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The Air Around The Center Rim

20/6/2017

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              The Air Around The Center Rim
​                                    (The Tale Of The Game Pie)

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As a professional pest controller and land manager I get called out on some very interesting and often educational contracts, I use a multitude of guns and rifles and indeed air rifles for all my work, or as I like to call it using the correct hammer to hit the correct nail in the whole, I very rarely use poisons either, much preferring traditional trapping methods etc, for I believe the use of chemicals and poisons has such a damaging and often permanent effect on the environment/mother nature and all who live under her wing, no matter weather from the crawling ant to the mighty oak tree or the humble rabbit.​

Treating mother nature with total respect was how I was brought up as a countryman of the old school, so the use of poisons are a very rare method for me, although I am fully qualified to do so, I do use some poisons very rarely as a last resort when all other traditional methods have been exhausted, under very strict methods probably over strict on my part as I take best practice to a whole new level.
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Treating mother nature with total respect is something I pride myself on and how I teach the young sports or novice, something I am very disappointed and disgusted with at the moment are some of my (and I use the term very loosely) fellow field sportsmen, I have constantly seen on social media and you tube and the like in modern times a total disrespect not only for mother nature but also for their fellow countrymen and field sports in general, all the hard work to present what we do as a humane and ethical past time or profession, this is completely wiped away and showing us in a monstrous light as animal murderers and killers of the lowest order.​

I urge all my fellow countrymen to out cast these people for they bring you down to their wretched ghastly level for if you can treat an animal in such a way then you can treat a human the same, as countrymen and hunters you should stand for ethical and humane hunting with conservation being at your core belief and doing the greater good of finding the balance in nature.
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I was sickened to the core when sent a video and pictures from another fine countryman who was also fuming and sickened by what he had seen, the video in question was of a fellow in The North shooting rabbits with a 243 at 400 yards Vmax rounds, now the shot itself was a very good shot indeed and to achieve such a shot takes a great deal of skill and knowledge for mastering this craft, that said why shoot a humble bunny with a high velocity VMAX round from over 400 yards?!!! totally disrespecting your quarry and destroying the meat, I will tell you why!!! he has the my cock is bigger than your cock attitude and that has no place in field sports.

My disgust knows no bounds to these very poor excuses for human beings, I had to contact him, I explained I was not saying it was not a good shot but you are murdering and destroying animals in this case rabbits with high velocity calibers in the name of pest control and indeed field sports, you are not only giving the anti more ammunition to attack us but also alienating the general public that will only go to further legislation against us, also a total lack of respect for your quarry etc, I could write a book about this conversation etc, his words were its not illegal to blow up rabbits so I will carry on its pest control the foxes and corvids will eat what's left, for one its not pest control blowing up rabbits and two you are saying you are feeding other pests thus attracting more to that area, GRRRR my parting words were arguing with a fool only proves there are two and I left feeling more disgusted than I started the conversation feeling.
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For me the true and proper way to deal with your quarry is with respect, like I said use the right size hammer to hit the right size nail in the hole, by this I mean I would not use a 243 to shoot a rabbit, I would use a .22 rim fire or 17hmr for longer distance with a head shot only, or an air rifle either sub 12ft lb or fac rated one, you see there are more than enough calibers to use to deal with said quarry as there is for all quarry if you have the permission to do so, for me the real skill is stalking in as close as you can using time learnt traditional field craft so the quarry has no clue you are there, then after you have taken the shot using the adequate marksmanship qualities for a humane kill as in one clean and deadly head shot, then you take a breath knowing you have earned each and every shot as each stalk you took, now that’s proper skill  is it not? not blowing your quarry up there's no skill in that at all, now you have some fine fresh wild meat for the table, if you have too much wild meat, by this I mean you have more rabbits etc than you need then find a home for it, friends with ferrets dogs birds of prey all good out lets, or why not swap it with pensioners I often get baked lovely bread ginger cakes you name it the old barter system is alive and well in my house.
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I don’t want to go on anymore about how disgusted to my core I am of how some of my fellow human beings are treating animal etc, you know I could quite easily become an anti hunter after seeing that sort of treatment, if I were not properly educated from boyhood by real countrymen of the old school with conservation at the core of my training, as I am typing this my Uncle Dave has come in and saw the pictures and video etc, Uncle Dave being one of my childhood countrymen teachers who I have written about many times in my scribbles and books, I cannot write exactly what he said here but his disgust runs deeper than mine now and is awaiting a chat with these sorts of fellow, his words of what does he want to do next call in the RAF for an air strike and start the blitz off on those rabbits etc, those are the milder words, I have had to calm him down with a pint of my famous cider and gurt big slice of fresh from the oven game pie so that I can get back to this article later.
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Lets get out in the field and enjoy what I do the most as the more I write on the rabbit subject the more I feel disgusted, I am in charge of 7 deer herds with the ethical control of several species at its heart, keeping a healthy strong herd is vital for the eco systems said areas, I will tell you of a couple of Roe Buck stalks I had recently carried out.


Her lady ship on this South Somerset North Devon estate called me up to the big house to discuss the Roe Buck cull for this year, she really knows her stuff and knows every inch of this estate and the animals on it, we talked over the maps of the estate and reports from the tenant farmers and estate staff etc, reports of deer damage to crops were higher in some areas than in recent years, our thought on this was due to a housing estate that had been built and what with dog walkers etc they have pushed those deer further over, indeed I was already thinking much the same as I had been watching the deer numbers for several months now working out the cull and finishing the roe doe cull.​

First week of the Roe Buck season I had orders to take two roe buck out, now one was a basic simple little roe buck nothing special he was never going to be a big deer so a cull buck as we call them, the other not so, he was a high silver and one I suggested to leave for later as the cull season goes on, her ladyship was adamant he had to come out, I found out why, she was getting a lot of deer damage in the houses ornamental garden so she watched and stalked the deer to find out who the culprit was, as it turns it was this large roe buck attacking her gardens etc, her exact words in her well spoken strong voice was ROBERT THAT ROE BUCK WILL HAVE TO GO!!! so as I always I said yes Mam.
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The under keeper joined me to gain some experience in stalking larger game etc, the large roe buck I saw dosing in the long grass after feeding on the ornamental garden that morning, I glassed him from around 250 yards out and pondered how I was going to stalk him, I had to get round on the wind so he would not scent me I also had to get passed two doe grazing close to him and a multitude of other wildlife including a group of rabbits etc.


I whispered to the under keeper stay here watch my every move with your binoculars and learn how I do it, also watch the animals as I stalk in see how they react see how I become one with nature, I began the stalk not knowing exactly where I could take the shot as I had to get around a headland and a long running hedgerow along the woodland I had to stalk along, it was a very hot early morning, I had to literally stalk inch by inch 200 plus yards to get to where I thought I could get a humane shot, all this past other deer grazing rabbits and as it turned out a lot of black birds the alarms of the countryside.


Inch by inch I stalked, my heart beating from my chest all my senses fully alive and in tune with mother nature herself, I could feel my way my feet feeling every blade of crass stone or stick, from the corner of my eye I saw a male black bird I froze like a statue until he had gone about his business.


I stalked on as a wood pigeon above my head flopped out of the tree dropping down on the field to feed, again inch by inch I stalked on with sweat beading out all over me, 100 yards in and I freeze again as 2 rabbits start having a bust up, these bucks literally tearing strips off each other, they both run into my legs still fighting as I am frozen like a statue, one of them taking a rest lent against my boot, all this happening in almost complete silence with me as an onlooker at one with mother nature, they bolt off chasing each other, I take a moment to compose myself and reflect on the memory now made.


I stalk onwards right past a doe asleep in the long grass, I freeze my heart beating from my chest as my breathing lightens as she raises her head in a sleepy way, she licks the air sniffing scenting to see what's around her then lowers her head and dozes off, I stalk past as stealthily as fox stalking a rabbit with my eye on the goal.


Here I am 50 yards away from the Roe Buck sat dosing in the long grass on the hilly meadow, with no clear shot so no choice I have to stalk even closer, now really calling on every ounce of my field craft and knowledge, I had no choice I had to stalk in to 20 yards to get a clear safe shot, I don’t normally do head shots much preferring a heart and lung shot to the engine room, but alas this buck only presented a head shot, if I tried to make him stand he would bolt so no choice a head shot was all I could take, I steadied my sticks and took careful aim this is were you have to hold your nerve and be a surgeon with a precise shot almost on a 5p, I pushed the safety catch forward on my Browning 243 and squeezed off the shot, the Roe Buck fell with barely a twitch and I breathed a sigh of relief, I was literally soaked to the skin with sweat as the adrenaline coursed through my veins.​

The under keeper joined me in seconds for what had taken me over an hour to stalk took him less than 30 seconds to cover on the quad bike, his words were oh my god seriously I was transfixed watching you and the wildlife it was like watching TV and I was transfixed, watching you was like watching a cheetah stalk a gazelle on the plains of Africa, he was so excited as I sat down exhausted saying calm down boy and go retrieve Buck, the Roe Buck was a beauty and a shame to have taken him but her lady ship gave orders he had to come out,


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We loaded him up on the quad bike and took him back to the game larder for processing etc, Her ladyship came out and congratulated me on a job well done, the under keeper excitedly telling her the tail of the wild cat man(me) I did laugh.


I headed out again with the under keeper over to the other side of the estate as there was that small cull buck still to come out, I stalked around to what I call the hill ground that led to the valley meadow knowing where this young buck hung around, I sent the young keeper off for a stalk on the headland to see if he could get onto a young roe buck I glassed, alas it was a long stalk but great knowledge to be gained for this young keeper, unknowingly to the young keeper he stalked right past several doe asleep in the long meadow glass, they stood up looked at him saw no danger walked round in a circle then lay back down for a snooze, the young keeper had no idea of any of this as I watched him from the gateway with my stalking binoculars.


He started to stalked back to tell me his tale, I heard a noise I looked down a squirrel had literally ran up to me not noticing me at all and went about scratching his nuts. I laughed as he looked up at me with his jaw dropping, he hopped up on a fence post looking at me in disbelief the look on his face was priceless and the full story I will tell you over a cider at a game fair one day so ask me if you see me, the young keeper said was that a squirrel by your boot I laughed and said yes, he shook his head and said mucker I swear you are Dr Doolittle.


I laughed and said come on lad I am going to sit in my high seat you can go for a stalk around the hill grounds, blimey as I sat there in the high seat that squirrel joined me, the look on his face was like are you following me around as we came eye to eye and he fell off my high seat, I burst into hysterics as I sat there for its only when you become one with nature you get such moments, I got down as the light was getting to what I call the witching hour to a deer stalker, those that stalk a lot will know what I mean and those that don’t ahhh well you will only learn this with experience.


I met the young keeper by the woodlands edge as he came stalking along, I said you take the low ground I will take the high ground, the Roe buck came out with about 20 mins of the stalk left, I stalked out a simple stalk right out on the hill and took him from 75 yards off the sticks with a perfect engine room shot, quad loaded her ladyships orders filled duty done.
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I did several rabbit hunts with air rifles and rim fire rifles that month too, I will do a whistle stop bit on that as this has turned into a long article, I headed out on a new contract, this agricultural contract was 100 acres but with a 1000 acres to have if I did a good job.


I decided to use a sub 12ft lb Daystate Regal Huntsman with pcp air rifle in 22, I mounted the new Optisan scope from my ole Mucker Carl At Solware of Tamworth gun shop, I telle I stalked in as close as I could on these rabbits as the race horses were quite jumpy, I used this gun because it had the Hugget Moderator system on and is whisper quiet.


This scope is awesome speak to Carl up at Solware for the one he sent me you can see a fly blink at a 100 yards, I bagged up on the rabbits and the horses never heard a sound.
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The next contract I had to do was on a sports ground with a major rabbit problem, this place was huge with no cover so I opted for the 17hmr just incase I needed a little more range, for a change I went traditional with a Night Master Venom green pill scope mounted lamp on.


I was going to use the NiteSite Eagle Rtec but was more in the mood to try the old school method, I am glad I did as I really enjoyed myself pitting myself against the weary quarry, I must admit I still do enjoy traditional lamping and again I did very well on the rabbits,
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The Last contract I did that month was on a vintage farming museum that also kept rare breed cattle and sheep, the report was the rabbits are eating more grass than the live stock, location dictated it was an fac air rifle job one for the distance of shot but also the close proximity of vintage farming machinery.


I must admit the Air Arms Galahad was the gun for the job on this one, the day was so hot I thought I was going to melt, I picked some field mushrooms and shot a wood pigeon on a water trough almost straight away, a couple of hours passed and the rabbits started to come out, I bagged two nice fresh bunnies in no time.
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then a call came I had to go as a fox was trapped in a hen house on one of my poultry contracts, I will go back to that rabbit job a few days later, I had some lovely ingredients for a rabbit and pigeon pie with a wild field mushroom gravy, I got to admit that was an awesome pie well earned and enjoyed by me and Uncle Dave over a cider or three after calming him down and him giving me a lecture, the lecture he gave me as a boy about treating all quarry with respect even the rats, I hope you have enjoyed this long rambling story and sorry to go on a bit at the start but its something I feel passionately about,

Until the next time proper job mucker.

By The Ole Hedge Creeper

www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
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Pass It On Young Sports The Range Of The Taster Day

19/6/2017

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Here at Pass it on Young Sports it is our ethos to quite literally pass our love of field sports on to the next generation, easy to sum up but not so easy to put into practice, the obstacles, the administration, the organisation, equipment, volunteers with skills, etc., etc., I could go on at some length! To describe it as an uphill journey is to understate the drive and passion it takes to make our taster days happen, let alone become the popular success they have become with last Sunday’s event (11th June 2017) being one of the busiest and best yet, attendance was in the hundreds on this lovely sunny Sunday (if a little blowy!) and the families who spared the time to take an interest in country sports were rewarded with an array of activities to try, air rifles, trout and course fishing, archery, bush craft and wild cooking, ferrets, gun dogs as well as the animals at our regular host site, Jackland's Fishing Lakes in Nailsea.​
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​Feedback through our Facebook groups has been fantastic, parents are still amazed sometimes that their youngsters can be interested in new exciting pastimes in the great outdoors, but for me there is more to it than just the smiles on the kids’ faces as they hook a fish for the first time or knock down the ducks on the air rifle range, we’re passing on an understanding of country ways and showing them a real food story, food doesn’t just come in
cellophane, it can be caught, killed and cooked on the spot (well the camp fire!) in a matter of minutes, even the fussiest of eaters can’t deny how delicious a fresh trout is, cooked over an open fire, moist and flaky, falling from the bone with a lightly smoked flavour, and very few of the youngsters shy away from the understanding that the fish they caught became food. 
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​There is also a responsibility to giving a child in interest in shooting of any type, but particularly with air rifles due to their accessibility and ease of use, we have long taken the serious nature of gun training and youngsters to heart and our instructors are very firm on the safe use of air weapons, we have to get across an important message in a short time to a very young audience but I am always impressed with how the young sports respond to the training and respect what they are told and adapt their behaviour very quickly. It is extremely warming to understand that these youngsters, who we often hear such terrible things of, are capable of responsibility and discipline when it matters. Quality training at an early age is, in this writer’s opinion, the very best way to improve gun safety in society while offering participants the opportunity to partake in a sport which is great fun and can last a lifetime.
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​For some time now we at Pass It On have felt that we needed to take things further, move the interest on, reel the youngsters and parents in (if you will forgive the fishing analogy) get them hooked (….again!), so we have worked long and hard to open an air rifle and air pistol shooting range to give access to shooting for all ages. We had our second evening on Tuesday (13th June) at the Ring ‘O Bells in Nailsea, where I was thrilled to see some of the same faces from the Taster
Day the previous Sunday amongst the crowds, I love it when a plan comes together!
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​The buzz was amazing, with shooters of all ages mingling and supporting each other, Grandad's teaching their grandchildren, Dads and daughters or sons, coaches and kids all enjoying the sport I love, with a shared enthusiasm and friendly competition. The recurring story of the evening was that the adults had a long since abandoned air rifle in a cupboard that they had dug out to bring for the evenings shooting, now pressed back into service to share the sport with the younger family members, the oldest was a springer from the 1930’s right up to the latest electronic bull pup rifle. It’s great to see forgotten pleasures rekindled and shared.
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It was more than simply shooting, it was clear a new bond was being formed between the youngsters and adults which is lacking from so many areas of life, thoroughly rewarding for all the volunteers who make this possible, without whom we could not put on these events, they bring skills, knowledge, equipment and endless patience, giving their time (and often at some cost) to Pass It On! Together they really do inspire!

Chris Park. pr officer for Pass It On Young Sports
www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk/
 
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Pass It On Young Sports The Extended Range

8/6/2017

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The Pass It On Young Sports rifle range opened last night, Tuesday 23rd May, at 6pm and with nervous anticipation we opened the doors of the skittle alley at the Ring-O-Bells in Nailsea, to be met with a crowd of excited young faces accompanied by their mums & dads!

​Each of the four range lanes was full in no time and we were off, the young sports using a selection of air rifles from our sponsors, Air Arms (410 TDR), Walther (AR20ft) and East Midlands Regional Range (Walther AR20) as well as our own selection of range rifles.
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​Our team of instructors were kept busy coaching the novice shooters basic gun safety and firearm use, helping them get to grips with air rifles and on target, quickly and safely, using the equipment and targets provided by Jack Pyke as well as the immensely useful Idle-back shooting chair, which provides fantastic support and comfort for novice, experienced and the less able shooter, whilst the more experienced shots were able to enter competitions and hone their skills with advice on technique and target acquisition to improve their skills whilst having fun.
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As the youngsters and families departed for the evening with big smiles and some with Air Arms goody bags for first class shooting, Harrison Patience winning the Air Arms junior high score competition with a score of 200/250, the balance of the evening changed a little with the adult session beginning at 8pm for target practice, zeroing and friendly competitions with the instructors available for advice and coaching on all aspects of shooting, as well as offering shooters a chance to try the range of air rifles available in addition to using their own sub 12 FPE air rifles.
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The smiling faces, complimentary comments and repeat bookings are truly rewarding and no small indication that we are on the right track in providing a family and junior focused shooting facility alongside the regular Pass It On Young Sports Taster Days, where we encourage and support youngsters into field sports, air rifle and air pistol shooting in a safe, fun and responsible way. The messages of support and encouragement continue to pour in and the upcoming dates will fill up fast, so early booking is advised for the next sessions, dates of which are published on the ranges Facebook page, contact the Pass It On secretary for bookings.
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On behalf of Pass It On Young Sports, enormous thanks to our host, Dave Green at the Ring-O-Bells, and sponsors Jack Pyke, Air Arms, Walther, Solware Ltd., East Midlands Regional Range, Idle-back, Really Wild Adventures, Park Property Services and the volunteers who man this worthy venture, without all of their support we would not be able to provide this great facility to inspire the shooters and sporting ambassadors of tomorrow!

The youngsters are the future of the field sports we all love.

TOGETHER WE CAN INSPIRE.

www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk

​By Chris Park PIO Publicity Officer


futer range dates below or contact us for more details through our website.
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    To my Haters & Stalkers, I am a Lion not a Sheeple, my advice is to not poke the Sleeping Lion, for if you awake me from my slumber you will hear me ROAR, then you will find yourself staying at Her Majesty's pleasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

    About the Archive

    As you will all know I am a busy boy and I am asked post articles and review on behalf of lots people in lots of different places.

    The images and photos are for illustration purposes only, they may not be of the actual day/article or location in question or even at the same venue, for client/venue sensitivity,data protection and often location or contract legalities, we may use a stock photo at our discretion, The main place to find most of my articles is of course the 
    Countrymans Diary Magazine.

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    This Archive is a central location of all those pearls of wisdom I have let loose on the World, whilst its not bang up to date the knowledge contained in here is worth its weight in gold.

    Feel free to share this information its all free and it my pleasure to Pass It On.

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