Long night

[charly hunter]

Well last night was looking good as the moon had gone behind the clouds and it had cooled down a little. My son and his mate wanted to go out so at 21.30 off we went. Just a 5 minute drive and we started to check out around the pens, we saw one but this was a canny bugger, this one used the lie of the land to his full advantage and would stay just far enough of have a road or building behind him. After several minutes and at different angles he slipped into the wood luckily for him as by this time the topography was on my side.

 

Now the fog and mist was floating in like a ghost across the stair way, one minute all was clear the next it was a blur. But still I new a good valley that would be sheltered from this north west wind, and only about 2 miles away so on arrival all looked well, no fog to be seen and not so much wind. My son and his mate jump on the back, my son does the shooting and his mate does all the gates while I lamp and drive. We have worked like this for a few years now and it works well, probably because he is young and fit so jumping up and down is no problem for him and he is a lot quicker than I am Well off we go in through the park gateway, on with the lamp and a pause and slap, first rabbit in the bag. As I drove up over the rise to look up through the park it was lifeless, I drove to the end and back only to see one other rabbit which wasn't hanging around. Strange as only a few nights ago I came here with a mate looking for foxes and although we never saw a fox there were rabbits everywhere.

 

On leaving the park there is a small paddock just up the road so I pulled into the gate way to have a quick look and there facing us were a very bright pair of eyes. Thing is is it a badger a fox or maybe a cat as there are houses not a stone throw from here. We were all looking through bino's or a scope and all we could make out was eyes and whatever it was is lying in the grass so we couldn't see it. We stayed there and tried a call or two but nothing as it stayed so still for so long I was more and more convinced it was a cat. My son past me the big bino's and as luck would have it just as I looked it moved it's head and it was like the the whole thing lit up and I could clearly see it was a fox, but still it only moved it's head and not looking to move away. It was lying under a alder at the base of a hedge about 100 yds away so I chambered a 50gr. V-Max took aim and woke up the whole valley

As this lad acted odd I checked it all over as I thought maybe he may have been hit by a car and was lying up hurt, but it appeared to be fine, must have been tired I guess.

 

Well off we go to the nest farm and again it was lifeless, and this is unusual for here as this place is bouncing normally and I haven't bee here for a while. So I was expecting better things, but that's shooting no two nights are ever the same! We drove about half way around this 120 acre farm when in came the fog big time and we couldn't see, the rabbits that were there would be almost under the truck before we'd see them so it was 1 fox and 9 rabbits making this a long night seem even longer, Or maybe I am getting to old to be out playing until 02.00 hrs

 

Martyn notice the nice new stock, yours won and mine is getting the paint job.

[kip270]

Nigel, is that a CZ in .223??

Good shooting

[charly hunter]

Yes pard it sure is, and a very nice rifle it is too, I have 3 CZ's .22 .223 & .243 and I love them very very accurate rifles. My .223 is shooting .358 of an inch @ 100yds and the .243 is doing .157 of an inch @ 100yds so I won't be changing those loads

[foxhunter]

As long as you get one its worth a look out....