And That's A Wrap Folks

And That's A Wrap Folks
​ The Show Season Is Over for 2023

Well where has the 2023 Country Sports Show Season gone, one moment its January and were preparing to head to Las Vegas and the Shot Show, the next thing I know its the end of September and I am finishing off with The Yorkshire Shooting Show in Doncaster Yorkshire England.​

Of course I am flat out busy with my pest control, being a game keeper, a Freemason, running two organisations, my corporate work and being a town councillor just to name a few things I have going on, I will get back to some of this later in this article.

Well I suppose I should start with The Frampton Show, I really love this show, its only a one day show that really should be a two day show, I have done this show for man years, I should not have gone really as I was very ill, I had reacted to some new medication my doctor had put me on, but I made a promise many years ago I will never let the Young Sports down and I wont well unless I am in a box that is, the last two years I have had to split my team as it clashes with the welsh game fair, so half my team go there and I do the Frampton Show, its only half hour from my front door.​

This show I was back in the main ring The Countryman’s ring with my hilarious stand up decoying show, this year I just did the wildfowling show, as last year I had a skein of Canada geese trying to land in the show ring with my decoys, this year they came across but as they were entering the area Ginge from the Gloucester Wildfowlers let his punt gun off, they vacated the area pretty quickly as you can imagine, but all my show demos were packed right out with kids and ladies joining in and rapturous applause from the crowds that surrounded the show ring, the video that's at the bottom of this article really sums up what a great show this is and my demos how entertaining they are so have a watch.

My pest control is flying I am really struggling to keep up with it all, I am two members of staff short so I am having to cover them too, all my other lads are over booked too, Pigeon Shooting and more, Pass It On Young Sports Ambassador Dom joined me on a feral pigeon job with the ole Mossberg hush power 4,10, the boy really enjoyed his time with his old mentor, I was recently called out to a very old customer of mine, he had tried everything to protect his free range flock of rare fowl, its cost him a fortune in electric fencing etc but still the foxes attack and find their way in, I was asked could I pop along and deal with the situation.

I got there in daylight and tracked the area, found out where the foxes were coming from and put myself right on their path, there was an 8 feet wall they were getting on and avoiding the electric fence, this has now been electrified too, as dark started to fall I heard a vixen calling in the distance, I was set up by the orchard at the bottom of a very large hill, I set up the old 243 fox stopper loaded with a 58grn VMax Norma round my favourite lead aspirin that cures any fox from its addiction to my clients fowl.

I set up the Night Pear Seer front thermal add on to my scope and powered up the Night Pear the Night Pearl Scops Max III thermal spotter, the night drew in and the first fox appeared at the top end of the hill ground, he was a huge dog fox I though it was someone's German Sheppard to start with he was that big, this fox showed no interest in coming this way at all, so unless it was attacking the live stock I will leave them well alone, actually I really enjoyed watching him go about his business mousing and eating worms etc, I must of watched him for an hour before he disappeared the way he came showing no interest in the flock what so ever.​

Right on queue from where the dog fox came and went a much smaller fox appeared, I judged this to be a vixen just by the way she moved, now this fox had a completely different idea in mind, she was in full attack mode, right on track like an arrow straight at the flock on the line I had tracked earlier that day, on she came 300 yards, 200 yards, 100 yards, as 80 yards I stopped her with a bark, she paused too late my cross hairs were already on her engine room, I would love to write it was a spectacular shot made in a good wind, but no it was pretty text book really, crack and thump and she was down humanely dispatched.

I next found myself in Doncaster Yorkshire for the Yorkshire Shooting show and game fair, again I really love this show, its run by lovely people, the show is awesome and has everything for the hunting, shooting, fishing man and more, I was in the main ring both days and my wildfowling demos are lved as always, Northern people really are lovely folk, Whitby's fish and chips never disappoint and the boys and myself had some wonder food and drink in there too, the video again really does this show justice so take a look at the bottom of this article.

We finish off with a night hunter evening here in my beloved Somersetshire and at the Rifleman Gun Shop and Ranges in Langport Somerset, I had arrange for Night Pear to be there along side all the other top brands, I was there as the UKs Brand ambassador with my side kick Jamie, this was a fabulous event, a wonderful burger waggon served food and hot and cold drinks, the shop was open so not only could you try all the products, but try before you buy too, I could not help myself and do a rabbit squeal and say FOX, to which point every one jumped on the spotters, scopes, lamps going where is the FOX, I chuckled and said too late you needed a Night Pearl to see the Ghost Fox, I just cant help it my sense of humour will get me in trouble one day.

Night Pearl gave me their latest Day/Night Scope the Felis, I have put it on to the awesome Air Arms S510 TDR, Night Pearls remit is they want me to use it on rabbits and rats, the next day I had some jobs come in on and agricultural education centre, I am very impressed with this scope ad look forward to really getting to grips with it to see what it really can do where the metal meets the meat, again look at the video at the bottom of this article as it will give you a better idea more than I can write.

Well I hope you have enjoyed my humble scribbles, I will catch you all next month with the next set of adventures with The Ole Hedge Creeper’​

And That’s A Wrap Folks
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk

Oh we have this wonderful Celebration of the countryside day just South of Bristol on the 15th of October 2023, full details on the poster above.