Out on a new bit of permission I've just got.............

[Guest martin]

Foxdropper(a shooting partner of mine)came over this evening to have a stalk(if we were lucky)on a new bit of permission I have just got.There's about 450-500 acres mostly with cattle,but also some arable.We set off across the fields with a google arial map that I had printed off with all of the boundries marked off(really good idea,I've done it for all of my permissions now).Although I knew where the farm was I hadn't walked the land before this evening,so,we went in the direction that the wind dictated,there are a lot of good sized hedges,and, a few double hedges as well that the deer must use as a highway,we crossed a couple of fields with nothing seen,and,as we were just going to cross the fence into the next field 'FD' said don't look now,but,behind us.....there was a Buck.We could just see his shoulders neck and head,and,he wasn't going to make it easy,as,he stood in the worst possible place.....no proper backstop.He ran off a couple of times,but,kept coming back,he was certainly inquisitive,although,this evening he was going to get away,as even though we tried the butollo call,he wouldn't get in the right position,so we decided to leave him for another day,he had a rather poor head,and,was definitely a cull Buck.

We crossed a couple more fields,and,then 'FD' decided to show me how adept he is at gymnastics,he straddled a barbed wire fence,and,promptly swung around underneath it leaving some of hios leg on the fence.....OW!!! "I might as well go underneath the fence now then" he said with a grimace,I was just glad he could walk,cos I didn't fancy carrying him back to the truck lol(shouldn't laugh).Anyway,'FD' spotted Charlie,but,Charlie had already spotted us,and,was offski.We carried on into the next field,and,saw what was most likely the same fox on the other side of the hedge,and,true to form he shot off again.As we got level with a gap in the hedge I saw a fox half way down the field about 70-80yds,'FD' set up his sticks and settled his breathing,and,crack,unfortunately he was just very slightly high,and,Charlie lives to run another day.We then crossed the lane into the fields on the other side,and,we saw another fox almost straight away,we dropped to our knees,and 'FD' started to squeek it,but,he wasn't having any of it,in fact he just sat down,and,looked at us,so,I dropped the bipod down and had it on full extension.I looked through the Schmit & Bender,and,he was still just sat there head on to me just happy to watch us as the light faded fast.I regulated my breathing,and,took up the pressure on the trigger,and,CRACK!! and,this time there was a definite THWACK to accompany the crack,and the bullet ripped into it's chest and straight out of it's back,dropped without a twitch.As we were walking over to it,'FD' dropped to his knees again as he had seen another fox,very close to where he was,but,in a small gully that ran down the field,he squeeked a bit,but the fox ran staright down the gully and away."He'll be there for next time mate" I said.Altogether not exactly the most productive night,but,there were deer on the permission(which what I wanted more than anything),and,plenty of Charlies to go round,so overall I was very pleased,and,I sure I will be posting a lot more from this farm......................Martin.