As Spring Approaches

As Spring Approaches

What a truly awesome month this has been, such a varied month too, it only seems like last night I wrote the last article, not a month ago, my Pappy (Grandfather) always said as you get older my boy time slips by way too fast like the flowing of the trout stream, by golly I now know what he meant.

First off I want to tell you of some of the awesome events we have going on over at Pass It On Young Sports, of course you all remember we re launched the Scotland Branch this year, we have two events on in April 2023, one here in England and one in Scotland, then another here in England in October of 2023 as well as all the shows we are doing and the weekly Air Rifle Ranges, look at the posters below for more information of go over to our website where you will find all you need and more www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk just click on the link or type it onto your browser.

Blimey where to start this month, I suppose with a wonderful roost shoot with my Ole Dad, he bought a new over and under 20 bore at The British Shooting Show 2023 from my good friend David at The Oxford Gun Company, so I arranged for him to join me on the estate to shoot some roosting pigeons coming up off of the winter wheat, this was extra special as we sat on the memorial bench my brother and I built for my Nan and Pappy as this looks right across the valley right towards their house, god rest their beautiful Souls, Goose and Tess our spaniels were also there for the retrieving, I don't know it just not feel right to shoot without my dog at my side, the flight was non stop and the birds flew strong in to the pine plantation, hmmmm lets just say the shot count was higher than the birds bagged, but none the less we kept the dogs busy and Dad and I made some new memories whilst chatting about old ones and smiling, this really was a father and son bonding session.

I was heading up with my co lecturer David a squirrel control training and trapping course here in Bristol this month, we were fully subscribed as soon as the course went live, we are backed by some of the top names in the business for Red Squirrel Conservation and Grey Squirrel Control, just look at the names on the poster for the Hampshire one we have coming up, this is also a Lantra backed course, this was one of the best courses we had ever done here in Bristol and I very much enjoyed doing it with David.

As always I have been targeting The Grey Squirrels hard (non native invasive species), not only are they destroying our ancient forests and broad leaf trees with their ring barking etc, they are also a direct reason for the decline in our song bird populations and ground nesting birds as well as eating the eggs/young and adult birds alike, they are also destroying our Owl population especially our Tawney Owls, as well they are a direct cause of the almost extinction of our Native Red Squirrels with the squirrel pox they carry, harmless to The Grey Squirrel but deadly to our Native Red Squirrel who die a most horrific painful death, so you can see why it is so important to control these grey invaders.

As I wrote last month my pheasant feeders have been getting hit hard by the squirrels, I have taken a couple of novices out and sat them in the hide and taught them how to shoot squirrels to a feeder, again with trapping I find this to be the very best methods, but I will say that little single barrel 20 bore I carry with me in the woods always accounts for a great many and this month is different to that, as per the one in the photo, Goose my Cocker Spaniel chased it up the tree from the feeder, I dropped it with one swift shot from this feisty little gun and goose retrieved it, it was that text book I simply could not write more about it apart from saying Goose and I have this method working as a team nailed.

Above one of our native Red Squirrels dying a ghastly death after contracting The Grey Squirrel Pox.

Above a non native to the UK Grey squirrel eating an adult song bird.

Last month I wrote about a nostalgic photograph of my Dad, Uncle Dave and Myself some 30 years apart, this actually started a bit of a ball rolling, I received a wonderful photo from my Brother, who had got it from an old school friend, this photo is approx 1982 so over 40 years old, the stories we have swapped since and memories have flooded back of a fantastic child hood, the funny thing that two of us in the photo are now Freemasons which I think is great.

As many know I am a Freemason and I head up The Somerset Branch of The Masonic Fishing Charity www.mtsfc.org.uk just recently we held a wonderful days Trout and Course Fishing for a local SEN school, this was a huge hit as we pay for everything and put on a BBQ for lunch too, every young person caught a course fish and I made sure every single one of them and the teachers and helpers caught a Trout on The Fly too, today Fishing was Catching, look out for the full report coming soon, we also received cheques of donations from Woodspring Masonic Lodge 8791 and Wraxall Masonic Lodge 9011 both of which meet here in the Province of Somerset, without the support of Freemasonry and the general public we could not do these events, if you feel like donating to the charity or indeed volunteering drop us a line via our website, or indeed if you would like to know more about becoming a Freemason then go over to the Somerset Masonic Website: www.somersetfreemasons.org you will find all you need to know there, each Province/County has their own websites so youn can find out more generally over at www.ugle.org.uk that's The United Grand Lodge Of England.

Of course I still head up The Really Wild Adventures Marksmanship Team www.reallywildadventures.co.uk with my fellow Coaches and ROs, we help run the weekly Air Rifle ranges for Pass It On Young Sports, again click on their website link for more information in your area www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk there you will see the events page pay close attention to that.

Matt, Leighton and Myself on The Pass It On Young sports Range.

This leads me into my final part really well, as you can imagine teaching The Young Sports the wonderful art of Marksmanship and competitive target shooting, some want to try hunting, this I always give them a serious talk about, for hunting should always start with conservation at your core, now I run a professional pest control company, Really Wild Pest Control you can find this on my personal website www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk or over on my corporate business website www.reallywildadventures.co.uk now if I can I try to take out the odd Young Sport and Parent who I feel is worthy and showed the right attitude towards ethical pest control etc, just recently my dear old childhood friend Matt and I have got back in touch with each other, this is due to him wanting to start target shooting again, also this is something he wanted to do with his son Leighton, after a few weeks both father and son were right into it and now shooting in our inter club leagues, Matt decided to buy his son his own air rifle, this I assisted in as I own the local gun shop, you can find this on my website www.reallywildadventures.co.uk we are more than just a gun room, I had very large rat infestation job come in, this was on a 600+ year old farm house with an old orchard, I went during the day to have a recce and work out a plan of action, blimey it was like Swiss cheese or a colander I had never seen so many rat holes or indeed rats running about during the day, god knows how infested it was at night, contracts signed and I agreed with the client when I could start the ball rolling, this would need more than just shooting visits so I advised on trapping and other eco friendly approached to rat control.

​This first night was more a test the waters and get a better picture of how best to deal with the rat problem, I met Matt and Leighton there in the late afternoon early evening, still plenty of daylight left to get a feel for the place and get the boys in position, Matt was covering the compost heap, Leighton sat on a chair with my MK2 Primos Trigger Sticks with his new air rifle mounted on it covered the chicken pen end of the garage, whilst I 10 feet away covered the other end of the garage, I shot the first big sow rat whilst the client was talking to me, this pleased them greatly, I saw Leighton get don on his scope, his body language was like a cat ready to pounce, I knew he had a rat in his sights, I watched him do everything I taught him to do on the range, he squeezed the shot off, THAAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKKK I knew he hit the rat had as he let out a cheer and a YESSSSSSSSS as his arm went in the air, I know that's a memory he will never forget, we all remember our firsts, his dad and I walked over to congratulate the boy, a perfect head shot what a shot, I dont know who was more proud his Dad, Myself or Leighton, he was smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

As the dark fell I set the boys up with my old Nite Site Eagle and Wolf, both father and son taking rats in turn, I set up my awesome Air Arms TDR S510 with the Night Pear Seer 50 front add on Thermal Scope Using the Night Pear Scops Max III thermal spotter for spotting the rats, Matt and Leighton did well and the photos are of their part of the bag, I am saving my photos for the next Ratting Article I write, but lets just say a wheelbarrow was used to collect them all up and some mighty fine shooting was had all round I say, we left a very happy and satisfied client who has booked me again, so as The Terminator says I’ll Be Back.

This article is dedicated to my Young Sports and a Father and Son Bonding session both for Matt and Myself, I think we will be seeing more of Leighton in future article what do you think, I hope you have enjoyed reading my humble scribbles as much as I have had remembering and writing them, so until next time stay safe and well one and all.​

As Spring Approaches
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk