A brief encounter

Mick Garvey explains how a chance meeting with a paddock owner on one rabbit permission led to the acquisition of another nearby – and a successful night’s shooting

- MICK GARVEY

I had been given permission to control the rabbit population on a paddock near me, and had been successful in thinning them down with the air rifle. I was in the process of unloading the truck for another nighttime session when a young lady turned up. She’d seen my Hilux and was obviously concerned at what I was doing there. The conversation was constructive but polite and surprisingly she offered me the opportunity of clearing some of the rabbits from her paddock, which was just down the track. A meeting was quickly arranged for the following evening but I said I would give the land a once over before leaving that night.

It had been a breezy week so far and the forecast was for stronger winds over the next few days. With this in mind, I opted for the .22 rimfire as opposed to the air rifle; the extra weight of my Eley Hollow subs would make short work of the wind and give me the opportunity of longer shots if needed; plus I have 100% confidence in the accuracy and consistency of this superb round.

I was already at the paddock when Jules arrived and we went through the land’s boundaries and backstops. This is always my initial conversation so as to instill confidence in a new client. She explained that the horses would be in an adjacent field and well out the way.