My alarm rings out at 05.50, much earlier than I would like, but hey you need to make some sacrifices to get where you want to be in life.
I grab a quick coffee whilst I get my gear together and hope the car isn't frozen up, thankfully it's not, perhaps I could have had an extra 15 mins in bed. Never mind I'm up now and plan to be on my parked near the permission at 07.00 a good hour befor sunrise.
The permission looks to be a great spot, lots of prey with lots of good opportunities to get it, however it's adjacent to heavily a used footpath and a popular beach. I got the permission on the provision I would of course be absolutely safe and that I need to be as discreet as possible. Hence I can only shoot in winter as there are less tourists arround.
Anyway, reaserch, paper work, practice, permission, and planning all done. Now it's time to put it all together for the first time.
I arrived at 07.05 and park up in the nearby car park, mostly quite a few headlights in the distance. Grab my gear and head up the previously mentioned foot path as the wind is from the east this gives me the best approach and position on the little buggers. Ahead in the path I see torchlight, early dog walkers I presume. I practice my silent stalking on them as I follow them up the path, unnoticed I'm sure. I reach the gate onto the permission and wait a while for the walker to make a little more distance onto the beach and be out of sigh. It feels like the gate creaks louder than a rock concert, however I'm doing my best to be as quite as possible and I'm sure it's not really as loud as it seems to me. I quietly ditch my game bucket and gun slip close to the gate but behind cover so it can't be seen.
A quick flick on of the headtourch and scan of my planned target area shows about 5 sets of eyes reflecting back at me. The tourch goes off again and back I go into compleat darkness.
I slowly and quietly move to a position I had previously identified as one of a few ideal places to shoot from. Footpath behind me beach to the right, wind coming in directly to my face. Good coverage from gourse to shield myself and my activities from any people on the beach or using the Footpath. Time check it's 07.25, officially the sun's not up until 8.15 however I know it's going to be light enough about 20 minutes before then. For the next 20 minutes I sit, wait and listen. I can hear critters moving in my target zone and also behind me, at some point more humans walk down the footpath unseen but heard its a beautiful crisp morning to be sitting in a field waiting for sunrise.
As the first glimmers of light reflect off the clouds rising over the hills in front of me I start to see prey moving in my periphery. I lie down and load my mag I can just about make out a couple of possible targets but cannot confirm as the light level is still not good enough. Tick, tock, tick tock.....
The sun continues its unstoppable rise and as dawn approaches, light improves and I can confirm the targets.
Cycle the bolt, take aim, safty off and the first one instantly drops to a clean headshot at about 20 yards. Slight adjustment of position and bunny number two goes down at about 25 yard to another clean headshot, flips over gives one leg kick and is out. The second shot disturbs two other potential targets and they dash for cover.
I wait still and silent contemplating my options, I had already decided that three was the limit for my first trip as I knew I had an allotted time window to do the hunt and butchery befor heading to work. I decided to try for one more however I know this will involve moving and stalking.
I slowly move for the cover of a gourse thicket, a few unseen critters see me befor I see them and make for cover. I get eyes on target three, it hasn't noticed me. I get into a good position. It's right out in the open (or so it seems) I take the shot at about 20 yards and hear the same reassuring thump as I had just heard twice before, however it disappeared. I approach the area it was and find a warren hole hidden from view of where I took the shot. No blood, no carcass, I'm sure I hit it and hit it good but no sign of it. I hope I missed completely or that I hit it and it dies a quick death a second or two after making it underground.
Anyway two out of three isn't bad for a first attempt. I collect the other two and put them in the bucket, pack up my stuff quick visual check on the path to see if there is anyone currently using it, clear, make for the car a slip away.
Time check 08.10 sun's not officially up yet. As far as I know I'm completely unseen and have stealthed in and out for my first hunt, thankfully I have been successful.
Back home I gut and skin the critters befor getting ready for work.
After returning I knock up a delicious rabbit and roots stew.
That's pretty much it. Feel a great sense of accomplishment. I took some small but major steps to becoming self sufficient.
First hunt
First kill,
First time butchering an animal
First meal from game I have hunted.
Still pleanty to learn, but all in all, a great day.
Thanks for taking the time to read, I know it's probably a bit small fry for most of you seasoned pros.
Subsistence
I grab a quick coffee whilst I get my gear together and hope the car isn't frozen up, thankfully it's not, perhaps I could have had an extra 15 mins in bed. Never mind I'm up now and plan to be on my parked near the permission at 07.00 a good hour befor sunrise.
The permission looks to be a great spot, lots of prey with lots of good opportunities to get it, however it's adjacent to heavily a used footpath and a popular beach. I got the permission on the provision I would of course be absolutely safe and that I need to be as discreet as possible. Hence I can only shoot in winter as there are less tourists arround.
Anyway, reaserch, paper work, practice, permission, and planning all done. Now it's time to put it all together for the first time.
I arrived at 07.05 and park up in the nearby car park, mostly quite a few headlights in the distance. Grab my gear and head up the previously mentioned foot path as the wind is from the east this gives me the best approach and position on the little buggers. Ahead in the path I see torchlight, early dog walkers I presume. I practice my silent stalking on them as I follow them up the path, unnoticed I'm sure. I reach the gate onto the permission and wait a while for the walker to make a little more distance onto the beach and be out of sigh. It feels like the gate creaks louder than a rock concert, however I'm doing my best to be as quite as possible and I'm sure it's not really as loud as it seems to me. I quietly ditch my game bucket and gun slip close to the gate but behind cover so it can't be seen.
A quick flick on of the headtourch and scan of my planned target area shows about 5 sets of eyes reflecting back at me. The tourch goes off again and back I go into compleat darkness.
I slowly and quietly move to a position I had previously identified as one of a few ideal places to shoot from. Footpath behind me beach to the right, wind coming in directly to my face. Good coverage from gourse to shield myself and my activities from any people on the beach or using the Footpath. Time check it's 07.25, officially the sun's not up until 8.15 however I know it's going to be light enough about 20 minutes before then. For the next 20 minutes I sit, wait and listen. I can hear critters moving in my target zone and also behind me, at some point more humans walk down the footpath unseen but heard its a beautiful crisp morning to be sitting in a field waiting for sunrise.
As the first glimmers of light reflect off the clouds rising over the hills in front of me I start to see prey moving in my periphery. I lie down and load my mag I can just about make out a couple of possible targets but cannot confirm as the light level is still not good enough. Tick, tock, tick tock.....
The sun continues its unstoppable rise and as dawn approaches, light improves and I can confirm the targets.
Cycle the bolt, take aim, safty off and the first one instantly drops to a clean headshot at about 20 yards. Slight adjustment of position and bunny number two goes down at about 25 yard to another clean headshot, flips over gives one leg kick and is out. The second shot disturbs two other potential targets and they dash for cover.
I wait still and silent contemplating my options, I had already decided that three was the limit for my first trip as I knew I had an allotted time window to do the hunt and butchery befor heading to work. I decided to try for one more however I know this will involve moving and stalking.
I slowly move for the cover of a gourse thicket, a few unseen critters see me befor I see them and make for cover. I get eyes on target three, it hasn't noticed me. I get into a good position. It's right out in the open (or so it seems) I take the shot at about 20 yards and hear the same reassuring thump as I had just heard twice before, however it disappeared. I approach the area it was and find a warren hole hidden from view of where I took the shot. No blood, no carcass, I'm sure I hit it and hit it good but no sign of it. I hope I missed completely or that I hit it and it dies a quick death a second or two after making it underground.
Anyway two out of three isn't bad for a first attempt. I collect the other two and put them in the bucket, pack up my stuff quick visual check on the path to see if there is anyone currently using it, clear, make for the car a slip away.
Time check 08.10 sun's not officially up yet. As far as I know I'm completely unseen and have stealthed in and out for my first hunt, thankfully I have been successful.
Back home I gut and skin the critters befor getting ready for work.
After returning I knock up a delicious rabbit and roots stew.
That's pretty much it. Feel a great sense of accomplishment. I took some small but major steps to becoming self sufficient.
First hunt
First kill,
First time butchering an animal
First meal from game I have hunted.
Still pleanty to learn, but all in all, a great day.
Thanks for taking the time to read, I know it's probably a bit small fry for most of you seasoned pros.
Subsistence
.
