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It’s Just A Dog

12/12/2018

It’s Just A Dog
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

It is with the heaviest of hearts I find myself writing this small tribute to the best friend I could have ever had, this is one reason why I have not written a single article over the last couple of month, after a long battle with cancer, my best mate and constant hunting companion Brook lost her her last battle to that terrible disease, just the thought of my girl set me off in floods of tears, let alone looking at the thousands of pictures videos and memories made with one of the best dogs that ever owned me, that's right you read that correctly she owned me not the other way around, I have tears rolling down my face right now writing this and remembering all the amazing times we spent together both on the hunting fields and off, although I am still very active out in the hunting field at the moment it just does not have the same feel too it, I miss my girl more than words or pictures could say, there is one light Brook left behind for me and that’s to train Dad’s young springer spaniel Tess, I find myself more patient now days more mellow I suppose in the training of this young dog, Brook I hardly had to train as she had 6 generations of her family to guide her and help me shape her into the fine lady she became, we will get to that later in this tribute to Brook and indeed her awesome bloodline.

IT’S JUST A DOG are the words I have heard from several people over the last few months when they ask why I look so somber, I think the fire in my eyes and that I no longer bother with those people or even acknowledge them gave them my answer to IT’S JUST A DOG, so I will go some way to explain how I feel about all my animals not just my Dog’s but Ferrets too, you see for me they are family first every bit as much as my own children, working partners second, so when they say IT’S JUST A DOG they may as well say IT’S JUST A CHILD for my heart knows no difference.

The day I buried Brook on that wet windy November Tuesday my heart broke, high on that Somerset hill she is buried with her ancestors overlooking the valley she hunted so well, they can all watch us hunt and some times I shoot that little wooded out crop to remember them, I put her headstone in position and fired some shots over her, I often look out to the hill when feeding my birds on the shoot and smile with a tear in my eye, not just remembering Brook but also her family, Hollie (grandmother) Kira (mother) Bracken (Father) Bailey(aunty) and Gyp the crazy lakeland terrier, all who have owned my heart and worked so hard together as a family and a hunting pack, So when you people said to me IT’S JUST A DOG you have no idea what my animals mean to me, for they all have left paw prints on my heart.

Lady Brook Of Birdcombe was born in the spring of 2008, Lady Kira of Birdcombe was her mother and Big Bad Captain Bracken of Birdcombe was her father, Lady Hollie of Birdcombe was her grandmother and the first Labrador that I ever had in my kennels, she was a mighty fine dog too and taught her grand daughter well before she left me several years ago.
Brook was born dead and the runt of the litter, someone who will remain nameless said its dead and a runt don’t bother with it, again the fire in my eyes gave them their answer, I worked on her for half an hour keeping her warm under my arm breathing up her nose and massaging her, she gave a squeak and came round, I have never lost a pup yet I said and I am not going to start now without a fight to save her, that little runt with the heart of a lion came on stronger and stronger by the day, she was the shortest legged Labrador I had ever seen, she used to fight her way in to a teat right under the bigger stronger pups, I said right from the start that’s the one I am keeping she is a fighter that little runt with the heart of a lion.

Top pic Kira with her litter Brook is on the teat, baby Brook next couple of pics, Kira(mother) Hollie (grandmother) Baby brook all together in the pen, Gyp the crazy lake land terrier with my son Ryan and then Bailey(Auntie) last Pic Bracken (Father) right Brook left 2 years old, were at the pub next to the shoot after a long hot days dogging in my birds and Ole bracken showing his daughter how its done. and that was our family that was our hunting pack.

The weeks ticked on and at about 6 weeks old the pups would get free run of my garden to play and stretch their legs etc, mush to Kira’s annoyance as she tried to keep them herded up, all the pups would ruff and tumble and play, but Brook was always more serious even at that age, she would play for a short while get the better of a bigger litter mate then come and sit by my heel, something she never grew out of where ever I went she was by my side, I used to go off hunting with Bracken/Hollie & Baily but not Brook she was too young, Brook would sit by the kennel gate for hours waiting for us to come back even as a small puppy, so when all her litter mates went at 8 weeks old she was eased into the pack, Bracken was very patient with her constantly hanging off his tail it was a bit like watching the lion King when Simba wanted his Dad to show him the whole kingdom, he used to climb up on top of my patio table to get away from her, Ole Hollie just mothered her to bits as always she was such a brilliant dog, Kira and Baily always tried to avoid her constant playing as they were a bit grumpy and lazy at times and just liked chilling out under the apple tree unless we were going out hunting that was.

As time went on and she got bigger still sitting by the kennel door waiting for us to come back from being out in the field, I decided to take her along with us to just sit in the hide on a lead and watch her parents etc do their work of retrieving the shot pigeons, you know right from the start she sat there quiet as mouse copying her parents, I remember ole bracken looking down at her with that grand look he used to give, then looking up at me I swear with a wink saying hey boss that’s my kid, I have so many wonderful pictures of them all over the years, alas Brook was the last of her line, I got divorced by the time she was a year old, that you can read about in my second book, but just to say all the dogs died off over the years and I just could not breed from Brook as we were living back with my parents now and just did not have the room for more dogs or even a litter of pups, I only ever bred a litter to keep a pup so by the time I could have had a litter Brook was too old, such a shame in many ways as she would of made a wonderful mother and she would of left me a working partner too.

Looking back through the thousands of pictures I have and memories I just don’t know where to start with the stories of this amazing little runt of the litter with the heart and soul of a lion, in fact when I announced on social media Brook had passed away, I had hundreds of messages and notifications from all the folks that we had worked with, clients who we have coached and Brook had retrieved for, Brook was one of the most written About/Photographed and best loved dogs on the planet, I had forgotten exactly how vast the work Brook and I had done together, condolences and stories still coming in to this day, the latest being only 2 months before she died, we had clients out pigeon shooting in Shropshire, Brook was helping clear up as he always did, She learnt this from her Grand Mother Hollie, basically Brooks job that she had in her head was she had to collect all the dead birds and put them in a pile by the hide, whilst we collected all the decoys and took the hide down, nothing in the world would stop her that was her job, I telle I miss her now just for that alone, now after feeling she had done her bit she would sit by the pile to protect it from any thieves that would try and steal her bounty, the only thing that would draw her away from her pile of dead birds was food, typical Labrador I hear you say, the lady client we had out shooting had some doughnuts in her bag by the hide, now Brooks keen nose soon sniffed those out and you know what happened next, Brook though it was her duty to relieve her of said doughnuts as a payment for all her hard work, much the laughter of the ladies husband, the lady had great pleasure in telling me the full story on face book, I smiled and had a tear at the same time, that little dog really had a sense of humor oh the stories I could tell you.

For me she was my mate, my baby girl, I now find myself all alone with out a constant companion, I may get another dog in the futer but for now Dad’s young Tess has some big working boots to fill.

This year Brook had a major operation and I though she had bounced back to a full recovery alas it only gave me a few extra months, but I will say those extra months were filled with magnificent hunts amazing flushes and momentous retrieves as she was her old self again, I also think she knew she was not long for this world so put extra effort in to teaching young Tess some lessons to stand her in good stead to work with me as a partner.

I will tell you of 2 retrieves she did 1 before her operation and 1 this season, its late January of 2018 almost the end of the wildfowling season, Dad and I are out Rough Shooting then we went wildfowling, Dad flushed a sword of duck from a ditch, he dropped a fine green head Mallard Drake in the long grass on the meadow, Tess was first on the scene she was all round where it had dropped, by the time I got there across the far field with Brook by my side the duck was lost, Brook perused the area, the young dog going round in circles adamant the duck was there, Brook had that look in her eye and was off leaving the young dog standing, she made a perfect line for the ditch into the water and followed a scent trail along the waters edge to a hole in the bank, Dad taking the micky ahhh she is after a rat or something, I knew my dog and knew to trust her, she dug for 45 mins and pulled out a winged green head mallard, now that's a testament to how brilliant she was at her job and why we made such a great team, also remember this was only 1 week before a major operation, that dogs determination and true grit along with experience proved to me she really was the very best, as I told Dad you have to learn to listen to what your dogs and what they are telling you, alas I think that fell on deaf ears, for I am trying to train Dad and his springer, I think I will just stick to training the dog.

The Next retrieve was just one month before she died, funnily enough it was on the same farm as the other retrieve, I decided to take Brook and Tess out for a stretch of the legs, I was not there to really to shoot more to train the young dog and give Brook a bit of fresh air, we had just cut the maize crop the day before and there were maize cobs everywhere, I took the ole single barreled 10 bore out for a walk loaded with double magnum bismuth's just in case a skein of geese flew over as we are quite close to the fore shore just there, you never know your luck in a big town, how many times have you gone out without the gun and could of bagged the shot of a life time, Brook was happy picking up the cobs and eating them like sweet corn something she loved to do since she was a puppy copying ole Bracken, she found a really big full one and carried it with us, I spotted an old green head mallard in a ditch and thought this would make a nice flush for the young dog, I cocked the hammer back on the 10 bore thinking why not I could just eat some pan seared duck breast for tea, I sent Tess on and she flushed the drake from my left to my right about 35 yards out, I swung through pulled the trigger got blinded from all the gun powder smoke and almost cork screwed from the re coil into the ground, the duck dropped stone dead onto the far bank, Tess jumped the ditch and just stood there looking at it, this was her first time seeing a dead duck on her own let alone trying to retrieve it, Brook just looked at me as if to say go get it yourself I got my cob I am carrying, I sent Brook out much to her disgust, you know she crossed the water climbed the ditch and gave the young dog a very disgusted look, she put her maize cob down next to the the duck retrieved it to hand and went back for her cob, I just started laughing I told you that dog had a sense of humor, she came back and gave me a look as if to say you shoot any more and I am going back to the car with my maize cob, I so miss that little dog I could tell you tales all day about brilliant flushes and amazing retrieves, eye wiping dogs that were supposed to be field trial champions and being offered thousands for her by other hunters after they knew her pedigree, like I told one fellow who offered me double figures for her, Pal you don’t have enough money in the world for me to consider selling her, that would be like selling one of my own children.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing just a little about Lady Brook Of Birdcombe my amazing little runt of the litter with the Lion Heart, Brook slipped away in the early hours of a Tuesday morning in early November of 2018, she has left a legacy behind that in my eyes will never be forgotten, as have all the other dogs that have owned me and all leaving paw prints on my heart, I know they all wait for me over the Rainbow Bridge waiting for me come on, so all that’s left to say, if you are of the opinion my dog or your dog, IT’S JUST A DOG then I don’t need you in my life, for you are not my sort of person.

IT’S JUST A DOG
A Tribute to Lady Brook Of Birdcombe

By The Ole Hedge Creeper.

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The Rhodes To My Greek Adventure

20/10/2018

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The Rhodes To My Greek Adventure.
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

After a gruelling show season that started way back in February at the British Shooting Show 2018 and a really busy Pass It On Young Sports year, this coupled with running my my corporate company Really Wild Adventures (www.reallywildadventures.co.uk) and keeping my pest Control Company going its been a really hard year this year, both physically and mentally with youth no longer on my side its a bit harder to get going in the early mornings now, or as mother says, boy you cant keep burning the candle at both ends, your not getting any younger.

So I finished my last show up in Yorkshire at the South Yorkshire Game Fair at Doncaster at the very end of September 2018, I came home initiated my father into freemasonry, got up the very next morning and jumped aboard a plane and headed out to Rhodes in Greece for a well deserved bit of R&R and to also follow in some masonic foot steps and visit the Grand Masters Palace of the Knights Templar.

I arrived very late on the Wednesday evening, so after a cheeky G&T from the bar I headed to my room to get my head down, blimey it was like being in a sauna, but being as tight as ducks backside I did not pay for the air con, I finally passes out and awoke several hours later, the view from my balcony was quite simply magnificent from on top of the hill just above the hidden village of Afandou, this wonderful little family hotel is owned by Tasos, I am now very good friends with him and his son Niko who hired me a great little car at a good rate, the hotel is called the Rhoda Star I telle boys you will love it there its small but has everything including some good entertainment too.

I asked Tasos if he new anyone who would take me out hunting or fishing, he said my cousin Michael is a hunter he is the best on the island, in Rhodes everyone is the best if you talk to them weather its food drink honey you name it theirs is the best, so I took it all with a pinch of salt, I spoke to Michael on the phone and he agreed we would go hunting on the following Wednesday as he was very busy with his business, we can only go on a Wednesday or a Saturday/Sunday these are the only days hunting is permitted on the island, also you are only allowed to take 3 hare, partridge or grouse, so I had a few days to kill as I also wanted to see the island too.

Driving in Rhodes is quite easy once to get used to their lights system and driving on the wrong side of the road, this coupled with not changing gear with the window winder, at the gear box was on my right not my left, this was some funny moments stopped at traffic lights with the window going up and down and Greek people laughing at me saying daft tourist.

The first place I visited was the Grand Masters Palace in Rodos Town, lets just say the drive in there and parking was some what hairy and comical to say the least, I made it into the old town inside the castle walls, yes it was very tourist driven but I could see right past that in the ole cobbled streets, in my minds eye I could see the armies of old marching up and down the Knights Templar in all their splendor trotting down the narrow passages, I got to the Grand Masters Palace with its awesome views over the ancient port, I must admit it took my breath away for a moment, I paid to go inside and I had a good look around, the building itself was truly a work of art the floors the walls the ceilings etc, but the displays not so for me, old pots, pans and tat for want of a better word, where was the knights Armour swords etc, alas I found none of it there apart from a very small room with some remnants of more modern times, all in all I left the Grand Masters Palace quite disappointed, what I will say is don't judge a book by its cover though, for if I thought Rhodes was judged by Rodos Town then I would never of left the hotel coming home deeply saddened, as I have learnt the world over a city/town is much the same wherever you go, but the countryside is something else if you just go look.

For the next few fays I drove the length and breadth of the island, from hidden bays/castles and churches to high hidden mountain roads, my favourite places on the whole island were the little fishing port called Ancient Kamyros on the Ageian sea side of the island and Lindos on the Mediterranean side of the island, I had the most wonderful Kleftiko there in Lindos sat on a roof top restaurant over looking the Acropolis hi up on the hill and the secluded little bay down below.

Now for the hunting, Michael picked me up at 5.30am out side the hotel, I was fresh as a daisy and as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, right away we hit it off chatting like old friends, we got to the hunting area and we met up with a couple of Michael’s friends, they let the dogs out of the dog boxes, wow what a mixed bunch of dogs, hardy mixed breed dogs, in fact they reminded me of my old dog Billy he was as hard as they come with stamina like no other I had met until this day, I actually fell in love with one young bitch, if I could have smuggled her home in my suit case I would of.

No gun for as the boys take safety very seriously and quite rightly so, for they did not know me nor I them yet, so I tagged along picking up a couple of nice pebbles, no gun no problem I would do it Crocodile Dundee style, I wish I had my catapult my Pappy taught me well so a bolting Hare 10 yards away would be no problem, we headed up the mountain and these Greek boys were like mountain goats even the old boy of 82 years old, to start with I held back I didn’t want to intrude and just watched how they hunted, to my surprise they hunted just like me working their dogs close and shooting the bolting hare or often these sure footed quick little dogs would catch the hare, it really was a pleasure to watch these dog men work with their animals both man and dog knowing what each other need to fill the quarry bag.

Michael called me forward said keep your eye out this side of a big bush, the dogs were on point, he gave a little whistle and the dogs flushed on, a hare bolted and Michael quickly snapped shot at it as did I with my pebble, then the dogs grabbed the hare and it was retrieved to hand, all the Greek boys started laughing and cheering, it turned out they were laughing at me and my pebble throwing, now I cant say I hit the hare and I cant say I missed, all I know is the Hare bowled over and the dogs we on it, Michael had defiantly hit in the back back legs it also had a big lump on its head, so who knows my pebble may have struck or not but I am taking that one as a joint effort, we moved off around the mountains jumping across small mountain gaps working the dogs all the way, it was getting pretty hot now as the sun was fully up and we had covered several miles high up in the mountains looking down on the trucks like little ants below us.

Michael gave the order to head back to give the dogs a drink and call it a day, we dropped across to another mountain to drop down behind the cars, then the dogs gave voice the chase was on, Michael handed me his shot gun and was off like a mountain goat deep in the scrub after his dogs, I held back at the ready in case something was flushed in to the open, I saw Michael appear at the top of the mountain with a dog and a Hare in Hand, the boys started talking in Greek not sure what they were saying but I think it was all about the dogs doing well.

We walked back to the trucks Michael telling me to keep a hold of the gun, I knew what he was doing, he was checking me out for my gun safety, for I would of done the very same thing, I got to the truck unloaded the gun and made it safe handing it back with the cartridges in one hand and the breech open, he smiled and nodded as he knew without saying I know how to handle a gun and how it should be carried and made safe.

We headed back to Taverna Maria and met up with some other fellow hunters and friends of Michael’s who were there ahead of us, what lovely amazing people the camaraderie could be seen as soon as we got there, I was made to feel most welcome as the food and the drink flowed, although I could not understand the words I could understand the body language and gestures, so with every word and laughter I just simply understood, its a brotherhood of true hunters, no matter where you are from, it crosses all languages and well mere words just cant do it justice, you feel it more than you understand it I just cant explain it, those of you who have walked the walk and talked the talk will know what I mean, those of you that have not well I just don’t have the words to explain camaraderie of a true Hunter and Countryman and the understanding we have of each other, then Mama Maria brought the Hares out after bring cooked over the open charcoal oven, it was so moist and well seasoned with a beautiful glaze over it, I was already stuffed from the meze we had already eaten but the countryman in me took over for we all must eat what we hunt, I loosened my belt for my expandable belly to make room as I tucked into the hare, wow it was like an explosion of flavors in my mouth, my mind was immediately taken back to the mountain when we had taken these hares earlier in the morning.

We said farewell to Taverna Maria and I said good by to my new found hunting friends as Michael took me back to the hotel on the hill, he invited me down to his restaurant in the village, a most wonderful Traditional Greek Taverna with a modern twist called Flora, its was started by his mother and father and Michael had inherited it with his wife after his parents retired, he wants to hand it down to his son after he had finished university and after he has done his time in the Greek Army doing his national service, such a wonderful story right there of tradition being passed down through the generations of this awesome Greek Family.

The Night in question I went to Flora Restaurant they had a Christening celebration on, all I can say is WOW what a wonderful experience, I saw singing/dancing good food and drink and people truly happy to be together and celebrate the baby and his Christening, Tasos told me try Michaels Stiffado Its The Best, now I love Stiffado I have had it many times over the years and indeed cook this traditional Greek dish myself, its made with a lot of thickly chopped onion and what every meat is available, on this occasion it was Hare again and I will say if god himself had cooked this meal I would believe it, for I bow down Michaels Stiffado is the very best I have ever tasted, it was like a cross between an angle dancing across my taste buds and a fire work display all at the same time as well as being as smooth as silk, I telle if any of you go to Rhodes on holiday I urge you go find The Flora Restaurant in Afandou you will truly thank me, Michael took me out back to show me his charcoal spit oven where he was slow roasting a whole sheep, my first thoughts were WOW what a huge kitchen that was spotless you could of eaten your food off the floor it was that clean, I got to taste the sheep off the spit, seriously if I had of popped my clogs right then I would of gone to heaven smiling, Michael took me back to the hotel as we had to be up early the next morning for hunting again.

I was picked up at 5.30am again, again what I loved was the excitement of the dogs, it was just like here at home our dogs the same look in their eyes the same body language over the, pack, they were excited to be going hunting as were Michael and I, if you have never hunted this way its hard to explain its almost prehistoric where man and wolf work as one for the same goal the triumph of the hunt, we got to a new mountain just over from the other mountains we had hunted previously, this had some flat crop areas and dry grass lands at the foot of it with a dried up river bed, we saw some Fallow Deer, a buck and 2 doe grazing in the early morning dim light, Michael and I stalked in on them and I shot them with my camera, they are called Dama Dama by the islanders but they are fallow deer, I have read many a myth and legend about these deer google it you will be surprised.

Off we set along the dried up river bed we covered every hill/bush/tree and grass land but not a sausage could be found, so we headed up the mountain again, almost immediately the dogs changed they had the scent of something, we worked our way up the mountain this time I had a shot gun in my hands, two partridge flushed one forward over the dogs so no safe shot, but one did flush left to right of me, I only had one quick snap shot as I could not follow through as I knew there were hunters to my right, I ruffled a couple of feathers as it sailed on unscathed, further we pushed on around the mountain, our hunting buddies flushed a hare but it gave them the slip as the dogs gave chase in full voice, by golly what a wonderful sound hearing the pack in full voice echoing across the high mountains it sent a shiver up my spine I telle, Michael was coming down the mountain on a crescent just below me as his dogs went on point, he gave the order to flush on and out bolted a hare, he bowled it over with one clean shot as the head dog retrieved it to hand, that was a great shot I telle, it was now getting really hot so we headed back to the truck to give the dogs a drink and head back, the talk was high spirited as we laughed and discussed our day.

I spent the next day or so chilling at the hotel swimming a lot trying to keep fit, I went fishing on one of Michael’s friends boats and caught quite a few mixed fish not monsters but good eating fish, I dropped them off at Flora Restaurant for I was going that evening for a hunters meeting and get together that Michael puts on for his friends, my fish were to be part of this mighty feast.

I arrived at the Flora Restaurant a short time after all the others, again I was made to feel most welcome, some faces I knew others I did not again that camaraderie was there right from the start, the banter jokes and telling stories started, they told stories to me of past times out hunting and I told some of mine back, Michael translated both ways, one chap next to me his phone went off it was his wife asking what time he would be home, so the banter began again, I told them my ex wife would ask what time I would be home, I always said Dark O Clock, this all the lads found hilarious as Michael translated it the room went into laughter, I have a feeling they will be using that little ditty the next time the wives ask what time will you be home.

I went back the next afternoon to say my farewells to Michael and his family and the beautiful Flora Restaurant, I had a most amazing lamb dish the name of I cant even pronounce, but again I just cant do it justice with mere words or photos, I said my good byes with a full belly and full heart, Michael and I parted with tears in our eyes as we had both met our brothers from other mothers, I would say Michael is the Greek version of The Ole Hedge Creeper, I left Rhodes happy to be coming home and sad too leaving a piece of my heart on this beautiful island that I will be going back too.

And yes the Flora Restaurant and Michael the Greek Hunter who’s cooking and company.

Quite simply IT THE BEST.

Yamas.

By The Ole Hedge Creeper.

P.s I almost forgot, I designed and had 3 rings made with a expert craftsman jeweler, 2 rings were a matching pair for my masonic craft 1 for me the other for Dad, the last ring I designed was a Knights Templar ring that I designed to remind me of my time on this amazing island.

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Gone Wild Fowling

11/9/2018

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Gone Wild Fowling
Opening Day 2018-2019
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

This story starts way back when I was just a Yonker (kid) being told all sorts of stories by my Pappy (grand father) and Dad all about amazing wild fowl flights, I never got to go as I was told I was too young and it was too dangerous, now me a high spirited kid to say the least could dream of nothing more of an adventure to head out after geese or duck from those stories told in front of the log fire in the middle of winter.

I wrote about my first trip in my first book the chapter is called Teal Time, the books are available from www.reallywildadventures.co.uk and all the money goes to the Young Sports Organisation called Pass It On Young Sports that I head up, the money helps a little to run the taster days and events we run on a purely voluntary basis none of us not even me earns a penny from it, but we do get paid in heart tokens when we see the smiles on the young sports faces.

I kept on nagging my Dad & Pappy to take me wildfowling, they eventually gave in and here I am almost forty seasons later still going out on the first day of the season, its the same now as it was back then, for weeks leading up to the 1st of September I cant sleep, I hear wildfowl everywhere I go, the 31st of August well I might as well just not go to bed as there is no way I can sleep, I am more excited than a normal kid on Christmas Eve, in fact truth be known I was never very exited on Christmas Eve for me my Christmas started on the 31st of August, apart from the year I got my 20b a gun of my own on Christmas morning when my dad proudly handed it to me in front of my Pappy and Uncle Dave both countrymen of the old school, this was was three days before my 11th Birthday, I still have that old gun now and use it for all my pheasant and partridge shooting she is still as sweet as the day I got her with a cleaning kit that I still have too.

So as you can see wildfowling runs deep through my veins going back many generations of my family, now the 31st of August was no different except my Pappy is no longer with us God Rest His Soul and my Dad and Uncle Dave no longer come out on morning flight, that said I had my ole mucker Nik along and his son young son Alec, who reminded me of me 40 years ago with a new gun and wanting to go wildfowling, Nik is a member of a wildfowling club down South but the foreshore is no place for a young boy cutting his teeth, so I said bring him with me we will get him out on the river and then do a spot of pigeon & Corvid (crow family) shooting through the day then go just inland from the foreshore on evening flight in a nice little area I know.

For me its all about seeing the sun rise on morning flight and the same on evening flight seeing it set, all the rest is just gravy, I could not sleep counting down the hours until the alarm went off, Nik he slept like a baby but young Alec was just like me he could not sleep either with that wide eyed look of excitement and the twinkle in the eye, we passed each other in my hall way on our way to and from the loo, I said you cant sleep either then kiddo he said no and I keep hearing duck outside, I laughed and said that's the true fowler's excitement son as his ole Dad snored like an old diesel engine.

The alarm went off but we were already awake and dressed with coffee in our fits in record time, Mags my secretary and neighbor banged on the door, I think she was as excited to be out too, so we loaded up the truck with the dogs and guns and headed down to the river, Nik and Alec set up down by the old bridge I went up the far end with Mags and the dogs settled in and watched the sun come up in the East of the ancient hills, 40 seasons later and I never tire of that magnificent sunrise, mere words or pictures just don't do it justice, I sat down with a mug of tea from the flask and enjoyed the spectacle a blessing from god as I thank the Lord for being alive.

I loaded up the Ole 10 bore or the fire breathing dragon some of the lads call it like my ole mate Bruce who I got it off of, its an old Spanish single barrel but all I need is one shot on a ghost rider a wild goose, I hear duck in the distance and then see a mighty flight take wing, Mags and I could of shot several as we let sword after sword of duck fly over us, all young duck flappers some call them, a lot of folk shoot these but not me its not about pulling the trigger its about being there seeing the sights smelling the smells and enjoying gods grace, a kingfisher sat on the gate between us Mags eyes were wide as she loves Kingfishers, a peregrine falcon stooped on a pigeon and we got to witness a beautiful sun rise with a magnificent flight of duck, a brace of older duck dropped right over Nick and Alec and they both saluted them alas they did not connect as the shot well behind them forgetting how fast they fly.

We finished morning flight and headed back for a mighty breakfast Mags cooked us all, we then headed out on some fresh cut maize were there were a few pigeon and Crows hitting in on, I thought this would be a great place to get Young Alec shooting with his new gun, Alec watched the flight lines and chose where to put the hide he set the decoys out and the floater and in the hide he and his dad went, I had a lot of paper work to sort out and emails to send so Mags and I sat in the truck and watched, Alec and Nik got in some good shooting for an hour or so then Alec flagged he was falling asleep so he went for lay down in the truck with Mags and I got in the hide with Nik using Alec new gun, a sweet little gun to that had been measured for the lad of course a little short for me so I just extended my forearm to compensate, I telle I dropped some cracking shots with that little gun.

Alec woke up and came back so Nik went for a lay down and I coached Alec on how to shoot pigeons and crows, the boy had some lessons on the clay ground which paid off, I taught him how to read the birds and to shoot at the right time, the boy was a natural pulling off some amazing shots on some fast moving jackdaws and pigeons, one as Brook was retrieving a pigeon from some of the standing maize another right to left crosser flicked across us Alec mounted swung through and dusted the pigeon centre spread right over the standing maize, I don't know who was more proud His Dad and I or Alec himself as the Cheshire cat smile on the boys face said it all, the day went on much like that and we finished pigeon and crow shooting in time ready to head out on evening flight, we put all Alec own birds he shot in front of the hide and took a pic for the boy to remember the day, then cleared off and headed down to a nice little bit of ground just in land from the fore shore.

We walked out around some of the small river to see if we could get the boy a chance of an early duck, alas the ducks were just a little quick for the boy but what a great experience for the boy just the sight and sound of wildfowl taking wing makes the heart race, I set Nik and Alec up on a small ditch pond that often gets a few duck in there, I set up in the edge of a the maize with my ole 10 bore over looking a big pond that often gets geese on it, as the sun went down in the West the sky looked like it was on fire, like I say mere words and pictures just don't do it justice, both the boys had deer and hares bimble and dance right across in front of them the boys jaw just dropped at the sight of it all, the Lord really was bestowing his blessings on us today.

A lot of duck took flight right over us all, way to high to shoot so we let them go on unsaluted, Nik managed one shot off at a low crosser but missed behind again, you a lot of hmmmm shooters would of a shot at those high birds the same as geese going over or past too far out of range, and that to me is the sign of a very poor wildfowler just wounding birds, the same as going wildfowling without a dog or indeed shooting birds like pigeons and crows over standing crop, you have almost no chance of retrieving the shot birds and if they are left to rot in say the wheat or barley the bales are no good and cause disease in the farmers stock.

Then I heard it the sound that makes all real wildfowlers hearts race, the sound of the wild ghost riders echoing on the wind, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as my heart raced and my breathing shallowed, the sound of wild geese coming our way, I got on my Canada goose call and laid it on thick, I turned the skein right towards Nik and Alec, I was willing for Nik to take a goose so Alec could hold it and take it home for roast goose, alas the Skein passes left to right 40 yards out from the boys, Nik never fired he did not consider it a good shot that would kill stone dead, now that's the sign of a good wildfowler not wanting to wound a bird, the boys came back Alec was jabbering like an excited ferret all about his experience with the geese/deer and hares, you know I never fired a shot wildfowling that day but to me it matters not we had such an amazing day coaching a young sport in the ways of the Countryman, as the sun set it looked like the entire sky was on fire, a truly magical evening flight.

I went back a few days later as the maize had been cut and I was training Dads young springer spaniel Tess, I took the 10 bore again not intending to shoot anything but a goose if they came over, I noticed an older mallard green head feeding in one of the little reins, so I worked the young dog along side old Brook just to give her some experience, it worked like a dream as the young dog flushed the ole mallard from the waters edge, I took a left to right crossing shot with the 10 bore dropping the duck on the far side of the river bank, I sent Brook for the retrieve to show the young dog how it was done, Brook was not impressed has she had just found herself a full maize cob, she dropped it next to the duck retrieved the duck to hand gave me one of those I am not impressed looks then went back across the river to get her cob, I don't know that old dog has some quirks I telle, I did a couple of blind retrieves with the young dog in some cover with the shot duck, lets just say there is a lot of work to be done there but she is getting the idea, we walked the reins and rivers flushing wildfowl and pheasants, I never loaded the gun just giving this young dog some experience.

All in all a magnificent start to the season, I took only 1 duck when I could of taken a bag full, I only needed one for my table, remember don't take more fowl than you need its the true Countryman's way, and remember get out on the first and last day of the season, as an old fowler once told me either use it or lose and he was right.

Gone Wildfowling
Opening Day
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

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July 15th, 2018

15/7/2018

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Click here to edThe Olight M20SX Javelot Hunting Light Setit.

Here at The Countryman’s Diary magazine we are always being sent all sorts of products to test and review, some good and well some are a could do better, many not even making it to being worthy of my time to put pen to paper, for The Ole Hedge Creeper is known for a Gentleman's hand shake for my word is my bond as binding as any contract, I don’t mince my words either for what's the point saying something works when it does not, like I say it has to do what it says on the tin for me, its no good saying an air rifle shoots fifty yards and kills with a 5p grouping when all its capable of is half of that, also I don’t care how much people offer me to say what they want me to say, keep your coin I say, for my words cannot be purchased for untruthful means like I have seen over the years in others articles that have been smoke screened, so I will tell you this if I say it or write I mean it.

Recently I and Greg the other half of The Countryman’s Diary were asked to put this lamp from Olight through its paces, Greg testing out down in Cornishshire, myself testing it in Gods Country the County of Somersetshire, where the apples are as sweet as our fine maids and the cider makes you smile, oh and were the best at making cider and cheese too we even have a place called Cheddar to prove it.

Greg’s article can be found over on The Countryman’s Diary Magazine attached to this one www.countrymans-diary.co.uk there is also a link of where you can buy this light with a special code for a great deal they tell me to all my fans and dairy readers, the light in question is the Olight Javelot M20SX Hunting Set so go over to the magazine read Greg’s article and make your own mind up.

THE BORING BIT.

I don't write technical articles its not because I cant it’s just they bore the living daylights out of me, this weights this that does that its made of this, ahhhhhh does it work does it do the job in hand is all I care about and is it worth my hard earned coin, so Greg may get more technical I wont, so here is a basic run down of the kit in the box.

Lamp with belt clip for if you want to use it has a hand held torch, the torch itself is a white light, with 3 filters Red/Green and Blue, a thumb pressure on and off switch that mounts to the stock etc using Velcro sticky patches supplied and some O rings for when the others wear out or needs replacing, and heavy magnet mount for attaching the lamp to the gun barrel etc, oh and a rechargeable battery 3.7v battery NO CHARGER.

FIELD TESTING

As many know I run a Professional Pest Control Company specialising in Agricultural pest control, the first job I took this light on was a rat clearance job in a grain barn and put it on my Air Arms S410 air rifle, the magnet clipped very well onto the air chamber and was quite sturdy, the pics did not come out very good as the dust particles kept clouding the lens of the camera etc, I found the red filter for the light to be the best for this job as the light reduction was quite noticeable through the light and the others being a touch too bright even when adjusting the power, its very easy to hit what I have come to call the disco function on this light and the rats become disco rats as the strobe light kicks in, none the less after a bit of getting used to the light performed quite well even though I found it a little fiddly.

The next job I was called in on was a fox hanging around a lambing shed, I found the shot gun to be the best for close quarter work like this, I mounted the magnet onto the barrel and it held very strongly indeed, Ole Charlie fox did not turn up whilst I was there, for this job I used the blue filter as the red was too dark and not enough light and the white too bright, the green I was saving for the 223 on a job I had coming up, the blue filter worked very well for shot gun killing range, farmer said does it hold when you shoot the gun so we tried a couple of shots and the lamp never moved, I found that you have to set the power of the lamp before you head off hunting, for changing between the powers or indeed the strobe a little tricky and indeed blinding.

I got called out to a job where the foxes were killing lambs in the lambing fields, I thought this was a good test for this lamp, one because the use of night vision here is always tricky with the ambient light around and it mists out etc a lot, so I opted for the green filter this time, green is and has been my favorite color filter for a lamp no for two decades, And one reason now why my Night Master Venom green pill lamp goes everywhere with me as back up.

I tried the white light and could just about make out eye shine of the sheep around the 200 yards mark, experience told me they were sheep a novice would not be able to tell, nor would I take a shot at that range or any other unless I was a 101% sure of my target let alone back stop especially with this torch, I put the green filter on and looked through the scope, this told a whole new story I could clearly identify my quarry at 200 yards and see all back stops etc, the white light came over as a bit misty so I stayed with the green filter, oh before I forget the filters don’t stay on so well so carry some tape to stick them on or you will be back tracking looking through the grass Iike I did a couple of times, I saw Tom Foster the Olight man in Ireland whilst I was at The Great Game Fairs Of Ireland recently and told him my findings too.

Back to the hunt, I caught site of a fox coming from the North end of the lambing paddock so I headed her off, she came round on the wind just where I had tracked her the day before, I dropped my trigger sticks mounted the 243 and put the lamp on with green filter on full blast, the vixen took no notice of the green filter what so ever, she singled out a lamb all on its own right in the middle of the flock, I whistled loudly and shouted to try and stop her running in she took no notice of me at all, she stopped 20 yards from the lamb almost on point ready to make her last charge from the edge of the bottom of the big bank, but too late The Ole Hedge Creeper had already got her in my sights as I administered a lead aspirin to the engine room that dull sweet thumb echoed across the valley as she dropped stone dead

I breathed easy for a moment knowing that big dog fox was not too far away, I was right a little while later he came over the top of the big bank right where I had seen him sunning himself a couple of days before, I stalked round on the wind climbing up the hill side of the lambing paddock just a little to the wind was coming right at me away from him, he circled around the far end of this big paddock trying to come round on the flock of ewes and lambs looking for a weak lamb all out on his own.

He stopped for a pee at around a 160 side on to me, again he took no notice what so ever of the green filter, I have seen this many times especially when they are not lamp shy from the light Sabre brigade, too late my ole cocker for I administered a lead aspirin to him before he could finish his last pee, the sound of that sweet distinct thump of an engine room shot floated back to me on the wind as the big dog fox fell tight on the spot, the farmer who had heard the shots came along to see how I was getting on, to say he was smiling like a Cheshire cat was an understatement as he shook his fist at the two dead foxes, he obliged me by taking these pics here in this article.

MY ROUND UP

This lamp from Olight is a little fiddly it does take some getting used too and in places I would say its on the could do better list, but in many ways its not bad, I think its a poor show not putting the battery charger in with the kit something I have advised them to add, the price £125.99 hmmmm I would say was a little steep for this kit, although it does what it says on the tin in a fiddly way, I don't think the quality is there for the price considering something like a Night Master Venom does all this is a top quality product and is at least £20 cheaper, for me I would price this kit at no more than £85 as a good all round starter kit, but read Greg’s article take a look at the product and try one for yourself over at www.countrymans-diary.co.uk .

If you would like to send us your products for a field test then please get in touch, but remember its got to do what it says on the tin.

Reviews.
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

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Out Foxing Charlie 12

29/5/2018

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Out Foxing Charlie 12
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Well here we are Out Foxing Charlie part 12, who would of guessed when I wrote the first one so many years ago we would still be writing about this subject, I have not written for a little while about ole Charlie, not because I have not been out dealing with them, quite simply if you had read my last article I have literally been FLAT OUT LIKE A LIZARD DRINKING excuse the pun.

I said right at the start in my first fox article I only deal with problem foxes, ie those that attack live stock or pets etc, I DO NOT kill FOXES!!! just because they are foxes, this attitude so many of you have if its RED ITS DEAD!!! completely goes against everything I was taught as a Countryman of The Ole School.

When I lecture at college I call it my cogs in the machine lecture, I refer to myself as the Countryside Engineer and explain to the class that my job is to keep the cogs the right size and the machine well greased and running to the best of its ability, when I say cogs I mean every species under mother natures canopy from insects to plants trees and birds and animals so that the entire machine runs without breaking down, you see every cog has its correct size some bigger than others but each is as vital in its role within the machine, so if a cog gets to big too small broken etc its my job to fix it as is yours on your area of your machines, as Countrymen/Pest Controllers etc we have a bigger responsibility than you realize to making sure not only does our respective machines in our areas function but function well and help find a balance, so all of you remember this every life is sacred under gods canopy but if you do have to take a life or lives it must be for the right reasons not just because If It Red Its Dead.

Now that said I probably humanly dispatch more vermin including foxes than most, but everything I cull has always got a very good reason for doing so, its either attacking stock crops or pets etc, many of you know I am a professional pest controller and live to an old Countryman’s code, I also proudly say I don’t use any poisons unless absolutely necessary and under very strict conditions my own being much stricter than industry standards.

Foxes its good to have foxes about but in the right size cog, if the cog gets too big then a proper culling plan is what's needed, I don’t just pull up and shoot a fox, way before I even take a gun or live trap to a situation I study it, I try to work out how many foxes are on that farm etc, is it one fox causing a problem or more, there is a whole list of things I have to tick off before I start a culling Programme to find the balance in that farms machine.

Obviously if its attacking right there in front of me or wipes out a chicken flock etc, then I have no choice but I still go through my list, not when its actually attacking in front of me of course I deal with it there and then.

Coupled with these morons catching foxes in our towns and cities and taking them out to the countryside releasing them, they are not being kind to these animals at all, they are putting them through unnecessary suffering and what I would call animal cruelty, I will pic up on this a little later in this article, my wish for those monstrous animal abusers are this, I wish the fleas of a 1000 camels would infest your genitals and your arms be too short to scratch, for one thing I cannot bare or allow is any form of animal cruelty and this comes in many forms I telle.

Well with my bit of a rant over for now lets rock on with the article, I got called out by one of my oldest agricultural contracts, now with most of my rabbit work being down by 70% over the last couple of years, you see Mixy has hit hard and so has RHD and in most areas we now have no rabbits because of those ghastly diseases, Farmer calls to say we have a great deal of rabbits here and they are eating more grass than my sheep can I come thin them out a bit please, also we have a fox attaching the prize fowl its not scared of humans and coming into the farm yard daily.

I agreed I would be down that very night, now knowing this farm the way I do a quick look around told me all I needed to know, I worked out how many rabbits I was happy to take this evening and saw the fox skulking around the orchard trying to stalk in on the farmers prize Guinea fowl.

Just by watching it I knew that was no country fox, it had no clue how to hunt it walked right past a rabbit bolt upright following the fowl, I zipped to the truck got my trigger sticks and my 243 lined the fox up shouted hey, the fox took a step towards me just looking at me, a quick lead aspirin to the engine room and the fox was dispatched with a perfect heart and lung shot at the bottom of the big bank, upon inspection I could see a well healed scar that looked like it had an operation as the fur was still shaved shorter than the rest of its body, so from this and its behavior I ascertained it to be yet another town released fox.

Several jobs later I was back out on foxes again, this time on a new contract, the lambing fields and even the lambing barn was getting hit both day and night with fox attacks, this farmer was losing lambs at an alarming rate, of course all the usual people had been out both with lamp and night vision and some rough ole boys had poached the area with running dogs too, all of them not catching one fox but lit up the night sky like it was a disco with their lamps or as I would say Luke Sky Walker and Darth Vader having a light saber duel, so all they did was make my job a hundred times harder.

The farmer signed the necessary paper work and contracts and I went about my check list, I saw one fox in the middle of day just strutting around, he took one look at me and slowly meandered off, I tracked the farm by day light and worked out a picture of where these foxes were coming in from and indeed their escape routes, I also installed a set of live cage traps and baited them with what was left from the lambs that had been killed by the foxes.

I set up on this first night in the gate way that lead from the lambing field to the barn, as always I tried my Night Master Venom green pill mounted on the rifle, you see I like to try old school first then move over to the awesome NiteSite Night Vision system when really needed, I find this system works really well for me, I have always maintained to be any good using night vision you must learn the old skills of the lamp first with all its field craft and understand your quarry too.

I heard a fox bark way out in the distance so I knew they were about, my sixth sense went off with that feeling a fox was close by, I flicked on the Venom and scanned the field in front of me and there 65 yards out was a big dog fox just looking at me, I squeezed the shot off and administered a lead aspirin to the engine room, I quickly scanned about and saw four more sets of fox eyes but they were not coming in at all that night as I had just put the lights out on one of their mates, farmer was over the moon with my efforts cursing the dead fox, I retrieved the shot fox and found it with my new Night Master NMR30 spotting torch, best £25 I ever spent on a little torch with a mighty beam and is rechargeable from a phone charger.

Indeed the next night I tried the old NiteSite Wolf on its lowest setting again from the gate way pointing towards the big bank that runs along the back of the lambing field, the foxes seem to like coming along that bank coming round on the wind scenting whats in front of them.

I had second guessed right and fox no1 came right in, I stayed as silent as the grave and still as a ripple less pond, he came right in to forty yards stopped for a pee and BOOM lights out Charlie, I heard a rustle to my right so I span round the NiteSite catching a foxes brush disappearing across the field, I cranked the NiteSite up to full power, I stayed on him he crossed over a ditch and started up the high bank, I barked at him he stopped half way up a perfect back stop against the high bank, he was close to 200 yards but giving me enough time to take a steady aim off of my trigger sticks, again a perfect engine room shot as the fox rolled down the high embankment.

I retrieved the first fox and went to find fox no2 but alas I could not find a safe way across the deep ditch in the dark, farmer retrieved it the next morning for me, his exact words were you always shoot them in the same spot, my son and I had a bet you would and I won by the way, he said you would do a head shot, nope always an engine room shot if I can, I am the same with deer I don’t take head shots always an engine room shot, its not that I lack the skills of the marksman to be able to do it, but a head moves the engine room does not and I have seen others make the mistake on head shots on fox and deer so not me captain, engine room every time unless dispatching a fox in a cage trap that is.

I was called back a few weeks later foxes attacking the piglets and the ducks and chickens can I come take a look, I had caught some in the cage traps there but these ones were avoiding the traps and going straight in for the kill, he lost 2 piglets and 11 ducks one night, again these foxes had no fear of man and I had reports of the white van man releasing foxes in the area again.

So I set up in my old gate way again my theory here is the foxes use this area as a crossing point, the prevailing wind normally a N Easterly takes my scent away and me with my back against a post I just look like a fence post in the dark.

This time I heard a vixen calling and then my 6th sense went off again, turning the NiteSite Eagle on at the ready to shoot there was a huge dog fox just sitting watching me 60 yards out in front a text book shot, I was about to pull the trigger then a second set of eyes appeared just behind the first fox.

I steadied myself and took the first fox, the other in the confusion just froze I quickly re loaded the gun as I always have 2 shots in the mag as a back up, bang and I had that one in the bag too, literally a right and left as fast I could load gun, that does not happen that way normally and these were 2 big healthy dog foxes, no wonder they were taking piglets as when I saw the first one I thought it was a German Sheppard for a moment his main looked that big on the NiteSite.

again the farmer was very happy with my efforts, his son came out and said thank god you got that pair they have destroyed my ducks.

I got called back later that week as there was a fox in one of my live traps, farmer checks them for me in the morning and evening to save me going there all the time, I hate dealing with foxes at this time of year as they may have cubs, but when they attack the live stock I am left with no choice.

I always say I am a Countryman of the old school first and a professional pest controller second, I dealt with her with a single shot from the rifle to the head and the rest is history as they say, shame really she was a pretty little fox, but the lamb that was left that she killed was her undoing as the bait.

I got a frantic call from one of my free range poultry farms, they had left me a voice mail with a come as fast as you can we don’t know how much longer we can fend this fox off, I missed their call as the phone was in my truck as I was in a grain mill dealing with a feral pigeon infestation.

I got to the poultry farm as fast as I could after flying home to get a shot gun and a rifle.

As I pulled in, the farm manager came rushing over, thank god your here this fox is causing havoc, I grabbed the shot gun loaded up with 42g of no3 shot and followed the farm manager out to the free range paddocks.

There it was playing a game of catch the chicken with two of the farm hands armed with sweeping brushes fending the fox off, it really was a funny sight to see, the fox actually looked like it was enjoying itself playing a game with these men with sweeping brushes.

After composing myself I walked forward told the boys to back off and bowled her over with one barrel stone dead, I mean she could of ran away there was nothing stopping her she showed no fear of man at all, again upon inspection it was another that had an operation scar, yet again a town caught fox, I really do dislike these people doing this and if I catch them I will have them arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law for animal cruelty and more.

Well I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it, but please remember what I said at the start, only deal with problem foxes for they have their place here under mother natures canopy.

As it used to say on the inside cover of The Shooting times.

King George VI wrote, The Wildlife Of Today, is not ours to dispose of as we please, we have in trust and must account for it to those that come after us.

Out Foxing Charlie 12
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk

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Flat Out Like A Lizard Drinking

12/4/2018

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Flat Out Like A Lizard Drinking

By The Ole Hedge Creeper

I have entitled this article justly, you see I have been so busy with all my businesses and Pass It On Young Sports, that coupled with going to Germany for the IWA and then jetting off to Texas for a boys holiday of a life time with my old friend Tam, I literally have been Flat Out Like A Lizard Drinking, as I am putting pen to paper as it were, right on the eve of flying off to entertain the crowds at The Three Shires Game Fair, I will reflect on the last couple of months on a whistle stop tour or in brief and will pic up on it all fully with a follow up article.

IWA Germany Nuremberg, my secretary and I flew direct from Bristol landing in Amsterdam then catching a connecting flight to Nuremberg, wow that Amsterdam airport is huge, barely having time to stop for a bathroom break, by that I mean my cable tie was at bursting point, then jumping on our flight, the size of that airport really blew me away it really is massive, I was a little disappointed on our flight from Bristol, there were a large group of lads going over the Amsterdam for a boys trip out, they were very loud and fowl mouthed, I must say how well the staff at KLM dealt with them keeping them calm etc, I will say no wonder other countries don’t like us if that’s the class of British traveller we have, I feel they completely let the side down and made all Bristolians look like complete illiterate morons.

We got to our luxury apartment, WOW the view right over Nuremberg was simply stunning, Burblik our host showed me and Mag’s my secretary about the place, we had 6 bedrooms to choose from for just 2 of us, the apartment was a luxury VIP place normally reserved for very special guests, so I jokingly said well you must of heard of me then expecting Burblik to laugh and say no, to my surprise he said yes you are very famous and why he gave us the penthouse apartment, I asked him jokingly how did you come to the conclusion I was famous, apparently I have a lot of German fans, well bowl me over side ways I know I have a lot of German followers but I never expected that, Burblik was a wonderful host and we have been asked to stay again.

We spent 3 out of 4 days at the IWA, we met up with Air Arms/Jack Pyke/NiteSite and our chums from The British Shooting Show & oh so many more too many to name, the show was awesome as always, I caught up with so many old friends and business colleagues, made some new client and suppliers too.
On the Monday I had other meetings to get too for my Really Wild Adventures Company away from the show, I was actually in Germany on a double edge sword one side was the show the other side Corporate clients that were on my VIP international clients list, all in all a very successful trip all round.

I promised Mag’s some time off and to show her around Nuremberg, one thing my Pappy taught me was to be a man of my word, so true to my word I gave her a guided tour of this ancient city and its castle, we went everywhere and I told her what I knew and discovered a lot I didn’t know, so it was a voyage of discovery for me too as I had been here before, my Pappy always said my boy you could live to be a 101 and still not know enough, as always my Pappy was right, we finished off our last night with a mighty meal and watched the sun set over this wonderful city.
We landed back in Bristol at 5pm and by 6pm we had a kids rifle range set up, I promised the young sports I would not let them down or cancel a range night, as I said true to my word and I will never break my word unless for a very good reason.

A day or so later we found ourselves at The West Of England Game Fair, this is one of my local show and I have supported it since it started well over 20 years ago now and never missed one of them, we had an amazing Saturday show and my main ring demonstration was well attended and supported, with lots of young farmers and young sports joining me in the main show ring making my show hilarious and entertaining, we left the show ring to a huge round of applause laughter and a standing ovation from the crowd, Nobby one of my oldest friends and hunting partners was there with his family and his daughters joined me in my show too, that was a very proud moment for me and her dad she did great, she is also a crack shot with an air rifle too and often comes to our range nights with her old dad, Alas we had heavy snow on the Saturday Night so the show was cancelled on the Sunday, such a shame as Lisa and her team put such an amazing effort in putting on that show every year.

Monday morning was a very sad morning as I went to one of my dads oldest friends funeral, those that have read my books will know of Bucky (Chris) a real life character loved by so many, the proof of that was the standing room only at his funeral and wake, but from sadness came a happier moment as I met up with so many of my old friends and rabbiting muckers from my youth, Nobby and I said there were a lot of old faces there we had not seen in 20 years and he was right, so we all swapped numbers and promised to keep in touch.

I had to leave early from the wake as I had to catch a plane to Scotland to meet up with Tam, as always a warm welcome awaited this honorary Scotsman in my Caledonian (Scotland) home, we all got an early night as we had to catch a plane to Heathrow in the morning so Tam and I could start our Texas adventure.

We met a chap on face book called Chris and his wife Nina who asked if we would like to stay, Tam and Chris had a lot in common as they both ride motorbikes and are in motor bike clubs, me on the other hand hadn’t rode bikes in years so did have as much in common, but a trip to Texas hey I was not going to miss that for the world.

We caught our flight to Texas 10 hours of flying really took its toll on us both so the first day we just sat about the house chilling out and sleeping, but the next day we went to Chris our hosts motorbike garage, wow there were Harley Davidson’s every were, we met a brilliant couple of guys who work for Chris, who’s nick names were Stretch and Bootleg I never knew their real names, turns out they were members of a bike club called The Booze Fighters, they invited Tam and I to their club house, what an amazing place and such nice people who enjoyed a good laugh, I remember one fellow coming in and walking up to say hello to Stretch, Stretch was so funny and quick witted he said a line I will never forget, as the guy reached out his hand to shake hands Stretch says man you look like I need a drink, I nearly fell off my bar stool laughing, Bootleg and I talked about so many things family and kids etc again a really nice bloke they all were, I also kept my fitness regime up by training with full water containers from the water dispenser.

We met the president of the club a chap called Hyde well that was his knick name anyway, such a lovely man soft spoken and articulate, Tam and him got talking about shooting ranges and how Tam always wanted to try shooting pistols and always wanted to shoot an AR15, so we got invited to go to the Temple shooting range a couple of days later.

At the shooting range we met another chap called Coyote, a quick witted self proclaimed Yanky red neck and ex Vietnam Vet, immediately Tam and Coyote locked horns as Tam was as quick witted too, the rest of us just stood there and enjoyed the show as the two bantered off too each other, mere words wont do it justice but lets just say we were in hysterics listening to this pair.

We started shooting and well Tam’s face in the pic with the AR15 says it all, I was asked would I like a go, well of course I would and lets just say I have not lost my touch with pistols shooting a tight grouping out to a very good distance, the AR15 was something and nothing for me as I enjoy precision shooting and would love to have pitched my 223 up against the AR15, but I loved shooting the Colt 1911 in 45 calibre, what pleased me even more was the groupings I got proving what I was taught as a boy is still in there, its only a crying shame we are not allowed pistols here in the UK, for I may have actually of tried to compete for the country as small arms was always my favourite shooting discipline.

Bass Pro Out Door World Round Rock Texas, I have always loved it in that shop, its a countryman’s paradise in there, I wont go into too much detail all I will say is google them and take a virtual tour for yourself, as always I headed to the calls, and when I say calls I mean the largest calling collection a whistler like me has ever seen, there were calls for everything from Crow or Duck right up to Elk or Moose and every critter in between, as always I started trying out the duck calls, my Pappy always told me play a tune and they will come in wings set paddles down, no ducks but the Bass Pro staff one after another, all asking how I made them calls sing like that, I have lost count how many times an impromptu calling lesson has started when I start playing the calls, now not only the staff were queuing up but also young sports and their families, I have a great video I have yet to edit and put on my channel on you tube so keep your eyes peeled for that, we went through so many calls crow duck goose dove deer, you name it I played it and gave a lesson on it, the more we played the bigger the crowd got, Tam said your never so happy when you are entertaining and you lit up when the kids joined in, I cant help it I follow after my Pappy in that way, he loved kids I love kids and love to see them achieve and light up when they do, as I call it now heart tokens for when you see that spark in a kids eyes when they achieve its worth a million heart tokens, I left Bass Pro after two visits to the shop both times teaching calling.

Cabalas, my first time ever in there, we went to the Buda and Waco Stores both in Texas, both stores ever so different but much the same we had an amazing time in there, bought lots of goodies and had a fabulous meal, alas they didn’t do much in the way of calls so not so entertaining for me as Bass Pro although Bass Pro own them now, but still an amazing day out for any Countryman or Huntress.

Texas Rangers, wow we visited their museum and learned so much, Tam and I were like kids in a candy store in there looking at all the history of The Rangers and the amazing film we watched all about them from their humble beginning to one of the top law enforcement agencies in the world, one inscription on a bronze statue really sang out to me, it was like my Pappy was saying it to me as a boy as he said something similar, it said No Man in the wrong can stand up to a fellow who is in the right and keeps on coming, that really hit me in the heart for my Pappy always taught me to stand my ground and stand for what is right even if it means standing alone, and that is something I often do, for nobody likes warrior until the enemy is at the gates, with the lord at my side there is no enemy that can stand against us.

Bass Fishing with Tommy Cochran at lake Belton, Tommy what a sheer Texan gentleman and awesome fishing guide, we met Tommy at 7.15am and boarded his boat, wow man did that thing fly, we jetted out to where the gulls and turns were diving on the bait fish, we started jigging bt this I mean we dropped a waited minnow jig down to the bottom then started bobbing the rod up and down, Tam says a dollar to the first person to land a fish, we both hooked one at the same time and landed the Bass at the same time so we drew there.

It went a bit quiet there so we moved off to different spots several times catching a few bass here and there, then we hit a spot were the water was bubbling over with fish, it reminded me of mackerel fishing with my Dad and uncle Dave on Chessel beach last year, Tam and I cast and hooked a fish on every cast, Tam caught the biggest fish of the day but I caught the most species, so I say that’s a draw but Tam says otherwise.

The next day we flew home to Scotland, Tam’s Daughters took me out for a meal and I met up with their husbands great guys both of them, well matched for what I consider my Scottish daughters, I met up with some dear friends Rena and her husband John and enjoyed a gin and tonic or 3 with them, I also met up with my ole mucker Alk a true Caledonian gentleman, alas I didn’t get to see Tam’s son Billy this time, Billy is like my own son a handful always has been but a real character, I will go back up to my Caledonian (Scotland) Home soon, but for now its midnight and I have to be up at 5am to head to The Three Shires Game Fair at the Malvern Show Ground in a few hours, like I say this was a whistle stop tour, I have missed out so much, so I will catch up on this in another article very soon.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures, until the next time all that’s left to say is, arrrrrrr tiz proper job I telle muckers, the bis ava good un.

Flat Out Like lizard Drinking
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

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Big Cats III

27/1/2018

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Big Cats III
By The Ole Hedge Creeper & The Big Cat Man

*This is for our next Big Cats Of Britain talk on October, The 27th, 2018, full details of this event are at the bottom of this article*

Its been a little while since I wrote about this Taboo subject, although my articles Big Cats 1 and Big Cats 2 have been getting massive hits still to this very day.

At The Countryman's Diary Magazine we pride ourselves in our non PC approach, tackling subjects that other magazines or media shy away from, we don't just dip our toe in the water of a subject, we jump right in the wild pool as all proper country boys do, for how are you supposed to understand a subject then write about it.

I (The Ole Hedge Creeper) am only going to write half of this article, as my good friend Danny Nineham The world renowned Big Cat Consultant also famously known as The Big cat Man will be writing the other half.

Danny is a renowned expert on the subject of Big Cats, not just in the UK either, he is a Countryman of the old school as am I, this is one reason why Danny and I get on so well, for we have had almost the same teachings in life, fully immersing ourselves in mother nature herself and all that lives under her canopy.

Danny like Myself has also traveled the world learning skills from native people from many countries, from the Native Indian to the African Tracker and all in between, one thing I know we have both learned was to listen to mother nature trust our instincts and become the quarry you seek, it matters not whether its the humble Rabbit in an English Woodland or a Jaguar in the Swamps of Mexico, and yes we have both done things like this at home and on foreign shores.

Danny is an expert tracker, without blowing my own trumpet too much, I am not too shabby myself, Danny and I have known each other professionally for a few years now and as personal friends a couple of years, we have worked quite closely together just recently here in North Somerset.

Here I am out dealing with foxes attacking the live stock, I only deal with foxes that attack and not just shoot foxes because its a fox, here using some of the latest Night Vision equipment from NiteSite.

Now with this Big Cat subject, both Danny and I come too this from totally different angles, Danny and his approach as The Big cat Consultant, is to prove the existence or non existence of a Big Cat in the area concerned, and advise accordingly the best course of action etc, Danny would normally be called in because there had been reported sightings of a Big Cat or there have been kills of live stock/pets etc, for after all a Big Cat is a predator at the top of the food chain here in the UK.

I on the other hand come to this as a Professional Pest Controller, part of this duty is live stock protection especially within the Agricultural sector, so if there is a Big Cat making this area its territory, I will come into close proximity to said beasts at some point, now this said both Danny and I work the same way, you see most sightings are in a half light, seeing a Black Labrador or large black dog or someone's cat and your mind playing tricks on you, kills are more often than not that of Foxes or Badger and even Dogs so almost always the kill is anything but a Big Cat.

Like I say Danny and I think the same way, we must rule out everything else making a sighting or a kill etc anything but that of a Big Cat, then when we have ruled out everything else and all that we are left with, is the option of a big cat , now we really do have our work cut out for us.

You see like the Police we get there after the events have unfolded, one lady at our Big Cats Of Britain talk called us just recently the modern day Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson of the animal kingdom, well all I will say on that is I don't smoke a pipe so call me Dr.

Now getting there after a kill or indeed sightings, we have to build up a picture as if we were forensic scientists on a murder scene, usually the scene of a possible Big Cat kill has been contaminated, by this I mean every fox, badger, rat, squirrel, crow has had a go at the carcass, more often than not there are dog tracks all over the place, dog poo you name it, as its either a dog walker or a farmer that finds the kill sight.

That alone really compromises the entire scene, so as you can see we have our work cut out for us, this coupled with possible sightings in an area all build a picture but are no way near conclusive evidence of a Big Cat.

Now we have to eliminate everything else, until we find possible evidence of a Big Cat, this is when we have to think like the beast itself, we have to do a detailed examination of the carcass, if its not too badly decayed as quite often its been there a while and maggots do what they do best and well all the evidence is gone, but if we have a fresh kill, we stand a chance, carefully skinning the kill is another skill of a Countryman, we are looking for puncture wounds, especially around the throat or back of the neck, as that is where a Cat strikes to immobilize the quarry.

Sometimes depending on what type of Cat we are dealing with, there are claw grab marks to the quarry beast where the predator held on, in this case a Big Cat, especially if the beast is of a bigger size than that of the Cat that is attacking etc.

*These are stock photos from elsewhere NOT from North Somerset, they are just used to illustrate what we are writing about and for reference only.*

I called Danny in to help me on a local estate here in North Somerset, I had reports of livestock being killed, then I had deer being killed, I went out on foot tracking and building up a picture, I was trying to find anymore kills than we had already, as these were all older kills and too decomposed for any evidence to eliminate that of a fox/badger or big cat etc.

Indeed, I did find more kills on the estate, as always the first to find death are the corvids (crow family) or as they are known when seen in a group, a Murder of Crows, they are like vultures and will find a kill site in no time at all, again they alone will contaminate a site and destroy all evidence.

I got to kill site number two just in the nick of time, it was the fresh kill of a young Roe Deer, upon examination, I could see it was of a large yearling, one of last years fawns, after extensive examination and skinning the beast and finding puncture wounds to its neck, thus eliminating Man/dog or other beasts, I determined this to be the possible kill of a Big Cat.

Again this is a stock photo as the original of the exact kill is a little too gruesome to share.

I tracked and traced the area, I became The Cat Itself, how would I have stalked up on this prey animal, how would I ambush it, I swept out wider going inside the woodland, the deer carcase lay just on the woodland's edge on a game trail that most animals used to access the meadow, the Big Cat would also know this and hunt this game trail, I found the deer tracks coming from deep inside the woodland and tracked them right back to the kill site.

I asked myself was this Cat laying in wait ready to ambush the deer? or did it stalk in following the deer /game trail? or did it just get lucky? I tracked in again this time literally with the eye of the Tiger, I noticed a perfect limb of a tree over hanging about nine feet above the game trail just above the kill itself.

I could not take my eye off that limb, it well just called out to me, Danny will tell you the same when you become the predator you see the world in a different way, when a true Countryman is out in mother nature you sort of have, or learn a sixth sense, in the film Crocodile Dundee they made a bit of a joke about this, or did they cleverly disguise the sixth sense of a true countryman, I will leave that and your imagination to work that one out for yourselves.

P.S I am the one on the right wearing the hat, if were comparing ourselves in this picture, lol Danny would be happy to be the Aboriginal ;-)

The more I stood there, the more I looked around that tree limb, it just kept calling out to me, like something primeval to the predator, Hunter, Countryman in me, for if I were a Cat that's exactly were I would ambush my prey from, a nice comfy limb, up off the ground so my scent would not be picked up at ground level, with lots of over hanging cover to disguise me, the deer would have simply walked underneath me on the game trail completely unaware of the danger from above, I would not have to work for my dinner at all, it would come to me if I were a Cat, after all Cats are very intelligent animals and will not waste energy or time stalking when the dinner will come to you, Cats are also lazy creatures too, just look at the house cat a smaller version of what we are talking about here, most of the time you wont know the cats there until it wants feeding.

When the time was right BANG the cat pounced on this young deer who was completely unaware the Cat was there, the Cat would of effortlessly killed that young deer and set about feeding on it, by the time I found the carcass it was still fresh but cold, so was not so fresh I had disturbed the Cat over the kill itself, that's not saying the cat was not there watching me as they are masters of camouflage too, its one reason I always carry a loaded shot gun when inspecting kills or tracking these beasts, its an insurance a back up just in case one looks at me as a predator challenging its kill etc, I would not shoot unless human life was threatened, I was lucky to find this one as often Cats will drag their kill off to deep cover that's one reason fresh kills are hard to find until they decompose or stink.

Again these are stock photos used for illustration purposes only and NOT from here in North Somerset.

Over the coming weeks I had more kills in the area, I called in specialist equipment from some of my sponsors, like dedicated Night Vision from NiteSite and even Thermal Imaging Cameras from Night Master, although my apprentice and I had built up a picture and indeed saw large cats, we were too far away to make a positive identification of the species etc, you must remember that this all happened at night and on Camera, indeed we filmed what we saw and have sent the videos etc off to a specialist company to see if they can clean the footage up a bit.

Nothing else for it I had to call in Danny to help, as they say two heads are better than one, I knew I was dealing with more than one animal too, I called Danny we discussed at length what was happening, the kills the local sightings and my reports etc, Danny agreed to come down and help and bring his extensive collection of motion sensor cameras.

The night before Danny came I was out on the estate as normal, Thermal Imaging camera in hand sat watching a kill that I had found a few days before, I was approximately three hundred meters away across and open stubble field looking at the kill on the edge of the woodland.

The best part about this Thermal Imaging Spotter, there is an app you can get on your phone, so who ever is with you can see what you are seeing through the camera.

It was a windy night, the clouds racing across the sky against the full moon, my apprentice said this is a bit scary tonight, I laughed and said sit in my truck if your that worried, you can still see on the phone what I see on the camera, I leaned on the wing mirror to steady my arm, I could see all the fields and woodlands out in front of me very clearly, we were right next to a small coppice of woodland parked on the road that lead to the farm house.

After some time, there stood right by the kill a large heat source appeared, I could easily see as I zoomed the thermal camera in it was the outline of a Cat, right away my experience told me that was outline of a Puma, smaller head large muscular athletic body, my apprentice took some screen shots as I videoed the Cat.

This was when my sixth sense kicked into gear, I felt like I was being watched, then on the tarmac road just behind me I heard a sort of click, almost like when my dog jumps from the road into my truck, I span round just catching a heat source disappear into the small wooded coppice we were parked next too.

I took a step to my right towards the back door of my truck, there peaking around a tree twenty five yards away was a Lynx, it had come round on the wind and scented us, I would say it was just being inquisitive to see what we were doing and not aggressive in any way, if you have read my Big Cats 1 or Big Cats 2 articles, you will know more often than not these cats really are inquisitive and just want to know what we are or what we are doing, I said to my apprentice get in the car as I backed off keeping my eye on the Lynx, WOW what a wonderful but heart pumping moment that all lasted no more than a moment.

Danny came the next day and I told him of the night before, we agreed the Lynx was just being inquisitive to what we were doing etc, it posed no threat, I took him up to the kill sites on this North Somerset Estate, not giving him any of my pictures or telling him anything as he wanted to look at it with fresh eyes, I will leave you for now and let Danny tell the rest and I will come back to you later in this article.

So Over To Danny Nineham, The Big Cat Consultant.

Well, I arrived on the estate, and I thought to my self, WOW what a beautiful setting, no two fields looked the same, each had its own character, although I was seeing them in their wet winter glory. I am very passionate about the countryside as I was fortunate enough to have grow up in it , living off the land and still do to this day.

Surrounding some of these fields were a number of ancient deciduous woodlands creating the perfect cover for wildlife. So, where do you start, of course at the beginning.

My very first question to my dear friend Mr Rob Collins was, where are the water troughs located for the livestock? and are there any natural streams or ponds on the estate? Because, if you have a big cat on your land it's first priority is to locate water, we all need WATER, without it you will die. These are the areas we need to concentrate on and set up a number of motion detection cameras.

So, off we went to look at the decaying carcass of a roe deer. It was still positioned where it had been killed and eaten, so, the kill and feed site where the same location in a large field that still had the stubble left from the recent crop, in a corner close to a small section of deciduous woodland.

The perfect spot for an ambush I thought. As is most predation incidents I get called out to the carcass has nearly always been contaminated, picked over and devoured by other scavengers leaving very little but the skeleton.

Now, bones can tell you a story if you know what to look for. A leopard will often smash with its paw the ribs of a prey animal, a puma will very often separate the vertebrae behind the head, also an exotic cat will lick the bones of its prey clean with its tongue which is like a rasp, also you can find the damage that their carnassial teeth do on the skull, so, whilst bent over the stinking remains, I started scanning the surrounding area from a predators perspective and it didn't take me long to build a mental picture of the many game trails that run up and down the field.

Alongside me stood Rob, shotgun in hand just in case a big cat was still lying low in the area, this is essential back up when putting yourself in a dangerous situation like I was, kneeling down acting like a prey animal over a kill and feed site.
Into the corner of the ancient deciduous woodland I climbed over a wire fence, from this location I was able to see a well used game trail meandering through a thick layer of English ivy creating the most beautiful evergreen ground cover with a network of paths leading of the main trail.

I turned around and looking back out into the field my eye followed the rather long well cut hedge that stands 4feet tall and separated the field from another, it was hollow through the middle, there was also a long thick branch that had fallen from a large oak tree a long time ago and was forming a warm cozy resting place in the hedge for any predator, out of sight, warm and with the perfect vantage point.

So, I thought this was to be my first location for a camera, pointing back along the game trail into the woodland to capture any animal that traveled this way, so, out comes my military compass to determine north, Rob quickly confirmed this as well as like me he knows natural navigation but the compass just confirmed what we both already knew.

I've been using digital motion detection cameras for a good few years now and I've learnt to avoid unwanted false triggers due to fluctuating temperatures, you don't want your cameras facing a heat source like the sun, so always face your cameras north and south. I also clear the lower branches and tall grasses and weeds very carefully with my secateurs trying not to disturb the area to much but if you don't trim you will end up with hundreds of photographs of a branch or tall weeds blowing in the wind.
Onwards and upwards.

I followed the game trail meticulously on my hands and knees covering every inch and leaving no stone unturned, finding plenty of wildlife tracks and sign, from squirrels, rabbits, badger, fox and roe deer, at the same time looking up into every sizeable tree for a branch that had a clear vantage point, finding a few that looked rather promising.

I spotted one such tree, a large beech that had a spectacular curved trunk, so up I got crawling along the bough looking for hair or scratch marks and anything out of place.

Underneath this ancient tree was an old cave, and an old drystone wall long forgotten covered in thick laurel bushes and scrub, the perfect resting place for a big cat.

As I worked my way along another game trail through the woodland three beautiful roe deer in perfect condition took of to my left.

Finally, this trail lead me into another small woodland primarily deciduous with a few tall pine trees dotted around, this area of woodland has a number of deep circular depressions and rock formations scattered around rather random, remnants from its past.

The game trail continued to the corner of the woodland where it went under the fence line and out into another field. Positioned in the middle of this game trail was this old ancient yew tree, this was to be my second location for a camera, this one would cover the whole corner of this area, including the field. Climbing over yet another barbed wire fence, I ventured over to a water trough that was fixed into an open space in the hedgerow, whilst standing over it I looked down onto it with an Ariel view and instantly spotted some tracks that were in the very tall grass leading up to the trough on the other side.

These tracks jumped out at me instantly, very circular in shape with a gait of a walk, there was very little straddle and an average stride length measuring up to a big cat. These tracks just stopped at the trough, becoming the animal I visualised what happened next.

It lapped up some water whilst surveying all the time around it, then disappeared through a hole under the fence-line next to the trough and followed along the hedgerow and disappeared under the fence-line up into the deciduous woodland that I had just come from. By this time darkness was upon us and the rain started coming down so I quickly set up another camera on the water trough finally calling it a day. I went back to the estate with Rob on a number of other occasions over the weeks ahead to add other motion detection cameras in another section of ancient deciduous woodland on some well used game trails that roe deer, foxes, badgers, rabbits and squirrels were using regularly.

We also walked around every field and every inch of hedge-line following it meticulously looking for any sign, pug-marks, hair, scat or a hollow that could be used for a day bed, which I found, at that moment Rob shouted over from the other side of the hedge saying, "come and have a look at this..." ahh, now I know why he's called The Ole Hedge Creeper he has the eyes of a Hawk and the instincts of the Wild...at last, something tangible, a scat, left on the surface only a few hours old.

I broke it open with a forked stick from the hedgerow looking for any bones or fur, the smell was of ammonia. More often than not big cats will bury their scat but on occasions they will leave them along their travel trails to warn others it's their territory (Like a fox does) and other predators.

Here Danny has found were a beast has urinated.

So, to sum up our findings, we have had several black Leopard and Puma sightings by some very reliable locals in the immediate area, including Rob and his apprentice...now, if an offence was committed an eye witness testimony would stand up in a court of law, so, I class a good clear sighting as an important piece of evidence. Rob and his apprentice have seen three different species of exotic cats on the land, we have had several roe deer kills we know of and found the scat and a day bed plus the track evidence I discovered at the trough, alas we captured no big cat this time on camera but It's typical, a big cat will move through its vast territory silently killing undetected in most instances and finally moving on before I arrive to pick up the pieces and put them together.

To be continued as more sightings come in weekly...

After all the goings on, I talked Danny into doing one of his famous Big Cat Talks, although Danny is retired now from doing the talks as he has a lot of personal commitments, I twisted his arm as I knew this would be a great thing to do here in North Somerset and all in aid of Pass It On Young Sports.

I head up this awesome little organization of volunteers, who donate their time to inspire young people and their families all about Field Sports and Conservation, how it all walks hand in hand, indeed Danny is a passionate supporter and volunteers any of his spare time to the cause, so I knew that this was a perfect carrot to use to talk Danny into putting on one of his famous talks all about the Big Cats Of Great Britain with his glamorous assistant yours truly.

The Big Cats Of Britain Talk, we held it at the Ring O Bells Public House in Nailsea on the 20th of January 2018, it was a sell out crowd, we literally could not fit another person in the function room and there was standing room only, we had a wonderful buffet put on by Dave the landlord.

The talk itself was in two parts, the first half was a slide show, Danny talking about his work on Big Cats, this covered well over four Decades worth of his work and his consulting to the Police the Army and even the SAS and more, this first half blew the minds of the audience, if there were any skeptics or non believers they soon reverted to true believers by the time Danny had finished talking, We then stopped for a break to have the buffet and refreshments and obviously a toilet break, Danny was inundated with people wanting to talk to him.

The second half was showing his vast display of evidence photographs and skulls and more, all properly documented I might add showing Danny as a true professional, Then we opened up the floor and asked for questions from the people, who all wanted to tell us about their sightings etc, it became very apparent that sighting had happened in areas both Danny and I had investigated in the past, either on our own or together especially our most recent work together here in North Somerset, these sightings just reaffirmed the evidence we already had proving those Cats existed in those areas and were indeed territories of said animals, Danny and I relayed stories to the crowd as they did back to us, we answered their questions as best we could, the evening came to an end all too soon,

The Big Cat Talk, was such a massive hit that we have received literally hundreds of emails/Face Book Messages/texts/letters & phone calls asking can we do another, Big Cats Of Britain Talk again.

Well after chatting with Danny and the venue, the answer to that is YES, so if you want to come to the next one, its now on the 27th of October 2018 from 6pm until 10pm, you can either get tickets from The Ring O Bells Pub in Nailsea or by calling my secretary on 07501962893 or by going online to www.theoutpostshop.co.uk and clicking on The Big Cats link, but be quick as tickets are limited and will sell out fast.

All that's left to say is I hope you have enjoyed this article on The Big Cats Of Britain, come to our talk it will blow your mind.

Big Cats III
By The Ole Hedge Creeper & Danny Nineham (The Big Cat Consultant)

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A Year Gone By

24/12/2017

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A Year Gone By
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Well there it is, in the blink of an eye yet another year has passed and WOW what a year it was too, I really don’t know where to start, so much has happened this year, not just for me personally, my businesses have really flourished this year with so many new clients being added to the books, I don’t think year really could of gone any better, well apart from being knighted that is, but shhhhh mums the word for now as something like that maybe on the cards for the new year.

The Ole Hedge Creeper, what a year, I am that busy I have met myself coming back so many times now, my stand up shows have been such a huge hit this passed 2 years with so many bookings, I am now actually finding myself turning shows down, I take pride in every show I put on weather its a pigeon or wildfowling demo a game cooking demo a night vision demo and so much more, I make all my shows hysterically funny, inspiring and educational, I really have drawn some huge crowds but not forgetting the young sports, you see I incorporate the kids as volunteers from the crowds so they really are the stars of the show, the more laughter from the crowd and cheers the more the crowd build, I actually have people at shows booking time slots to watch my shows now and volunteering their kids and in many cases themselves to take part in my shows, I am already booked out until December 2018 for my shows with very few spaces left.

My Masonic career that I take very seriously for its all about charity has really progressed, I am now a member of 2 more lodges and about to join one of the worlds most prestigious ones after being invited to join, not something all masons aspire to so I must be doing something right to be invited to join those noble ranks, I have also been asked to head up the Somerset branch of a national masonic fishing charity (www.mtsfc.org.uk) a great honour and a post I have gratefully accepted, this is a charity that works close to my heart, for its about giving children in need those with problems etc a new passion ans something to aspire too, its also for anyone in need like veterans with PTSD etc another thing close to my heart and well just about anybody with problems or special needs, take a look at their website for you maybe able to help, you don’t have to be a mason to join in and help, I have also been working a lot in the main stream media this year with the BBC and others not only actively defending field sports but also conservation and how it walks hand in hand, also taking up the fight against this ghastly idea of licensing sub powered air rifles, for I say education is the key not more licensing, and that’s why our Pass It On Young Sports Air Rifle range is so important, for its founded on education and a passion to pass the right firearms training on to our children. www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk

The Woodspring Pigeon Shooting & Wildfowling Club to which I am Chairman again has grown this year, our young sports section is over flowing with a great many family memberships, our management team also support and help run Pass It On Young Sports, this year we have added a great many new sporting venues taking us up to just over the 30.000 acre mark, we have 3 main game shoots and several ponds and Wildfowling options, the club have not done much with the wildfowling side this year, due mainly to the fact we consider there to be a decline in the wildfowl in our areas, this could be due to many things like the mild weather or predation of building houses etc on flight lines, there is more to write but not on this article, we have had some amazing pigeon shooting and vermin control this year and all the club getting in some fine sport. www.woodspring-pigeon-shooting.co.uk

Pass It On Young Sports has grown from strength to strength this last year, now with Pass It On Young Sports Scotland & Wales being launched, and the Welsh Director launching an amazing very first taster day, it was so well attended I was in ore, the Welsh people really are some fine country sporting folk, so many new families were introduced to field sports and conservation, so between head office that is based in my beloved North Somerset England and The Welsh regional office our teams really proved our mantra this year, just the Scottish team to do something now, we are hoping to have an Irish regional Director coming on board for 2018 so watch this space.

All our taster days in England are so well attended now, this years ferret show was awesome with competitors coming from all over the country and some fine young sport ferret handlers too, for me the best bit was when a young girl won the Pass It On Young Sports working ferret championship, she saw off some fine working ferrets and handlers I telle, she had great pleasure in showing me her photos of her out traditionally ferreting with her Dad and her ferrets, I was smiling like a Cheshire cat I telle muckers, traditional ferreting is my all time favourite field sport, so a young sport winning my personal working ferret trophy I sponsor, well I can telle my heart was beating from my chest with pride.

The Fishing match, wow what a turn out of fathers and sons mums and daughters all wanting to win top spot, the event was sponsored by JP ANGLING of Bristol who also judges it too, the final was won by young Chris Stokes a fine young sports of 8 years old who loves air rifle shooting and with his Dad Big Chris has fished all over the country and world, he is a very lucky young man to have a Dad like he does, I got to witness young Chris play a 9lb common carp that took him all over the lake, the fish put up a mighty battle for 25 mins, but young Chris fought back and played that fish like a professional beyond his 8 years, he got it to the net 5 times and each time it took off, young Chris finally landed it single handed and was exhausted just as the whistle blew to say end of match, all in all a fabulous taster day and fishing match at a new venue, the 2018 fishing match will be back at Jackland’s Fishing Lakes.

The Pass It On Young Sports Air Rifle Range, WOW seriously could not have gone any better, since we launched it back in May 2017 and meet every other Tuesday at The Ring O Bells Public House in Nailsea, its just gone from strength to strength, we are now looking to extending it and adding two more shooting lanes we are that busy, new families come every time as the word has got out about this mighty little range, we have even had schools wanting us to put on events for them, each session we have a marksmanship championship, the top young sport gets a trophy that they have to bring back to defend in two weeks time, the same for the Adults too, we also have on top of all the training medals and certificates for the safest shot the top sportsman or indeed woman as we have a lot of mum and daughters coming along too, even the BBC have come along and filmed with us and BBC radio did a live broadcast with us, so I say HURRAH we really are promoting shooting sports in the best and proper light for all to see, our motto really does stand tall as a shining light from The East smib. TOGETHER WE CAN INSPIRE.
www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk

The Out Post Shop, lets start with the shop, my Shop has gotten so busy now I have had to take on a secretary to help with the running of everything, many of you have met Mag’s she really is a god send and runs my diary and office now as I am too busy, The Out Post Shop is growing day by day and is the place to get all The Ole Hedge Creepers endorsed products, if they don’t do what they say on the tin they don’t get stocked on my shelves, so anything you buy from my shop you know it comes with my golden thumbs up seal of approval, its also the place on line you can get all my books and game cookery books, all profits go directly to Pass It On Young Sports thus helping inspire and secure the futer of Country Sports. www.theoutpostshop.co.uk

Really Wild Adventures & Really Wild Pest Control & Deer and Habitat Management Services, what can I say here this company started as a little English Acorn in the back of my mind some three years ago, since then its gone from that Acorn to a seedling and now mighty fine sapling, give her a few years and she will be a mighty English Oak in all her splendour, this passed year so many new clients have come on board booking us time and time again, weather corporate or domestic we pride ourselves in our services and customer service to be second to none, take a look at our website and see for yourself, now I have been running a pest control company for may years and been a professional in that industry for a couple of decades now, it seemed only right to bring this company in house, a decision that has turned out to be a brilliant one, we have many VIP clients on our books ranging from councils to sports clubs and some well known celebrities, we stand behind our mantra and that is we are The Ecological Green Pest Control Company, we don’t use any poisons unless absolutely necessary, although all our pest techs are very experienced and qualified we prefer the green approach to pest control, as we say Poison Free Pest Control At It Finest here at Really Wild Pest Control, that’s why we have some of the huge conservation clients on our books and more. www.reallywildadventures.co.uk

The Countryman’s Diary, what can I say about this mighty little English Field Sports Magazine, it was the brain child of two rough ole country boys from The West Country, Greg from Cornwall and Rob(me) from Somerset, 6 years ago at The British Shooting Show whilst we were both working for another well known country magazine Greg and I came up with the idea for The Countryman’s Diary, well as they say the rest is history as we have out grown ourselves twice, the best way to do our humble little magazine that punches way above and beyond her weight justice, is quite simply to say go over and read her.
www.countrymans-diary.co.uk

Gun Ice, again this is a brain child of two back woods good ole country boys from The West Country, the full story is on the website, but Greg and Rob are both very proud of this for it actually saves lives, so go on the website and read the full story and get yourself a gun ice for it saves lives, can you afford to go out and dance with mother nature without one. www.gun-ice.co.uk

Final words from The Ole Hedge Creeper, I have been flying the flag all year from the bow of our Mighty Ship made from the finest English Oak, I have lead my team into days were we show field sports and conservation walk hand in had to over 2600 inner city school kids from 91 inner city schools, we have worked with The BBC TV and Radio promoting what I/we stand for and that’s the correct and ethical balance that comes from field sports and conservation, I have hunted/shot/trapped and fished all over the country, one memorable day was with my Dad and Uncle Dave down in Dorset beach casting for mackerel, there are so many days this year that stick in my memory and too many to put down on paper, you should read my articles on the countryman’s diary magazine, I have written in depth on there all about this year, I will let some of the pictures do the talking for now on this end of year round up.

All that’s left for me to do now is wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year, see you on the other side in 2018 for tiz proper job muckers I telle.
Www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk

A Year Gone BY
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

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FAREWELL TO THE BEAST

22/11/2017

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FAREWELL TO THE BEAST
We Say Good By To The Awesome Air Arms Galahad

As I sit here and put pen to paper as it were I do so with a tear in my eye, you see I have been on a journey of discovery and it has now come to an end, I have made it quite clear in my past humble scribbles that I am not a Bull Pup Air Rifle fan, I really see no point in them heavy cumbersome things trying to cock them up by your ear and most of them no real advantage over a classic sporting air rifle, I still say my own Air Arms S410 Classic is the best there is, that said the Air Arms Galahad has really grown on me and I have come to love the beast.

I still am in 2 minds weather spend the money and keep this magnificent gun in my collection before it has to go back, The Beast as I call her is as sweet on the eyes as the first frosts of winter but packs an almighty accurate punch on target, the cocking mechanism I have come to love and tailored my stalking and shooting to her now remembering to check she is still in the cocked position before taking the shot and making sure the cocking lever has not silently touched my jacket and un cocked herself.

I took the Galahad on 2 final outings just recently as a well sort of bon voyage a fond farewell after one last dance together before she goes back to Air Arms and Air Arms send me a new gun to put through its paces, I really cant rave on about this awesome little ball pup enough I telle, and she has re fired a passion for Air Arms Air Rifles that I have had since 1988 and the first Air Arms air Rifle I ever had and that was the Camargue .

The first hunt I was called into a vermin job on a cattle yard, the pigeons/corvids and rodents were playing havoc on the silage pits, not just what they were eating but what they were pooing on too, the farm was having a visit from the little red tractor and things needed sorting fast.

I started in the afternoon and the first jackdaw fell to the Galahad as it sat on a grain silo sunning itself in the winter sun, a perfect head shot from 44m away on the range finder with a Air Arms Diablo .22 pellet in a good wind too, like I say this sweet little gun and I work together like a well oiled machine.

I sat in the truck and reversed it back into an empty silage pit with a good access of a cattle feeder and another silage pit right in front of me, I find using the truck as a mobile hide really works well the birds and animals take no notice of it and it keeps your scent off the ground, almost immediately I shot a magpie it flipped over on its back so I went out and put it on its front and put the jack daw out too as a decoy, a wood pigeon came in to have a feed so I added that to the bag too, then all hell broke loose as the magpies came in cackling their rattle and going mad, what I didn’t know was the farm cat was on the prowl that accompanied with my dead birds sent the corvids into over drive, for the next hour all I shot was mag pie after mag pie, there was one more magpie than what is in the picture but he dropped in the poo pit so he stayed were he was, I finished that shoot very happy indeed, I am going to miss this gun I telle.

That evening I started on the rats around the place, this time with the brilliant Night Master Venom torch with the green pill on the Galahad, I telle rats/rabbits even foxes take no notice of them green pill Venom's from Night Master I telle and that is one reason I stock them in my shop www.thoutpostshop.co.uk as they are worth every penny, I would of use the awesome Nitesite Eagle Rtec on the rats but it was in for a service so a Venom it was.

Those rats never knew what hit them as rat after rat fell to the Galahad/Venom combo with The Ole Hedge creeper behind the butt I telle, the picture of rats really does not do it justice as I had to go back in daylight to find the rest as they were every were, another bit of kit I had on loan from Night Master for another job was the thermal Pulsar Helion, that bit of kit is a game changer and I found rats I never would of seen with Night Vision or Lamp but alas that's a bit of kit out of my price range, I will have to wait till the prices come down before I can afford one of those, Night Master a great range but still too rich for my purse.

All in all a fabulous day putting the Galahad through her paces and enjoying one last mighty hunt with this magnificent little rifle, so as she sails off in the good ship Air Arms I bid a fond farewell to my girl in the hopes one day we will meet again.

I also took the ole Air Arms S410 out on a rabbit hunt, my NiteSite was still in for service to I use the dual light of the Deben light force lamp the new one, wow simply amazing being able to switch between a red filter and a white filter at the flick of a switch, ole brook my Black Labrador joined me who was a great help picking up rabbits in the long grass, all in all a great end to the week even though I was sad to see the Galahad go back I still have my beloved S410.

Farewell To The Beast
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk

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The Return Of the Beast

5/10/2017

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Air Arms Galahad
The Return Of the Beast

Its been a long hot summer here for The Ole Hedge Creeper, what with all my vermin control job's running Really Wild Pest Control, that coupled with running the corporate events company Really Wild Adventures and all my duties heading up Pass It On young Sports, doing taster days and game fairs etc, then we started off the Pass It On Young Sports Air Rifle Range too, as you can tell I have hardly had 5 mins to put pen to paper as it were, although I have enough material and photos etc to keep writing for the next 10 years.

I have really been putting these Air Arms Galahads through their paces these last few months, Everything has fallen to them in fine style I telle, rats/feral pigeons/mixed corvids/wood pigeons/squirrels and the humble bunny have all been on its kill list.

I am not a ball pup fan but I telle this Galahad is a surgical instrument in my hands, it fits me like my favorite pair of slippers and hits like a steam train with pin point accuracy.

I have said before I don't write technical articles, its not because I cant its because they bore the living daylights out of me, the pellet weighed this and that, I washed it and sized them in this, the gun is made from this metal plastic and wood, my only interest is what does it feel like what does it shoot like and how much is the cost, the rest I will leave others to write about.

I do a lot of my vermin control shooting from the truck, you see my theory is that especially in Agricultural Vermin Control, the vermin are used to seeing the movement of tractors/trucks and the like and don't pay them much attention, it also means you are upwardly mobile over bigger distances, plus the fact its a comfy mobile hide and if the weather turns inclement its a dry warm place to be and still hunt from.

That said a lot of the equestrian centers I am doing rabbit control on the truck really has been the best thing, as the rabbits are as spooky as hell with people walking about due to folk taking pot shots at them whilst on foot, but the trucks they take no notice off even running under me as I am parked there.

I recall taking my secretary out with me showing her what we do so she can deal with my clients on the phone with some degree of knowledge, the rabbits just kept coming out on this VIP equestrian center taking no notice of the truck what so ever not even when I shot their mates, the moment I got out we did not see another rabbit for an hour, so I say the proofs in the pudding on that one, give it a try yourself see how you get on with it.

One tip is to put the sun visors down as this creates a mirror effect from the outside, thus making it harder to see inside the trucks cab, it works a treat I telle muckers, again this Air Arms Galahad shot like a dream and took the rabbits from 65 yards back to 10 yards without any trouble at all, of course it has a lot to do with the nut behind the but too, I recommend Hawk Scopes on any air rifle for me they are quite simply the best and I get on well with them, I also use Air Arms Field Diablo pellets in either 177 or 22 for me they are the best.

I also had Young Sport Nathan join me on my agricultural Vermin Control rounds, his Dad is Big Glyn my North Wales Regional Director for Pass It On Young Sports, Glyn was down for a few days helping me with some vermin jobs as well as we had one of our famous taster days for Pass It On Young Sport on the Sunday,.

Nathan joined me and borrowed my little Browning M Blade junior air rifle, its a nice very accurate junior air rifle and kills cleanly out to 25 yards, Nathan had never shot a live target before so I said I would give the boy some lessons Ole Hedge Creeper stylie.

We drove around one of the VIP horse places that are one of my oldest clients, I put his Dad on squirrel duty in one of the big woods with an Air Arms S400, I drove down towards the offices there sat two fat wood pigeons sunning themselves on the fence, a perfect chance for young Nathan 20 yards with a cracking open hill back stop right behind it.

I stopped the truck the pigeons did not move taking no notice of us what so ever, I whispered take your time get your breathing right and squeeze off the shot, he squeezed off the shot the distinct sound of a spring power air rifle was heard one pigeon flew off the other fell to the floor hardly flapping to a perfect head shot, Nathan squeaked I got it with a smile as wide as a Cheshire cat.

Now you have to go retrieve it I said, the look on his face was priceless what you mean I have to actually touch it, well yes lad how else are you going to pluck it and breast it and I show you how to cook it, what I have to take its feathers off he asked, I laughed and said yes of course boy they taste better with the feathers off.

I took some pics and sent them to his Dad who was overjoyed as was his Mum, so much so his Dad has now bought a Browning M Blade off my shop (www.theoutpostshop.co.uk) for the boy, Nathan retrieved it in fine style and now chews his Dads ear off to take him shooting with him, I think that's another young sport ambassador recruit for field sports don't you.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it, and if you want a ball pup that's an all rounder and as good as a full sized air rifle, look no further than an Air Arms Galahad with a Hawk scope mounted on it, you wont be disappointed I telle.

By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk

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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 main place of course is the
Countrymans Diary,.

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.

It’s Just A Dog​ By The Ole Hedge Creeper

The Rhodes To My Greek Adventure. By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Click here to edThe Olight M20SX Javelot Hunting Light Setit.

Out Foxing Charlie 12 By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Flat Out Like A Lizard Drinking

By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Big Cats III By The Ole Hedge Creeper & The Big Cat Man

A Year Gone By By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Air Arms Galahad The Return Of the Beast

About the Archive

Archives

Categories

It’s Just A Dog
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

The Rhodes To My Greek Adventure.
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Out Foxing Charlie 12
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Big Cats III
By The Ole Hedge Creeper & The Big Cat Man

A Year Gone By
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

Air Arms Galahad
The Return Of the Beast