Stuffed with Roe!

There is a block of wood at Dibden that we take the dogs to for their exercise that seems to be stuffed with Roe. The picture here is of a doe that was only 60 yards away and was not put off by us at all, including the dogs. The area is very popular with walkers so hence the lack of nerves re the Roe. The previous evening we came across 3 doe's and 2 bucks both of which had a decent set of jewels.(No camera that time). If only the Forestry Commission would allow stalking in the New Forest........

The last lamping session was frustrating again. Took a shot at an adult fox for only to miss again. Doubt soon took over whether the rifle was zero'd in. Stephen set up a target approx 50 yards away with the shot 1.25" above the bull which answered my worry about the zero. Must of got fox fever and pulled the shot...plonker!!

Fox 2 Lampers 0

Apart from the night sky picture the lamping session proved fruitless with regards to any shots taking at reynard. Two were spotted during the night which started after the feed and water of the poults. The first was a fleeting glimpse and the second was a rather frustrating attempt to get an adult fox into a safe area so that a shot could be taken, to no avail unfortunately. The weather turned against us as well with the sky almost crystal clear and the moon doing a good job of lighting everything. Metcheck proved right.

Good news though is that the farm have started to harvest the oil seed rape so the next session should allow additional fields to be scanned plus with the current good weather other crops will mature and maybe also be cropped. Hopefully some hotspot fields will come into action........

Be aware there is someone's beloved moggy (has a reflective collar on) in the left field on Lovedean Road.

Bullseye for Martyn

Lamping session on Saturday night resulted in Martyn taking a young vixen from one of the Lovedean Road fields, it came in from my attempted calling on one of my fox callers (the first time it has worked - or maybe I managed to work it properly).
Saturday was a long day to start, took one of Rogers stalking first thing, so at the pub by 5am. Walked the top side of the farm without seeing a buck and then proceeded to Sausage Wood with no joy. Weather was against us with a strong wind and overcast conditions. Client, Thomas, was from Denmark and had cracking eyesight with tow doe's spotted in amongst the crops.
Back home by 9.30am and then back to the shoot by 10pm to meet Stephen and Martyn. The pressure was on to get a result before the recently cropped fields were ploughed again. The first field in and bingo the resident fox as out to play. After waiting for it to get in a safe shootable position I took a position leaning against the truck bonnet, it didn't feel comfortable but as it was a chance on this sly resident I took the shot and plainly missed.....was not impressed at all and spent the next half hour swearing at myself.
All was not lost though as Martyn redeemed the night and killed the young vixen, down to my calling, ha ha and Stephen's lamping.
Back out tonight again, a chance to amend for my miss.

The blighters are in!

After a few hours prepping the release pen on Friday with the help from Keith and wife plus myself and Roger the first batch of poult's were delivered in the afternoon. These youngsters were fit and healthy, caught me by surprise when half a dozen took flight straight away and not just clearing the fence height but a good 15ft......they are going to be very good sporting birds come the season, apparently they tend to bolt straight up. Will be interesting to see what the shot to kill ratio will be.

Libary Pics

If anyone requires a decent pic of wildlife etc I should be able to source. There maybe a small fee attached. Please let me know what you require and I shall try and get it free.

Roe Buck trophy.

Collected back from Roger the Roe Buck head from my kill back in May 2008. I now have the gear to prepare the head myself. The picture shown is of the skull being bleached. Spent Saturday night boiling the head before peeling away must of the skin and flesh. The antlers were covered in velvet hence the pale colour. The skull was then blasted with the pressure washer to remove the remaining stubborn flesh on Sunday morning. Then back in the pot with fresh water and a bleach solution to gain the white look on the bone. Once that was completed it was left to dry for a few hours before the first stain on the antlers. Will post a pic once the trophy is fully completed. It is not a medal head but my first roe buck so hence the trophy being made etc plus it will give me good practice for future heads, bronze, silver or even gold....yes I'll keep dreaming.

Saturday Pen Work 12th July.

Kevin & Greg at work on the pen door (Left) Keith digging a tunnel trap hole (Below)

Saturday's work party on the pen at Beachwood included Roger, Kevin, Greg, Keith and family plus myself. General maintenance work was carried out around the pen including the pen door frame, a new tunnel trap plus cutting back the privot shrubs inside the hedge on the top side. Feed bins and drinkers were brought up from the farm in readiness for the arrival of the poults this coming Friday. This leaves 3 bolts holes to fix in and the electric fence to be in operation which will be done on Friday hopefully before the poults turn up. I think we have a number of people who have said that they will help out on Friday so it should all go smoothly.

Turkish Delight

(The below was a description of an eventful day a few years ago..sent the artical to Shooting Times who did not wish to publish it so on it goes to the blog)

Turkish Delight

I will never forget one delightful day, if that’s the expression I can use, during a season a few years ago when a ‘shooting agent’ had booked a day for a team of guns on our estate in Hampshire. The agent when making the booking said all the right things and asked all of the right questions and of course I enquired as to the experience of the team. All seemed perfect and the date was duly booked followed by a deposit to secure the day.

The shoot itself consisted of relatively flat grounds utilising game cover crops and wood spinney's with two or three of the drives using the higher ground, this proved no problem showing the birds at a good sporting height as Michigan Blue Backs were the main stock and as everyone knows they do not need much encouragement to flush. There were also a number of larger wooded areas in the shoot boundary that were untouched until the later part of the season and duly kept aside for the main resident syndicate. Throughout the season to supplement the shoot coffers a few let days were sold mainly to local roving teams, on this occasion to a new team to our shoot.

The date arrived in early December, weather perfect, clouded sky with a slight wind, nature was on our side to provide a day that the guns should enjoy. The keeper had done his rounds earlier in the morning ensuring that all was well on the drives and pegs still standing plus dropping of one or two beaters to act as stops on the early drives. I had no concerns as to the guns arriving safely and on time as had phoned the agent a few days prior detailing directions and timings. We usually asked guns to arrived from 8:30 till 9:00 allowing every one a comfortable coffee and bacon sandwich in the gun room before sorting out dogs and guns into various vehicles. The keeper liked the guns to be on the first drive at around 9:30 before the birds started to wonder.

By 8:30am the gunroom smelling of fresh coffee and a full team of beaters plus the loyal dog team eagerly awaiting outside with the usual banter and laughter. The Keeper was nice and relaxed and instructions given to the beaters as to which drives and in what order. Half hour later and no sign of the guns, Keeper starting to get a little anxious, will hold on another five minutes before calling the agents mobile.

“We’re stuck in traffic on the M3 just north of Basingstoke, just passing the traffic accident, should be with you in 30 minutes” replied the agent. “Ok, no problem but we will have to go straight to the first pegs as soon as you get here, no time for coffee unfortunately” I responded. Details passed to the Keeper with the estimated time of arrival with another fithteen minutes added just in case. Keeper mutters under his breadth that the birds will start their morning stroll as he turns to inform the expectant beating team.

9:30 passed by, proceeded by 9:45 and the seconds ticked slowly to nearly 10:00am, the keepers face turning from normal jovial complexion to a near thunderous red.

Another call dialled, “Many apologies, had to stop at a service station as one the guns needed to visit the gents, will be with you in five minutes” I duly inform the Keeper who ranted “They have got ten minutes otherwise might as well cancel the bleep bleep day cause the birds won’t bleep bleep stay put for ever”

Tick tick tick tick……………….

At last, two gleaming Range Rovers pull into the drive by the Keepers cottage. Both of the vehicles look brand new with never a blade of grass passed under the tyres let alone a muddy field. By the time I’ve guided these 4x4’s down twisting gravel tacks over hanged with brambles and across rain drenched ploughed ground they will look like what they were designed for!

The beaters had already been dispatched to the first drive thus leaving myself and the Keeper to witness the passengers and drivers depart from their luxury chariots. Hopefully it goes without saying that on a fully driven day 99.99% of the participants would dress accordingly, green/brown boots, tweed/moleskins breeks, appropriate shirt and tie plus suitable coat. Not today, it was the 0.01%. Half of the team was dressed as though going to the gym, white trainers, multi coloured jogging bottoms and the other half in jeans ready for a walk down the shopping high street. I’m just waiting for the Keeper to explode. To top it all, the agent dressed in a shooting vest (black and red with a guns makers name emblazoned across the breast pocket more akin to the clay ground) and jeans, introduces himself. Clearly not a shooting agent at all and to make it complete his team of guns are on their first driven day having arrived from Turkey the previous day……..I just wished it was Aprils Fools day or would wake up from a nightmare dream.

What do we do Keeper? Cancel the day due to lack of sunglasses to avert the glare from bright white jogging pants or if very brave cross our fingers and crack on. Best of British we decide to give it ago, after all the guns had travelled all the way from Turkey and the beaters were ready for the off. After the sternest of safety talks vehicles are loaded up and the team change into their ‘shooting attire’.

First drive, birds to be pushed from wood into maze cover crop with the guns pegged in large open field. High excited voices from the team with shouts denoting every pheasant seen as I position each gun onto his peg pointing in the direction from where the birds will be flushed. At last, all guns on their correct peg and ready, cartridges loaded even before whistle blown to announce the start. Instructions strongly repeated to shoot the high birds only with slightly nervous glances from the flagmen, who included the Keepers wife, as they look over their shoulders. At this point I pray to a higher authority!

The beating line under orders from the Keeper slowly gets underway, a slow trickle of birds is needed so as not to confuse our over excited guns who cannot contain their adrenalin. It seems like an age before all hell breaks loose as the first hen bird flushes and heads towards the line, four of the guns are raised as the bird curls across towards number 6 peg and yes you guessed it every gun takes a shot, mercifully safely. As each bird took flight the levels of shouting rose until there were too many birds to contend with. Thankfully the first volley of shots continued to be safe and most birds taken at a good distance until it had to happen. Peg 8 was of course on the fringe of the action, whilst his colleagues enjoyed their good first peg positions his air space was thin of sporting birds that was until he decided to drop to his knees and shoot which resulted in two clouds of feathers and two minced pheasants landing with a squelch at his knees. But worse was to come which understandably turned the airwaves blue on the radio communication, whilst I was keeping a very focused eye on peg 8 the keeper had witnessed an action that could of led to dia consequences if I had not blown the whistle to end the drive early.
After the initial flushes of birds some of the guns whilst waiting for their next opportunity to shoot were holding their closed guns horizontally and not just pointing directly towards the beating line but also their own friends and even the picking up team as they turned to see the fruits of their shooting. Who likes to stare down two barrels of a shotgun when it’s loaded?

Both myself and the Keeper were for calling it a day there and then, no one likes to see pheasants blown apart and of course the safety aspects are paramount to all concerned. The guns were gathered round to here our views and a demonstration of how to correctly hold a loaded gun. I even resorted to pointing a broken gun at them to drive the message home. After ten minutes of declaring their intentions to abide by the strongest ticking off given we agreed reluctantly to carry on with the day. Thus not one foot was put of place or any other misdemeanours occurred throughout the remainder of the day, in fact it was good to see and watch a team of guns who thoroughly enjoyed their first taste of driven game and improve their prow ness when taking on the higher birds as their confidence grew.
There were just two sticky moments left to overcome as the day drew to an end, firstly I had to explain the voluntary tipping of the keeper and approximately how much and secondly as we sat down at the dinner table in a nearby excellent local restaurant to enjoy a hearty three coarse roast meal, with all of the trimmings, my forehead broke into a cold sweat. Here we are waiting for the main coarse surrounded on both sides of the table by Turks who included among them a Mayor from their town. Far to late to inform the chef that pork was a no no….my fingers were firmly crossed as the waitress deilivered the first plates, thank goodness for British beef!

Stalkers UK

I would like to recommend the following internet site www.stalkersuk.com if you require any items on the stalking front. (that's of course if Roger does not have access to said item) According to the home page blurb they only stock relevant items and none of the silly gadgets that sucker you in. Have placed an order with them which was posted that day and arrived within 48hrs without any hitches. Makes a change to some other internet sites that seem to take your order without the item instock therefore having to wait for that provider to get the item in stock themselves.
I was impressed with the trophy presentation items listed that has eased the concern about preparing my first roe buck trophy.
I now have a decent size boiling pot and gas cooker (camping sort) that will allow me to attempt my first roe buck head...will post pics when available.

Serious Mag

For those of you who enjoy rifle shooting then this publication is the magazine you shouldn't fail to read each month. Sporting Rifle covers most aspects of the sport and is available at W H Smiths on the high street of most towns etc etc. Once purchased I will not put down until read cover to cover and it's great to overcome the boredom factor at work which strikes now and again. It can push certain products in the editorials which is a little annoying but once you get past that it is a very enjoyable read.

Looking forward to the next work party on the shoot. The poults are arriving soon so at least one of the pens must be 100% ready. Which reminds me to check the battery condition for the electric fence. Subject to weather conditions I will probably try for a morning stalk prior to the pen work, even if no bucks to stalk maybe a fox might show itself......

No lamping this week as Stephen is away in the Lake District plus the weather is not playing ball anyway. At least a few more days have past, nearer to those harvest machines making an appearance, although I guess that a good spell of sun shine will help now. Need to make a serious dent in the fox population before they chump on the poults.

Unlucky Cub

Martyn strimming away at Worthy Park & Stephen attacking some overhangs!

Please excuse the quality of the pics, taken on a useless mobile phone (next brand of phone will not be Motorola!). This cub was taken last night at the farm inbetween the railway bank and the hay barn.

The second shot proved to be the bulls eye, literally up it's arse as it was going away from me. I had already missed with the first shot, god know's why although the excitment of having a fox in the scope was enough after all this time.

As harvest is just around the corner the next victim(s) WILL not be that far off in time.

Prior to the lamping session, Martyn had strimmed the fence line around Worthy Park pen (job well done). Myself and Stephen repaired the electric fence where it been damaged. This pen could do with two more pop holes in at the top end of the pen to ease the task of poults going back in. It was then over to Beachwood pen to list the jobs required to be done prior to the birds arriving. Next main work party date is set for the 12th July.