Memorable moments from the field

Rowey

Well-Known Member
About 20 years ago I was walking back to the farm with a empty O/U shotgun over my shoulder. A blue tit came out of the hedge and perched on the stock inches from my face. My old boy was with me. We will never forget it. No camera phones in those days though! What events do you lads treasure the most?
 
A couple of years ago I was on a friends place sat up in a highseat. There was not much happening on the deer front but there was a barn owl hunting the pasture field the seat over looked. I guess there was not much happening on the mouse or vole front either as I did not see the owl catch anything. He must of got board as well as he came and pearched on the shooting rail and stayed there for about 10 minutes.
 
I was up a high seat watching a combine cutting, waiting for anything to come out. The high seat was one of those shooting box type things without a roof but it did have top rails above the shooting slits. There was a break in cutting so I decided to do a bit of squeaking to see if I could entice anything. Next minute a large brownish owl (tawny perhaps? I'm no RSPB expert!) appeared from nowhere and landed on the rail slightly to the left of my head. Don't know who was more surprised - it or me! Needless to say it flew off in a hurry!
 
I had similar with a little owl a while back! More recently though, about 2 months ago in fact, I was sat in a high seat with not much to look at above a recently drilled maize field. Suddenly something burst out of the bushes below me making me jump! A smallish rabbit ran out into the field right in front of me with a large stoat bounding after it. He was much quicker than the stoat but made the mistake of trying to put a turn in and wallop! Mr stoat nailed it about 20m in front of me. I watched it through my leicas which made it seem so close that I was almost involved! He (or she?) bit the back of the neck and after a momentary squeal it was all over. It then chose to carry it at head height right across to the other side of the field to my front, about 80m. Bloody strong little animals! Made my night!:D
MS:)
 
Was in a high seat in a woodland clearing waiting for a Roe buck to put in an apperance. We were there for about 3hrs and only saw a couple of this years fawns pop in and a doe. We were just about to pack up the binos were in the bag anod getting ready to open the door and leave, when I spotted some movement the other side of the clearing (90yrd ish). I put the rifle to the sholder to use the scope to see a bit better what was the casue of the movement, the leaves moved again and then, this bloody great big female moose steps perfectly into the cross hairs. Out of season, so no shot but we watched a while and then left. Didn't fire a shot all day but had a great time.
 
1. Another owl experience - during this year's rut I was sitting in a high seat overlooking a field of pasture. A little owl came and landed on the rifle rail about 18 inches away. It sat there looking at me, with a mouse in its beak, for about 20 seconds before it flew to the next tree. Absolutely magical.

2. Seeing a wallaby in a field in Berkshire and subsequently having it come crashing through the woods whilst stalking

3. Lying in the sunshine in Sutherland watching a group of stags through the scope for almost two hours before one of them kindly got up to present a shot. The time flew past, as there was so much to watch in terms of the deer's behaviour.

willie_gunn
 
I have had the same thing happen twice.:thumb:
Stalking close to large hedges, when from nowhere 'crash' the blackthorn bush by my side explodes with feathers,:eek: as a Sparrow Hawk smashes in and takes an unsuspecting Blackbird :(
Also on the same farm, while in a high seat, another or maybe the same bird, settled on a branch about 10 feet away.
We looked at one another for several long seconds untill I had to blink, which was enough for him to decide I wasn't part of the tree a flew off.
 
Interesting to hear so many owl stories. They seem to like high seats. Then again they like the high points don't they. There's a old park on my beat thats a favourite for foxes. I was calling one night when some bright eyes appeared about 150 yards away. As they came closer they rose steadily:eek: Strange fox I thought. As it turned out it was a barn owl which came right in till it hovered for a second or two 5 or 6 feet above us. Between us all there are a wealth of experiences most of which will never leave us. Thanks for your thoughts chaps.
 
I thought it was an otter when I first noticed it, but a bit too skinny. It was about 150yds away and it seemed too big for a stoat. It kept get closer and I still hadn't twigged. It carried it's head too high for an otter but it was moving sort of like one. The heather in the ride I was looking down made it hard to tell exactly what I was seeing. By now a Buck or a Stag could have made an appearance and I would probably not have seen it because this fascinating "thing" had my full attention as it kept darting between tussocks and heather in the improving light of an early morning in the high seat. Eventually it was about ten yards away and stepped out into the open on short grass. It was my first sighting of a Pine Marten and it was standing, head held high staring at me. Anyone who sits in high seats will know that the animals on the ground rarely look up at you, this one was definitely checking me out though, and then it was gone!!
 
Stalking the small copse on my permission just off Ashdown Forrest the was a rush of air and a brush to my arm. it was a Sparrow Hawk hunting it's patch. It flew about 15 yards the set upon a dead Birch stump and was looking at me bobbing it's head. I had froze when it came past.

Same small patch I was hunting the Greys as they cause problems for the small holder and her neighbour so had the .22 rifle. had baited a few stumps and starting at the bottom was working through the copse toward the bait when there was a rustle behind me. That's a big rabbit I thought so slow turned the head. My eye met those of a rather nice 6 point Roe Buck who was following me. Once it saw my face it whipped round and bounded off the way it had come.

Sitting in a high seat with the keeper on his lease in Hampshire we had a grey squirrel climb the tree just in front and actually try to reach the rifle barrel as it stuck out at rest Trouble is polished black steel does not provide much purchase and Cliff the keeper final snorted trying to hold the giggles in and it shot off back up the tree to chatter away at us laughing at it's antics.

Had a Barn owl actually fly into the sound mod on the .22 rifle which was slung on the shoulder when stalking a plantation for rabbits in Scotland on holiday. f course didn't catch rabbit but came face to face with the biggest roe Buck I have ever seen at about 25 paces and i only had a .22 L/R.

Watching for the fallow to come up the gully across the neighbours land onto my bit. To d so had to climb into the base of a beech tree to see over the hump in the middle of the field and had two Roe come up behind and stamp at me. They were close enough to poke with my old fishing rod. When I turned my head to see what it was they started and ran up the hedge to stop some 60 yards away but made the mistake of stopping my side and I dropped on of them.

Not stalking but bird watching with a friend at Pulborough Brooks in Sussex. One hide often has a herd of fallow to be seen so I went there to watch both birds and deer. Whilst watching the deer a barn owl started it's hunting and about half way across the field was suddenly knocked down by being struck in the back by Kestrel.
 
July evening in Galloway and I'm sat in a lean to seat watching the mist starting to roll in. What I thought was a pigeon was flying straight up the treeline and when it passed me it swung up, rolled and swooped back down across the front of my seat. Did this three more times and then moved on a couple of hundred metres and then hovered! Kestrel. Started hunting for about 20 minutes and then the mist really rolled in. Kestrel headed off and once the rain came, so did I.

Stan
 
Alot of talk of owls i to had 1 land on a shooting rail this year but couldn't get to the camera.
http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/44/wGWkqSlYo_I
Had a kingfisher land on my rod once that was neat.
Also had some very close encounters with deer.
http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/14/hw3g7ttw6nE

http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/11/9rsqBUrSx6g

http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/8/OC3trUOjufw

and then there was this little chap...
littlefellow.jpg
 
Last edited:
Alot of talk of owls i to had 1 land on a shooting rail this year but couldn't get to the camera.
http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/44/wGWkqSlYo_I
Had a kingfisher land on my rod once that was neat.
Also had some very close encounters with deer.
http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/14/hw3g7ttw6nE

http://www.youtube.com/user/yorkshireroestalking?feature=mhum#p/u/11/9rsqBUrSx6g

and then there was this little chap...
littlefellow.jpg

What kind of camera did you take that with mate? I don't really know much about photography but the colours are brilliant in that photo.
 
I have had a few -some involving bruins at very close range- but the one I remember the most was deer hunting when I was a teenager in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. I was sitting on a stone wall at the edge of a clear-cut for a power line being very quiet and I noticed something moving up hill and across the cut. It was a squirrel jumping from tree limb to tree limb. As I watched it leapt into space from a tree about 50M distant, across the cut and up the hill from me. I thought, "What the heck??!?!?" The squirrel extended its legs and glided across the open space using it's tail as a rudder of sorts, landing on the tree immediately to my left. A flying squirrel! I sat motionless, listening to the squirrel come down the tree. From the corner of my eye I caught the squirrel, at my head height, looking at me. I didn't move. He came down the tree to the ground, took two short hops, and placed his forepaws on my Sorrel hunting boots and looked up at me. After a quick look, he ran up the tree to my right, and launched himself off into space towards the other side of the clear-cut. I guess he just wanted a look!

That was my first and only encounter with a flying squirrel. At that time I had no idea that they even populated the area I lived in. When I mentioned the encounter to some folks back in town they just looked at me like I was crazy. Only my father supported me saying that he'd seen them occasionally around the farm in the late 40's and early 50's. I still remember that event like it was yesterday.~Muir
 
Last edited:
I once saw a herd of deer swim across Wimbleball when I was fishing it from a boat. It was a long time ago and before I started learning about deer so I can't say exactly what species they were, but I think Fallow.

There was quite a big group, including young. When they got to the other side they scrambled up the bank like plains game in a nature documentary. Brilliant.

The second best think was watching an otter eat crayfish on the Suir at Holly Cross in Ireland. I could've watched it for hours. Our guide said he saw them often and they're sometimes a nuisance. I'd love to see one on the Dove.
 
Had close encounters with stoats & weasels before, had barn owls come to the fox squeek, but the one that takes first prize for me was having a cuckoo on a circuit of oak trees just after I set out some pigeon decoys, next thing is she's sitting about eight feet away from me, I can only describe her as an assembly of spare bird parts! flew like a hawk, head shaped like a housemartin, with a few airframe parts from a dove.:eek:
 
I think the most memorable for me was back when I was in my early twenties. I didn't have a FAC then and hunted with an Air Arms S200 air rifle.

I woke up early one morning and thought instead of going back to sleep I'd head out and see if I could take a few bunnies before work. I got to the farm at about 5.30, mid summer. I parked the truck up and slowly stalked across a field to an old gateway that was overgrown with Ivy and long grass. On the other side was the main warren, the wind was quite strong in my face and the warren was sheltered by the hedge so I was confident there would be a few bunnies out. I got to the gate and slowly popped my head over the top to see what was about.

Just as I poked my head up over the gate a Roe, probably eating something that was growing on the other side, popped his head up too. I'm not exagerating when I say I could have kissed him! We looked eachother in the eye for a split second and we both leapt back startled! My heart was pounding, he ran off about 20 feet and stoped to look at me again. I was so shocked I hadn't moved. I just stood and stared at him. It seemed like forever he was staring at me and then he just calmly trotted off.

I think that's the closest I've ever been to any live wild animal. It's a morning I'll never forget!
 
On my way up to a patch of forestry a few years ago in the Landrover when I saw "something" in the lane in front.
I slowed down to a crawl and drew along side.
What I saw was totally unexpected. A very large frog was being attacked viciously by a tiny shrew!.
The frog was making attempts to hop away but the shrew which was probably only a tenth its weight hung on like a miniature lion holding onto an angry buffalo. The frog kept making those frightened squeeking noises as they do but the shrew was trilling and chattering constantly as it tried to restrain its prey, running from front end to rear as it bit and ragged the frog in an attempt to kill it.
I watched utterly enthralled for some time and I even managed to get some video of it on my mobile phone.
Sadly I had to leave the tussle as the light was starting to fail and I had not yet reached the wood so to my regret I never saw the outcome.
I have had the encounters with owls,foxes,pine martens and wildcats while stalking but I have to say that this was my number one!.
Has anyone else ever seen shrews attempting to tackle such large prey?.
S.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top