopped is the vehicle I am driving (Landrover 110) and the time of day. I have absolutely no issue with that. It is in fact, the very same reason given by the young Sergeant who stopped me about two years ago in the same lane.
The Police driver explains that he could report me for 'without due care' at the cross-roads. I explain why I did what I did, and am told that that would be a defence for the Magistrate to hear.
Fine I will tell them if I have to.
I then explain the reason I did not stop immediately was because (notwithstanding the blue lights) I could not make out if their vehicle was 'marked'.
I leaned out of the truck and look back at their car - I could still not make out any 'Battenberg' markings.
The PC suggested that perhaps he need to give me an eyesight test. This annoys me. I cannot see marking on their car because it is dark, they have two halogen lights filling my rear-view and a blue flashing strip.
In any case, Section 96 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides this power for Police to test your eyesight -the test can only be carried out between 8am and 9pm, and only in daylight.
I decide discretion is the better part of valour and decline to educate him on the Act.
Somehow we manage to part without FPNs or Summons being issued. I wish them both a safe night and wonder if that was his politest ever stop.
Just a simple, routine traffic stop - perhaps he was tired, perhaps he was a wee bit 'hyped' from the 'chase' but it was a great reminder how much of an impression every encounter with the public can leave on that member of public.
Anyhoo!
Back on mission.
Park up at the top of the fields. Kit up and yomp in to the seat. The vermin have completely eaten the insulation pipe and sniper tape and so I have come armed with plastic pipes (salvaged on a litter-pick) and more sniper tape. It is still only 0430 so I work quickly using a hacksaw and head-torch.
By 0500 I am settled and eating a sandwich and drinking from a flask of vile coffee.
The TI picks up a hare, a fox (which at some point is spooked by the light from the thermal eyepiece) and off in the distance a Roe.
By about 0700 I have switched over to the binocular. At about 140 yards is a deer browsing the tree line from left to right,. I cannot sex the best until about 0715.
I have placed the Vorn across the (newly repaired ) gun rail of the seat, and the shot, when it come looks good.
Wating ten minutes, I dismount and make my way across to the shot site. No sign of a dead deer. No paint. No pins.
I take off the onesie and a couple of extra layers. After an hour there is not a trace. Our syndicate dog is at the vets. this morning. Typical. I may have to call out the 'professionals'.
I go and bring the truck down to the shot site. I scan with the TI from the roof of the truck - nothing. I use the binocular through the woods - nothing. I walk the boundary of the wood - nothing.
Last week's story from @Woodsmoke starts to ring bells.
I am close to giving up. "Get back in there and criss-cross the wood".
Then at the last knockings I see her. She has turned into the wood, run about 100 yards and then fallen into a hollow the size of a two-story building. The drag out reminded me of the Highlands.
A suspended gralloch on a nearby tree and she comes in at 18kg dressed.
Quite the morning...
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