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Brownbear
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West
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 Posted: Fri Mar 21, 08 11:13 am Post subject: Mixed pleasures of the stalk |
 
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Was woken by the alarm at an unearthly hour today, wind rattling the windows, rain hurled at them, even Thomas Pointer didn't want to go out the back for a pee. I looked out and crawled back to bed, nodded off. Later wakened by Madame Bear nudging me in the ribs and mentioning subjects connected to fields, rifles, deer and sausages, so I unglued myself from the bed, gathered my gear and went out.
45 Mins later I'm walking down a field with rifle, waterproofs, binoculars, rifle support sticks and hail being fired down the back of my neck as the wind drove it horizontal to the ground. I set up a hide yesterday evening, and when I was within sight of it, saw it was by some miracle still standing despite the howling wind and hail. As I congratulated myself on the sturdiness of the hide, it collapsed before my eyes in a heap of cloth and supports. Cheers, Ameristep Hides, Incorporated.
I got as much out of the sleet as I could, sat down in the lee of a tree and waited glumly, contemplating a walk back of a mile uphill with sleet in my face. I gave vent to a passage of creative swearing. But! Five mins later, there were blue skies and less wind but enough to conceal the sounds of movement. Making my way to the next field, there were five red hinds emerging from their own shelter in a fold of the field, so I had time to get ready and choose one, an older but not pregnant animal, half-concealed behind undergrowth. I watched through the scope as she slowly emerged from cover, then one shot to the chest and she went down. Not even a twitch as she lay on the ground, she must have been dead before she even landed on the grass.
A very good start to the cull there, and a good heavy animal, though an older one and therefore destined for sausages this Sunday. It's always nice to bring back a carcass, though even in the foullest of the weather, I realise that I never, even for one second, missed being in a nice warm office at the University. |
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jamanda
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon
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Brownbear
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West
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jamanda
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon
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gil
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415
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vegplot
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
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An entertaining account of a morning well-spent, BB
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