It's Raining Vixens And Dogs

Deano and his team go ‘old school’ with one last lamping foray before the birds get too widespread. The forecast doesn’t bode well, but it turns out to be a successful night

- Dean Harrison

After accounting for all the foxes we had seen on the last lamping trip, some by sitting up waiting with the night vision (which is just the job for targeting a fox that you know about) I decided to go out lamping one last time before the partridge started to spread all over the shoot. It doesn’t take long for the one you have shot to be replaced at this time of year, especially with all these gamebirds wandering around.

It was getting well into September, with most of the fields cultivated or drilled, so we would have to be careful, but we have some stubble and tracks dividing some of the fields so I knew we’d be able to get round the farm. I lined up the famer to do the driving and Edward was on the lamp.

The forecast was looking a bit dodgy for the weekend in question, but it was not likely to change in the days ahead so we decided to go for it. Like I say, the partridges are still hanging around the covers but I didn’t want to disturb them too much. In these situations, you need to lamp with a bit of care.

As we met up that evening and started to get the truck ready – safety cage on and secured, lamp checked to make sure it’s working – it was all looking good before the rain started. Damn. This was not a good start.

“Maybe we can just lamp out the window and see what’s about,” I said, but Edward, keen as always, said he didn’t mind standing on the back. He had come dressed in all his waterproof gear as if he was off to the coast to go duck flighting!

By the way, I went wildfowling once with a mate. Splodging around in what resembled nuclear waste was not for me, but I respect the knowledge that goes into that sport. Anyway, that’s another story! I told Edward he could crack on, but I would be staying inside the truck in the dry tonight.