I surveyed the locked gate in front of me and looked at my watch — 8.45am. Plenty of time, I thought, and turned up BBC Radio Norfolk to listen to another caller’s solution to Brexit.
Simon Whitehead had invited me on an early-season ferreting excursion near Norfolk Showground and we had arranged to meet at 9am. I settled in and watched two swallows catching their breakfast, wondering why they weren’t over the Mediterranean right now.
My watch clicked to the hour and I rang Simon. “Right, where are you?” he asked. I gave my best description of the view in front of me: “Tents, rubbish, a couple of sleeping bags…” The showground had played host to the Sundown Festival the weekend before. “You must be round the other side, I’ll direct you,” he said.
After a short drive Simon was waving me through into a field. He introduced me to Steve Nice, a local carpenter who was going to be the second Gun for the day. I tentatively asked him what his shooting skill on rabbits was like and he replied: “Fairly good, why do you ask?”
I admitted I had a history of missing bolting bunnies under pressure (Cronies at the coneys, 28 March 2018) and as hard as I try I can’t seem to get on top of them.
Simon overheard this and chipped in: “It’s all about lead and taking your time. Don’t rush the shot and just enjoy yourself.” With those words ringing in my ears, I found myself staring at a hawthorn hedgerow, eyeing each leaf for the slightest movement. To my right lay a road with a 3m gap in which to shoot any rabbit that fled that way.
Denne historien er fra October 2, 2019-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra October 2, 2019-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside