Any shooting???

alan123

Its that time of year. The season looms ever closer. Im just wondering what you are at these days. Anyone got anything to make my mouth water before the start of the season? Who was out today? What lucky b*st*rds were shooting duck on some pond down the sticks. Lash a shooting tale up (even if you came home empty handed) to read. Whos got a good story from the last few days to make married man with a family wish he was single and shooting around the clock????!

Vegeta

Last night after work on the spur of the moment we decided to hit the local hot pond. Myself, Tack and Eoin. Just as we were leaving Eoin's better half pulled rank and he couldn't go so Vegeta senior stepped up to take his place.

It was wet and windy so we were hoping the duck would be pushed off Lough Derg and onto the ponds. We had a great night there earlier in the season when about 30 mallard came swooping in.

So we headed up in Tack's jeep and parked outside. We were well early, probably a bit keen. So we had loads of time to set up the 6 decoys.

So while Tack and I set up the decoys, my old man walked into the next field where there are two small ponds where there might rarely be the odd duck. Now the old man is not the most stealthy as his hip is dodge so he couldn't stalk the ponds very well. Well you guessed it there were 8 mallard in the little ponds. He didn't get within an asses roar of them and we could see them circling in the air. We immediately hit the dirt and I gave a few calls on the caller which I then borke, bugger. They hit the road an we didn't see them at again that night.

So my dad came back to us and all camo'd up we knelt down beside the pond among the short rushes and hedging and got ready to play the waiting game. While we were sitting down there was a hare entertaining us running around the pond. We also heard a fox bark and we noted this too

We waited and waited and waited. Absolutely nothing. It was getting quite dark now too and this is usually the time when they come in. The patience was running out. It was now getting so dark if we stood naked at the pond with pink shotguns the duck would not have spotted us so we stood up. We were just discussing how they could still be picked out in the sky so we had time yet when suddenly we hear the whoosh of wings on air. Heads down eyes up and 3 are on a bombing run coming in left to right, making straight for the middle of the pond. Hold, hold, hold then up. I shoulder the gun. I'm behind the leading two birds, swing through, little lead and down goes the first duck. The benelli cycles and I pick the second bird in the fading light, pull again and another goes down, was that me, dad or Tack. So where's the thrid, swing through again and bam down he goes. Who got that one.

Three in and three down. Happy chaps indeed. We have no clue who shot which birds though so we decided on one each. Pond is shallow so the guys waded out and collected our bounty. Best duck of the season, very well coloured (very nice green heads) and one of them was a monster.

We decided to take the breasts off them straight away and head back to Tacks shed to do the plucking and cutting. Wash, freezer bag and let them cool before freezing. Going to try make that gorgeous pie on the recipe forum so saving them for something like that.

So great end to a night which could have been a blank. Just happy to get shots to be honest, actually hitting them was a bonus. That pond is golden, we try not to shoot it too much though.

We also went back to lamp it for that barking fox and that's another story but now its bed time.

alan123

Just what I needed to start my day!

pullandbang

Vegeta wrote: »

We were just discussing how they could still be picked out in the sky so we had time yet when suddenly we hear the whoosh of wings on air. Heads down eyes up and 3 are on a bombing run coming in left to right, making straight for the middle of the pond.

I was totally engrossed in reading this when my phone rang - the ring tone is "Mallard calling" that I got from a site posted on bards.ie.
Frightened the bejaysus out of me! :eek:

fiestaman

Vegeta wrote: »

We decided to take the breasts off them straight away and head back to Tacks shed to do the plucking and cutting.

just woundering why you yook the breasts off there. can you not do that when you went back to shed

Vegeta

fiestaman wrote: »

Vegeta wrote: »

We decided to take the breasts off them straight away and head back to Tacks shed to do the plucking and cutting.

just woundering why you yook the breasts off there. can you not do that when you went back to shed

Excuse my poor prose. We took them back to one of the lads sheds and did them there. By straight away I meant we didn't let them hang for a few days first.


clear as mud

alan123

I went out at about half nine last night with Showandgo. We met up at our usual rabbit spot and decided to use my vehicle beacause of its rugged off road capabilities. Pat drove my car slowly around the perimeters of the fields stopping any time he saw a rabbit ahead in the headlights to give me a shot. I was sitting out the window on the passenger side. Before long we had five rabbits in the bag and many times more that got away. After the rain the fields were fairly waterlogged and we saw two mallard on a puddle about fifty yards away. Stunned by the headlights they didnt move and I could see them clearly through the scope. At one stage they were both along side each other and I was sure I could shoot them both with one shot. I was deffinitely tempted!!! Nice to see them out, especially in the middle of a stubble field! Just as we were finishing up I told Pat to stop the car to give me a shot but the bunny bolted. When Pat pulled away, the wheels spun but we didnt move. No problem to Pat I thought but after ten minutes he had dug us in deep. I ended up digging out the muck with my hands. We stuffed bags and an umbrella from my car under the wheels. After about twenty minutes Pat rocking and pushing from the front and me giving it socks in reverse she started to move. Pat was covered in mud and I kept her lit!
Then Pat jumped in and we drove back to his car laughing about our misfortune. We were so distracted I didnt see the tractor ruts in front of us and I drove straight into one. The car was buried up to the axle and this time the wheels werent even turning! Pat went and got his off road Toyota Corolla to tow me out but as we should have seen... he got stuck! So we dug him out and got him out of there and sent up the distress signal to my brother in law to bring his jeep. When he arrived we tied a strap to the back of his Pajero and waited to be hauled free. You can imagine how interesting things got when the Pajero got stuck!!!!! No answer from a friend wit a Range Rover so we dug the Pajero out with a shovel and put timber under the wheels. We tried the focus from a different angle and eventually got it out by using slack on the strap to get a run at the tow (hoping my chassis wouldnt come out of the car!!). At this stage of the game I headed home and was in no form to clean the four rabbits (one was diseased so we left it behind). I did the deed in the back garden and for the record, you may well call me a panzy but I absolutely hate cleaning rabbits! The smell is repulsive. Even now I can get it off my hands. So its 2am now and I am supposed to be up for 9am to shoot clays. I suppose shooting would be awful boring if it wasnt for the unexpected adventures!!!

(photo of my car in "shooting transport" thread)

kerryman12

Probably wasnt funny last night, but you will laugh it off in the future.

We have all been there -tho three vehicals stuck in one night is good going!! Focus on the positive you go them out :D