Eley Rabbits & Air Arms Rats as Night Pearl Joins The Team

Eley Rabbits & Air Arms Rats
​as Night Pearl Joins The Team

Blimey I just don't know where to start with this one, I suppose I should start off with the rabbit control then move onto the rat control as the title of this article suggests.​

One of the ladies on the estate I manage has some very high class horses, some you may have seen in events like The Grand National etc, now for the last few years because of the ghastly RHD disease in Rabbits we have not had hardly a humble Bunny about the estate, this last year in small pockets we seem to be getting a few back, for me being a traditional rabbiting man much preferring using the ferrets, purse nets, long nets, and a running dog to control the humble Rabbit, shooting them with a rifle or indeed a shotgun is just too easy for someone with my marksmanship experience and field craft knowledge, that said I am quite partial to bolt shooting the rabbits over ferrets and taking them with a 4.10 shot gun, but again nothing beats catching them in the nets for me.

Eley Rabbit.​

Now we start out on a bitter cold winter afternoon, not that healthy frozen cold no, but that wet cold that bites right into your bones, I was glad of my fieldsman fleece and digi cam jacket and boots from Jack Pyke I telle, that gear really works for me and fits me right, the rifle of choice is my beloved 22LR a calibre I have loved since boyhood, match that with the awesome Eley Subsonic Hunting Ammunition and you have a rabbit stopping combo second to none, I have been using Eley Ammunition for over 40 years, my Uncle Dave who taught me how to shoot rifle and indeed pistol would not use anything else, he was well is an accomplished Countryman and Marksman with Rifle, Pistol or Shot Gun, Farmer, ex Game keeper who has forgotten more than I will ever know about Country Sports or Nature, if you have read any of my best selling books or articles before you will know well of Uncle Dave.

Another cracking bit of equipment I was using this day was the amazing Night Pearl Scops Max III Thermal Spotter, this made the job so easy for spotting the rabbits that were coming out of the thick cover to feed on the lush green grasses of these horse paddocks, I knew where these rabbits were before the rabbits themselves knew where they were, before I had even got myself set up with The Gen 3 Primos Trigger high up on the hill in the gate way, I had 6 fresh shot rabbits in the bag just shooting from the gate itself, the whisper quite report of this Eley 22LR ammunition didn't even disturb the VIP horses that were literally within a few yards of me, they looked up at the first couple of shots, saw it was me, knew who I was as I am often asked to feed them, found me boring and carried on about their business, the ethical humane strike of these awesome rounds on target really makes a difference, other leading brands are good too but these Eley Subsonic Rounds really have the edge for precision, accuracy with a deadly humane strike on target.​

Like I say I had 6 fresh shot rabbits in the bag before I had even properly set up, much to my Cocker Spaniel Goose's joy, for he was sent to retrieve all of them, such great practice for this cracking young little dog, that settled him down no end for he knew we were there to do business and he my right hand man, well dog in this case, he retrieved each one on its own merit to hand beautifully, I was rather proud of him right there.

Each shot I took he was literally up on his claws awaiting the order to fetch, he had sight marked each rabbit before I had even told him too, even the disappointing look on his face when I occasionally missed, it was almost like him saying if you miss again, I will do the shooting and the retrieving Boss, such a funny intelligent little character is this little dog with the heart of a lion.

Over the course of the next week I went there three times, each hunt very different, but each time Goose and I had a good bag of rabbits, saw some amazing sights like the pair of carrion crows who have set up home in the Ash Tree chasing off the pair of Buzzards who like the Yew Tree, both sets of birds defending their area fiercely, that really was wonderful to watch, a sparrowhawk hunting the hedge tops taking the odd song bird etc, as the dusk fell the Tawney Owls calling to each other and one landing above me in the tree, a Roe Doe and followers tip toeing along the hedge line behind me none the wiser goose and I were there.​

The final night I started dealing with the rabbits and got a nice bag of rabbits, all of which were paunched out, skinned and butchered and given to some local OAPs that had asked me for some rabbit meat, their pensions don't go far and fresh rabbit goes a long way with these wonderful people, of course I kept some back for myself and Goose as we fancied my famous KFR that's Kentucky Fried Rabbit to you muckers, I was also given by said OAPs some wonderful preserves, pickled eggs and onions, oh and a wonderful hand made Coffee and Walnut Cake, as we say a fair exchange is no robbery, the old country barter system is alive and well here I telle, for like all of us we like to give for what receive.

​I also took along the ole fox stopper the 223 on this final hunt, the horse lady also keeps rare breed fowl and she was getting hit by a fox, so after paunching out the rabbits in a bucket I placed said bucket out near the hen houses, from my elevated position this gave me the perfect back stop, as night fell the world came alive to sounds of owls and a vixen calling, I mounted the Night Pearl Seer 35 onto the front of my scope thus turning it into a Thermal Scope, sat and waited and spotted with The Night Pearl Scops Max III Thermal Spotter, like a moth to a flame this vixen wind scented the bucket of rabbit guts and came running, I wish I could write a wonderful story of how this fox gave me the slip and I tracked her and brought her to justice, alas I cannot, she literally came straight to the bucket, I put the cross hairs on and she fell to the shot, it was that easy and text book and I bet I was not there for more than half an hour, sometimes this new equipment makes it too easy, I still love to lamp the old school way and will be doing some traditional lamping etc with the NEW Helios UK lamps very soon, but where this Night Pearl Thermal comes into its own are those really tricky switched on foxes or finding things in cover etc, so as with everything, all the gadgets have their place, but nothing and I mean nothing beats time learned field craft and mastering your art.

Air Arms Rats.​

Again we start out on one of those bitterly cold, wet style cold afternoons, like I said the ones that get right in to your bones and freezes you to your very core, the photos and videos that are accompanying this article will tell you of the clothing and equipment I am wearing or using, but as a point of note, the rifle of choice this time is the mighty Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sporter, mounted upon my Gen 3 Primos Trigger Sticks, with the Night Pearl Seer 35 Thermal front add on scope and the Night Pearl Scops Max III thermal spotter, the ammunition of choice was as always the awesome pin point accurate Air Arms Field Diablo pellets in 5.52, those Scaly Tailed Ratticuss never knew what hit them.

I was called in Professionally to very large grain mill, it was right next to a main road, at the back there was a huge embankment of top soil etc, this was from the footings they had dug out from the building of the new grain mill, nice soft soil perfect for burrowing into, as always nettles and the likes had taken over this embankment too, a perfect environment for a rat infestation as drainage ditches ran along the sides of this client property too, I was called in to asses this infestation as I am the main pest controller on two of their other sites, plus begin a management plan on this site too, I could ssee as soon as I got there in the afternoon rats running for cover, Goose my cocker spaniel loves catching rats and indeed had nailed 2 medium size rats before we had gotten around to the main embankment, using the Night Pearl thermal Spotter I could see into the undergrowth, the embankment lit up like a Christmas tree with the body heat of all the rats, blimey this was going to be a big job this one.

Later that afternoon with the help of another mucker we started getting into these rats, it was still daylight but heading to dusk, by golly this thermal equipment mounted on this awesome Air Arms Air Rifle made short work of these Scaly Tailed Ratticuss infestation, rat after rat fell as we continued into the night, by the time we had to stop due to being exhausted we had used an entire tin of pellets and almost emptied my reserve divers tank of air, Goose enjoyed helping us retrieved all the rats too, we went back the next afternoon for another clear up and a couple of hours shooting, the farm manager is going to get the farm staff to strim off the entire embankment at my request, to make the shooting easier and the retrieval easier, I will say that was some fine rat shooting there, putting some top of the range equipment to the test, proving this gear is worth every penny spent on it and comes with The Ole Hedge Creepers Thumbs Up Seal of Approval, if you want any of this gear mentioned go over to The Out Post Shop on The Really Wild Adventures website link www.reallywildadventures.co.uk you wont be disappointed I telle.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my humble scribbles as much as I have remembering them and writing about the, well until next time may I take this opportunity to wish you to stay safe and well, with Straight Barrels and Dry Powder.

Eley Rabbits & Air Arms Rats
Night Pearl Joins The Team

By The Ole Hedge Creepers
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
www.reallywildadventures.co.uk





 *photos for illustration purposes only*