Not quite as dirty as the title suggest.
As per my previous thread about on my new permission, i have been spending some time out on the rabbits again. After speaking to my FEO at the start of lockdown to confirm that i was ok to travel for pest control and stalking, i set off this morning for a few hours on the rabbits.
After snoozing my alarm for the third time, and being given the final ultimatum from my wife to get up or turn the alarm off, i hauled myself out of my pit and started to get ready. The North East town where i live was still mild at 10.5 degrees at 0300 with a nice dry but overcast sky. The forecast where i was going was 50% chance of rain but the odds were good enough for me. I had pre packed the van the night before and only needed to get my Anschutz 1417 .22lr and Tikka T1x .17HMR and ammo out of the safe (I had these up for sale for a while but in the end after being messed about i didn't sell, and I'm pleased i didn't). Coffer brewed and in the Bubba Keg, i drink too much coffee, i was in the van and off.
Upon arrival i was greeted with a light drizzle and decided i wouldn't need my old faithful Army DPM goretex i was issued 15 years ago, that was a mistake, but more about that later. I grabbed the Anschutz .22lr first as it was still pitch black with no ambient light and stealth was the name of the game. I am still amazed at just how quiet this is with the SAK moderator and CCI subsonic 40grains, I never believed the talk of only hearing the firing pin strike and then the thump of impact but this has proved this to me. Fitted with a Pard007 and an N8 Vision Exaclibre IR illuminator, i am comfortable taking rabbits out to 100yards at night with this set up, the ground lends itself to a longer shot during daylight due to the top half of the land being grazing paddocks with little cover, however at night i still try to close the distance to 75 yards at max unless a longer shot is needed, as i try to opt for headshots as i sell the rabbits in fur. (I have my home address registered with the local council as a food business and have done all the necessary checks with the environmental health officer)
I made my way towards the top three grazing paddocks which hold a large amount of rabbits still, even after the 236 i have taken off so far. To get to this area i have to cross over to dry stone wall styles and through two gates. This is where i needed my goretex. As i made my way down the track the heavens opened. Not slightly, or a little bit, but full on 30 mins of drenching, interluded with much swearing. No cover in sight, so i was soaked through. However, i was committed after travelling so plodded on (more like plodged on). My faithful Lowa Combat GTX boots i bought when i was 18, that have been on multiple exercises and operations overseas, were keeping my feet snug and dry. They had received a resole last year and i am so please i did as they are like new again.
After the drenching, i managed to get set up on the quad sticks at the top of the first paddock on a nice grassy knoll, downwind of where i knew the rabbits would be waiting. A quick scan of the Pard confirmed there was 20+ rabbits in the paddock, and blissfully unaware of my approach even with the cussing en route. I attached the Pard to my scope, adjusted focus and took aim at the first rabbit approx 35 yards away. A little bit of a breeze, a wobble on the sticks after not setting my position and me being in a rush,I squeezed the first round in front of the intended victims head. Fortunately the rabbit just stood up, i cussed and reloaded then the second round found the sweet spot and that was the first of 41 for the next 3 hours.
When daylight was breaking i was keeping an ever vigilant eye out for Charlie. After the two dogs i have taken from this farm i haven't seen another one yet, and there havent been any reports of sightings from the farmer or her neighbors. I stopped for 30mins on the usual deer travel route, but i suspect that the weather had kept them away for now. I've been trying to get a picture of the deer on the land, but im focusing on the rabbits as that was the original request for help.
I hauled over two trips the rabbits back to my van. Gutted them and put all the junk into the two bait pipes I've got set up, and replaced the batteries and memory cards in the trail cams. Haven't had a chance to check the footage yet, but like i said previously, there hasn't been any signs of fox around for a couple of weeks now.
Had a quick, social distanced, chat with the farmer who is over the moon again. A quick zero with the .17HMR with the replacement scope, after the Nikko Stirling Diamond it had on failed and fogged up. Then off home for 1100.
I received a phone call later on from the farmer who asked she could pass my details on to a friend who has a farm further along the valley, obviously i said yes. I took a phone call this afternoon and hopefully will be looking at another rabbit permission this week. There is a young lad on the syndicate where i shoot who is looking for his first permission, im hoping to be able to bring him along with me and hopefully get him permission on the new farm so i can fulfill my obligation to the current farmer. I've been fortunate enough to land the permissions i have after beating last year and this season and making a few contacts along the way, and I'm hoping to help the young lad out getting started.
I am looking forward to sharing a few of these days out with my boys when they are a little bit older.
Hope you enjoy the read!
As per my previous thread about on my new permission, i have been spending some time out on the rabbits again. After speaking to my FEO at the start of lockdown to confirm that i was ok to travel for pest control and stalking, i set off this morning for a few hours on the rabbits.
After snoozing my alarm for the third time, and being given the final ultimatum from my wife to get up or turn the alarm off, i hauled myself out of my pit and started to get ready. The North East town where i live was still mild at 10.5 degrees at 0300 with a nice dry but overcast sky. The forecast where i was going was 50% chance of rain but the odds were good enough for me. I had pre packed the van the night before and only needed to get my Anschutz 1417 .22lr and Tikka T1x .17HMR and ammo out of the safe (I had these up for sale for a while but in the end after being messed about i didn't sell, and I'm pleased i didn't). Coffer brewed and in the Bubba Keg, i drink too much coffee, i was in the van and off.
Upon arrival i was greeted with a light drizzle and decided i wouldn't need my old faithful Army DPM goretex i was issued 15 years ago, that was a mistake, but more about that later. I grabbed the Anschutz .22lr first as it was still pitch black with no ambient light and stealth was the name of the game. I am still amazed at just how quiet this is with the SAK moderator and CCI subsonic 40grains, I never believed the talk of only hearing the firing pin strike and then the thump of impact but this has proved this to me. Fitted with a Pard007 and an N8 Vision Exaclibre IR illuminator, i am comfortable taking rabbits out to 100yards at night with this set up, the ground lends itself to a longer shot during daylight due to the top half of the land being grazing paddocks with little cover, however at night i still try to close the distance to 75 yards at max unless a longer shot is needed, as i try to opt for headshots as i sell the rabbits in fur. (I have my home address registered with the local council as a food business and have done all the necessary checks with the environmental health officer)
I made my way towards the top three grazing paddocks which hold a large amount of rabbits still, even after the 236 i have taken off so far. To get to this area i have to cross over to dry stone wall styles and through two gates. This is where i needed my goretex. As i made my way down the track the heavens opened. Not slightly, or a little bit, but full on 30 mins of drenching, interluded with much swearing. No cover in sight, so i was soaked through. However, i was committed after travelling so plodded on (more like plodged on). My faithful Lowa Combat GTX boots i bought when i was 18, that have been on multiple exercises and operations overseas, were keeping my feet snug and dry. They had received a resole last year and i am so please i did as they are like new again.
After the drenching, i managed to get set up on the quad sticks at the top of the first paddock on a nice grassy knoll, downwind of where i knew the rabbits would be waiting. A quick scan of the Pard confirmed there was 20+ rabbits in the paddock, and blissfully unaware of my approach even with the cussing en route. I attached the Pard to my scope, adjusted focus and took aim at the first rabbit approx 35 yards away. A little bit of a breeze, a wobble on the sticks after not setting my position and me being in a rush,I squeezed the first round in front of the intended victims head. Fortunately the rabbit just stood up, i cussed and reloaded then the second round found the sweet spot and that was the first of 41 for the next 3 hours.
When daylight was breaking i was keeping an ever vigilant eye out for Charlie. After the two dogs i have taken from this farm i haven't seen another one yet, and there havent been any reports of sightings from the farmer or her neighbors. I stopped for 30mins on the usual deer travel route, but i suspect that the weather had kept them away for now. I've been trying to get a picture of the deer on the land, but im focusing on the rabbits as that was the original request for help.
I hauled over two trips the rabbits back to my van. Gutted them and put all the junk into the two bait pipes I've got set up, and replaced the batteries and memory cards in the trail cams. Haven't had a chance to check the footage yet, but like i said previously, there hasn't been any signs of fox around for a couple of weeks now.
Had a quick, social distanced, chat with the farmer who is over the moon again. A quick zero with the .17HMR with the replacement scope, after the Nikko Stirling Diamond it had on failed and fogged up. Then off home for 1100.
I received a phone call later on from the farmer who asked she could pass my details on to a friend who has a farm further along the valley, obviously i said yes. I took a phone call this afternoon and hopefully will be looking at another rabbit permission this week. There is a young lad on the syndicate where i shoot who is looking for his first permission, im hoping to be able to bring him along with me and hopefully get him permission on the new farm so i can fulfill my obligation to the current farmer. I've been fortunate enough to land the permissions i have after beating last year and this season and making a few contacts along the way, and I'm hoping to help the young lad out getting started.
I am looking forward to sharing a few of these days out with my boys when they are a little bit older.
Hope you enjoy the read!
