An evening watching the cut grass

[nemasis243]

Well yesterday evening saw me heading off to a mates farm,he had given me a call to say that he had just mowed 3 fields of silageand could I get down to see if anything was about .

After 30miles I pulled up at the farm and was greeted by my mate Tom and after a short natter I was on the quad and away.

Theres nothing like the smell of fresh mowed grass and as I got to my chosen shooting spot for th night the wind was blowing it straight towards me so all was good.

My vantage point was an outcrop of rocks which elevated me about 30 foot above the fields, its an excellent platform to shoot from as there is a flat rock which is surounded by what looks like a wall 6ft high.

I got set up and was scanning around but no sign of any charlies, the badgers were out early and loads of rabbits where playing in the cut grass on the edged of the field.

I took the range finder out and had a quick check and the furthest shot would have been 402 yrds as this was to the boundry hedge,so I just sat back and enjoyed the view.

The sun was directly behind me and I was tucked in out of site, just off to my right was a public footpath and I could hear two voices getting closer.

It was a young couple walking with a spaniel ,who was working the hedge ,just infront of them.

Next thing from the hedge a fox bolted followed by the dog, the owners were screaming for the dog to stop and it eventually stopped and made its way back ,I watched the fox cross one field and made its way into the second and into the third where it stopped and sniffed the cut grass.

 

Sods law I thought , the shots on but couldnt shoot as these people where standing just below me and off to the right.

Next thing the guy was looking at the quad and saying it was odd just to be left out in the middle of knowhere.

His next words were I could do with one of these for shooting,

I put the dog and his statement together and stuck my head out and made myself know,

I didnt say that I was shooting to start with but after a little and the story of the dog bolting the fox he said he did a bit of fox shooting and wished he had his rifle with him,

I then said what I was upto and showed them what I was using , I scanned the field and the fox was still there sniffing around ,but by now a little further away.

I dont think he had done much rifle work as when I asked him for an estimate on distance he said about 6ooyrds , he was shocked when I used the range finder and it came up as 358yrds,

I dialled the scope in and gave him my binos, I checked about and it was all safe to shoot so nestled in behind the rifle and got ready to shoot.

Wind was directly in my face and I took 3/4moa off as I was shooting down hill.

I took pressure on the trigger and the next thing I saw was the fox fold up and flop on the floor.

Well this guy couldnt believe it and was shaking my hand as if I was his long lost brother,lol.

We chatted for a while and then they left and I just sat back and started scanning,

within 20mins another ginger was cumming through the boundry hedge , this one a bit bigger from the 1st

I looked at him for a while but the shot wasnt good as there was a power cable crossing the field just above him ,which I could see from my elevated platform.

Next thing his ears pricked up and he bolted towards a hedge between us, into the second field ,as if he had radar he was staright onto a baby rabbit and picked it up and started chewing.

242yrds and BOOM ,charlies head exploded,

I had had a great time ,light was starting to go so packed the gear away and drove back to the farm to report how things went.

Farmer was well chuffed and to top it all had an invite from the guy I had met ( Collin ) up to his area in mid Wales to shoot rabbits atlong range ,so the day was a good one.

 

Sorry for no pics guys, smashed my camera phone a while back and still trying to get a new one back from the company,

so have been using an old style mobile, so if anyone has been trying to get hold of me send me a pm with your number as iv lost all of them .

cheersAndy

[TonyH]

Never mind the pics, great story anyway, enjoyed reading it. I too feel the need to be discreet when there are other people about - there are so many odd so-and-so's around the countryside now, you can't be too careful. Very good luck that he was a shooter. Nice shooting too! Well done.

TonyH

[re'M'ington]

Great read Andy mate,and two charlies down to boot.....good day!

 

Martin

[weejohn]

Great read.