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Dwighets trip to Connemara
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29-11-2009 11:15am#1Dwighet contacted me a few weeks ago, asking if I'd bring him out foxing up in Conamara. I'd just seen a photo of his Remington R-15, so naturally, the wheels were well greased lol. We agreed on a date for our shoot and said we’d check on the weather forecast for the green light the night before. The flooding in South Galway is pretty bad and I had my doubts whether I’d get a “can’t get through” call or not. I rang Dwighet when he was around Galway city, wondering about his progress “Never knew my car was a submarine, water was coming over the bonnet”.
And I thought I was crazy
I was in a local shop and saw Dwighet passing in the car, living out in the boonies has it’s advantages, strangers stand out a mile lol. Strangely enough he managed to park pretty much outside my house without knowing where I was! We had a good long chat over tea and coffee, looked over each others rifles, told plenty stories as you do.
Rang my mate Niall earlier in the day to no reply, he had texted me not long after Dwighet arrived and I invited him over. More talk on custom rifles, various calibres, usual craic none of ye would be at all interested in... Niall was fascinated seeing the R-15 “break open”. I have to say it’s a fantastic rifle, althought the scope is as far over the bore as my own rifle (guessing), because of the shape of the gun I could get a lovely cheek weld to it instead of my usual chin weld balancing act.
I had set up a target board in an isolated spot, two un moderated .223’s would make some racket. But, instead we decided to head out and pop off some bunnies. It was a perfect evening for some longer range shooting, hardly a breath of wind ever but bitterly cold right down by the Atlantic. As we got there we spotted some people walking along the shore nearby, on we went and not many bunnies out, thought we didn’t see one I think the walkers may have had a dog as they’re usually out in numbers in that area.
Dwighet popped off a nice bunny, something over two hundred yards, I can’t remember the exact range, maybe 212 or so Dwighet? First blood for the R-15 and a nice shot too! We took a walk down wind of the main burrows and made a wide circle around to see if any longer shots would present. The light was fading pretty fast at this stage, we saw some fresh fox tracks but had left the lamps at home.
We laid down on a hillock I like to try my hand at picking off longer range bunnies, hoping something would show. We saw one or two but they never stayed around long. Three rabbits were called out. Dark shapes moving on the side of a closely cropped beach grass hillock. I could only see one, so ranged with 140 as the return, aimed on and fired.
Rabbit turned into a hare in the time it took us to walk over.
Idiot, still feel bad about that one.
The light was pretty much gone at this stage. So we headed back to the car and after a chat back to the house again. On the short run back to the village heavy fog had descended. Bugger. Niall was on girlfriend duties so couldn’t stay to go foxing later on. Dwighet and myself hung around the house for an hour or so, caught a bit of Deadliest Catch and the weather forecast. Fog, but wind expected to pick up later, 0 degrees C.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights I had travelled around this area 2,3,4 hours a night looking for foxes. Previously I had only ventured out very locally to me so I hadn’t much of a clue where the foxes were, or what time they were coming out at. I had my homework done pretty well, seeing up to 10 foxes and 5 on Friday night alone, I was pretty confident in getting Dwighet a shot or two.
Around 7 or 7.15pm we ventured out, fog or no fog, it surely couldn’t be all over? It was! All areas were pea soup, the plan was out the window!
We travelled a bit farther a field, more in hope than anything else, planning on returning to the areas I had checked later in the night as we expected the fog to lift as soon as the wind rose. Dwighet spotted our first fox on the side of a mountain across some flat bog. We walked to a nice hillock, made for shooting from. I ranged him at 300 yards, then spotted another fox farther our and higher up the mountain. I turned on the rabbit squeal, hoping one or both of them would venture in closer.
There was no movement for a fair while. We were just talking about a long shot when the closer of the two foxes started to move down the mountain slowly. Dwighet adjusted his Nightforce, three clicks up I think? Took aim at 250 and pulled off a lovely shot with the R-15, straight into the foxes chest and down she went, lights out!
There was a great coat on this vixen, really red.
We moved farther along the mountain. Dwighet spotted another fox, good eyes. The only real option was a wet enough hillock, my turn for a shot using my own rifle (why’d I do that again?). Turned on the rabbit squeal and oh boy was this fox on a mission! It came hurtling down the hill towards us. I started barking at it to stop about 120 yards out, it paid me no heed whatsoever and kept running. It popped out around a hillock in front of us, couldn’t have been more than 60 yards away, if even that. Safety off, and Bang!
Fox jumps and takes off, I’d only gone and friggin missed. I tried cycling the bolt and my dodgy ejector picked that very moment to let go the empty case and let it stick in the chamber, naturally round number two couldn’t fit in there as well... After much cursing I eventually got the damn thing loaded, tried a speculative shot and missed again.
Fog come back, all is forgiven !! Just not my day.
We saw another fox in that area soon afterwards, but, the little breeze that had risen blew from us to it so we didn’t see much more of that fox.
Time to head back to the areas I’d checked during the week.
Sod that, we head right into Clifden to pay our respects to “The Chipper”, half pounders and curry chips all around. Windows were left open in the car after that, lol.
Back on the job, we see a fox laying down behind a small hill, just his head is in view. This is a difficult shot, Dwighet can only see half it’s head. I tried all the calls I had on me, from the digital, hand call and mouse squeeker. Nope, it’s not shifting. “Will I take the shot?”, “If you can make it” says I. We had ranged him at 230 yards I think.
Dwighet takes his time, squeezing off a present for our red friend. There’s a loud bang, and amber eyes away like lightning! I start calling loudly again, and the fox stops a second time out a fair piece, had to be 300+ yards. Dwighets on him again and takes a second go at him. We both hear the “pop”. I mark where we last see the fox, take a quick scan around and see another fox near by.
We’ll try for this one and pick up the other in a bit. He gives us the run around a couple of times and we decided to leave him off for another night as he’s not playing the game. Back to searching for the fallen fox and we can’t see a sign ever of him. I know he’s hit and I know he’s not far from where we looked but can we hell find him.
We called it a night at that stage as it was pretty late and Dwighet is real old yanno lol. Seriously though, in fairness he’d a long drive and a long day up here. Hope you made it home OK this morning Dwighet, and that you’ve rung the car out already 
It was great to finally meet you and that’s one hell of a sweet rifle you got, first blooded with two lovely shots! Thanks again for coming up 
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I'm not going to comment on this post as I'm too upset at not being able to get away with the two of you's this weekend. :mad:
sh!te I just made a comment.
All the BEST lads - sounds like you pulled off another good outting for the visitor John
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Feidhlim Dignan wrote: »i thought you couldnt licence a semi auto bigger than .22 rimfire
so whats the real story? nice rifle
you can as a restricted firearm...0 -
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