The Ole Hedge Creeper
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Night Pearl International The Ole Hedge Creeper Joins The Night Pearl International Team

6/8/2021

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Night Pearl International
The Ole Hedge Creeper Joins The Night Pearl International Team

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Many months ago my very good friend and top Russian Hunter and Journalist Alex and I spoke all about the Night Pearl thermal System, we discussed in great detail our experience with this awesome product, I had purchased my own Night Pearl Thermal Spotter some three years previously when I was with that amazing British Company NiteSite, alas its with great sadness to me they had to close their doors, I still love their products and the people behind the company too, Alex had been testing the Night Pearl systems for several months and reported to me how great they were, this was no surprise like I say I parted with my hard earned cash to buy one of their units personally for myself and my professional hunting etc, now this is something I don't do easily, for those that know me will tell you I am tighter than a ducks backside and that's water tight, I don't part with my hard earned unless I am 101% positive what I am buying suits my needs and does what it says on the tin, this ethos I carry on in my humble scribbles and reviews etc, for if it does not do what it says on the tin I wont say it will, you don't have enough pieces of silver in your bank to buy my soul, I was brought up your word is your bond, your firm hand shake and looking in your eyes seals that contract, so when I say something works for me it does, my word is gold and that you can take to the bank.
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Alex and I discussed further not only the thermal spotter system, but what really caught my eye was the front add on thermal scope, the Seer 35 Elite system to be precise, Alex assured me this was a quality product and exactly what I was looking for to replace my awesome NiteSite Dark Ops set up, as many of you know I am not only a passionate hunter and conservationist, I also do this professionally, I need no demand a good quality set up, for me the price matters not it has to do what it says on the tin, I tried several other leading brands of thermal and night vision, but quite simply they did not work for me, this was when the light went off with Alex, I had a look at this Night Pearl system, immediately it just worked for me, so Alex kindly put me in touch with the right people at Night Pear International, with several months of talks and well getting to know each other, I was just about to put my hand in my pocket and buy a Seer front add on Thermal scope, this was when the wonderful people at Night Pearl asked would I consider joining their international team, WOW what an honour, apparently I have impressed them on my professional/ethical approach to hunting and conservation, as it turns out the folks from Night Pearl are exactly the same as me with the same ethics etc, I did make it clear from the start I don't blow smoke up backsides, my word is my bond and I shoot straight, if a product don't do what it says on the tin they will hear about it, I was relieved to hear this was what they wanted, true honest reviews of their products by real hunters, no glory boys being told what to write with 20 pieces of silver, as it turns out almost all the staff at Night Pear from the top to the bottom are all hunters, so I can officially say these products are made by Hunters for Hunter with ethical Hunting and Conservation at its core, the fact the quality of these products really are up there with the world leaders in my book says it all.


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I arranged to meet Jacob on The Night Pear stand at The Game Fair Ragley 2021, we signed the contracts and so this Night Pearl Adventure has really started, although I did have a 3 year head start with the unit I purchased myself, I have told Night Pearl I will buy a Seer unit for myself as I am that impressed with it, I must send out a massive thank you to my dear friend Alex for the introduction, Alex can you send me an English version of your articles for the Russian Hunting magazines, the photos are awesome I just cant read the words without a translator.
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​The game Fair Ragley 2021 was awesome, I only managed to get off my stand and show wring once to go and see Night Pearl, the show itself looked amazing and the atmosphere was simply buzzing as my Young Sports would say, I have to say my stand and show ring really did look spectacular, a massive shout out to my team of volunteers here they did a truly magnificent job helping run it all, the stand was rammed packed full all weekend as was my show ring, one particular show took an unexpected hijacking, we finished the hilarious show as normal parents and other show goers calling for more, this is not unusual, as the saying goes don't work with kids or animals, the kids didn't want to leave the show ring, they wanted more, so we sat down Ole Hedge Creeper Style and did an ad lib story time round the fire, just like we do on the young sports camp outs, only this time we were sat in the middle of the show wring around my decoy display, I passed the microphone round the circle of kids saying tell us a story, I could see the parents cringing what their little darlings were going to come out with, all was going well with the usual funny stuff kids come out with, that was until we got to a five year old girl, I believe her name was Crystal, blonde hair, big blue eyes, a lovely little dress and a denim jacket, actually she reminded me of my daughter Shannon (26) at that age, so I handed her the microphone expecting tales of her toys and her big brother not being very nice, you know the usual stuff, OH NO HOW WRONG CAN I BE, first of all she said her name, pointed over and said that's my Mummy and big brother and sister, both were trying to hide behind their mother, Mummy waved and gave a glaring look, then Crystal came out with it, just like a right hook from Mike Tyson, she proudly announced that her Mother is a Doctor and she has a double jointed backside? Of course the whole place erupted in laughter, her Mother glared even more with steam coming out of her ears telling Crystal to shut up doing the cut sign, so I stupidly asked what makes you think your mum has a double jointed backside? She proudly said in a loud clear voice over the microphone that her mummy breaks wind a lot, actually she used the F word, as her mummy was a Doctor she explained her mummy told here this was why, Crystal also announced her mummy blows off so loud and it stinks, I think mummy fainted at this point.
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​Now Crystal was not done here, she then proudly announced loud and clear, do you know what my Mummy and Daddy do when her and her brother ans sister are in bed? She also said I know as I snook down and saw them on the sofa doing it? Doing what I asked? People were in fits of laughter and her mother still trying to tell her to shut up, she then loudly said my Mummy is trying to get fat? It tuns out when the kids are in bed Mummy and Daddy eat all the good chocolate and snacks and soft drinks, phew that was a close one, oh but no Crystal was not finished there, why Mummy was trying to get fat was that she sneaks down when Daddy is not there and scoffs al the good chocolate, Snacks and soft drinks all to herself, tears were rolling in fits of laughter all around my show ring, then Crystal out of the blue came out with you know slugs are snails who don't have a house, out of the mouth of babes, that innocence just fills my heart with joy, I did say I think your not in Mummy’s good books right now, she said no its OK she promised to buy me an ice cream, I thanked all the kids and sent them out of the ring, that has to be one of the funniest show ring demos I have ever done, I am tears of laughter just writing this and remembering it.
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​Back top Night Pearl, contracts signed we did a small photo shoot to welcome me on board as a member of The International Night Pearl Team, I must say their stand and products looked amazing, the sort of professional show stand I would expect to see at the prestigious British shooting Show at The NEC Birmingham or at the IWA in Germany or even The Shot Show in Las Vegas USA, the stand really was magnificent and the products well displayed, this just goes to show this brilliant companies ethos to professionalism and quality that really show in their products, especially where the metal meets the meat.
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I will say before I go any further the weak link in this chain is me not the equipment, my first time using the Seer 35 Front Add On Scope, the first thing I learnt here was the importance of having the right coupling to fit your normal scope, measure your scope and order the right size coupling to fit it, if you have more than one scope that's a different size then you might need more than one coupling, take a look at my video that's with this article it visually shows you better than I can write it, but changing scope to scope takes just seconds with this clip on system, the clarity is quite simply the best to date I have seen, the fact you don't have to re zero any rifle etc is a massive bonus too, the fact I don't like to waste expensive ammunition either really made this a product I am will to spend my own money on.
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The first hunt this was a learning curve in setting up a thermal scope system, read the instructions I hear you say, no I am a man I don't read instructions I just go at it man style, I can see the ladies tutting here and shaking their heads saying typical man, yup I sure am I am a rough ole country boy that's for sure, I got there in the end and got it all sorted, I was waiting for a Charlie Fox to come along, I had been called in by the estate manager, there was a fox playing havoc with the ground nesting birds on this nature reserve, especially the English Grey Partridge population, I watched Hares, Rabbits, Deer, Badgers, Voles, Tawny and Barn Owls go about their business none the wiser I was there in the complete darkness, this new Scops 50 Max II made everything clear as day, I could even see the vegetation, then the weather came in it started to rain so this stopped play.
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The very next night I was back at the conservation site again all set up and ready to go, the weather was perfects, a slight breeze with a little cloud about, it was not too hot or cold just right, I had a sporting rifle evening at the shooting club, so came straight from there after awarding the winners trophies out, Uncle Dave who many of you know as I have written about in my books and magazine articles before was there too, I told him I was heading out and he offered to come spot for me, this was a truly magical family moment for me, Uncle Dave was the man who started me off on my rifle shooting career along side my Pappy (Grandfather) my father was always a shot gun man, but in recent years has got into precision air rifle and rifle shooting, Uncle Dave was from childhood my mentor, in adult life he not actually seen me shoot, so this was the first time for both of us, now I could show this old master his student had mastered his teachings.
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We got out in position, I let Uncle Dave spot with the Scop Max 50 II he was amazed as he was always a tradition lamping man, but this New Thermal System just blew him away, he was just like a cave man that had just discovered fire or the well or something, this made it even more special for me especially showing my old mentor a new dimension bringing the darkness to light, again all the wild animals and birds of the night never knew we were there, a young roe buck walked right up to Uncle Dave not 10 yards away happily grazing none the wise we were there, of course we had the wind in our favour and a good back drop of the woodland behind us, he trotted off round the hillside to go see some roe doe, entrance stage left Charlie Fox, we both spotted him with the Night Pearl Thermal Spotters, I was using the one I bought 3 years previously as I wanted Uncle Dave to get a brilliant experience, I bumbled around trying to turn on the Seer Scope, like I say I am the weak link not the gear, I had actually turned off the power source, by the time I had figured out my mistake and growling like a grumpy bear, the fox was almost across the valley, I range found it with the in built range finder and it said 200 Yards, no time for any further adjustments I had to take the shot, I gave a loud rodent squeak, the fox stopped looking left to right with a good broad side shot, I squeezed off the shot, click bang thump, the fox was dead as soon as I let that lead injection go, a good clean ethical heart and lung shot to the engine room, this was made even more special as my old mentor let out a yes you got him my boy, that was a topping shot if ever I saw one, I don't know who was more proud at that moment, my ole mentor Uncle Dave, or me who was a boy again holding the lamp for Uncle Dave to Shoot dreaming I would be as good as my mentor one day, all this was made possible by the brilliant Night Pearl Company, just for that alone I cant thank them enough, I range found the fox with my own range finder just to see how accurate the gear was, yup bang on the money 203 yards.

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So there you have it folks I am now part of Night Pearl Team International as well as The Eley Ammunition International Out Doors Ambassador, I am that impressed with this gear, like I said I am going to buy my own scope with my own money, that's not something you will hear me say every day, I hope you have enjoyed my humble scribbles, take a look at the videos that are with this article, one for the Night Pearl thermal System and one for The Game fair Ragley 2021, if you would like to see this Night Pearl Gear in Action drop me a line or come see me display it at The South Yorkshire Shooting Show 2021 at Doncaster Race Course in the end of September.
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Please keep all the letters, emails, smoke signals and carrier pigeons coming into The Countryman’s Diary Magazine, I do try to get back to you all personally but some do slip through the purse net like a bolting December Rabbit on a cold frost morning, so until my next humble scribble please stay safe and well one and all.

Night Pearl International
The Ole Hedge Creeper
Joins The Night Pearl International Team​

By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
www.nightpearl.com
countrymans-diary.co.uk 
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Professional Poison Free Pest Control, The Professional V Amateur

1/7/2021

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Professional Poison Free Pest Control
​The Professional V Amateur

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I am constantly being asked what is the difference between a Professional and an Amateur Pest Controller? Well there is a vast difference, all be it often very subtle, in this article I will endeavour to answer that question, thus enlighten you on a life times experience from being an Amateur and a Professional in this field, I will also hope to take you along with me on my Professional Poison Free Pest Control Rounds as well as my Amateur shooting and hunting permissions.
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Where to start? I suppose we should start with The Amateur, I suppose what the Oxford English Dictionary definition of an Amateur is a good start.


The Amateur:
NOUNA person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis.
‘it takes five years for a top amateur to become a real Tour de France rider’




ADJECTIVEEngaging or engaged in without payment; non-professional.
‘amateur athletics’



There is also a huge difference where paperwork and qualifications come in to play, I will go deeper into this in the Professional Pest Controller section as there no point writing it twice, but there you go the Oxford English Dictionary states it quite clearly, its not your Job or Profession, you do not get paid for it.


Risk Assessments, Health and Safety, working with the correct GL licences and if needed applying for exact licences like Gull licences etc, as well as the correct Professional Insurance but to name just a small part of the difference between the Professional and The Amateur, also as an Amateur if you get paid even a gratuitous payment like the farmer giving you the shot gun cartridges or air rifle pellets etc, this counts as gratuitous payment ie wages, this also voids your standard Country Sports insurance, although The Scottish Association for Country Sports (SACS) do include an enhanced Country Sports Insurance that covers this, so longs this is not your Job ie your Profession, I would urge everyone to join SACS they are brilliant and really fight our corner where it counts.​

As an Amateur you get to go enjoy and your sport/pest control when it suits you, ie oh I think I might have a go on some rats at the piggery this week, no I wont bother its too cold/wet the Moon is in line with Mars all that mumbo jumbo, I have heard it before, but as a permission you are there when it suits you, many Amateurs I know do go the extra mile to do their best when needed, like my good friend Bucks Moocher he puts his heart and soul in to his pest control for his farmers, but he like everyone else has a day job that must come first, rent/mortgages/kids stuff/the car/the dog/house hold bills etc all have to be paid before you can go an enjoy your Amateur Country Sports or Pest Control, even that needs funding ie the equipment/ammunition/guns/traps birds of prey/dogs/ferrets just to name a few, so your day job pays for this too, now I am not saying here I shoot/hunt/trap, work my animals better than you The Amateur, I know so many Countrymen just like Bucks Moocher who work to best practices every bit as good as me, but that still does not make you a Professional, I will show you in the next section a small glimpse as to why I and my fellow Professional Pest Controllers get paid to do what in many cases you do for free as a hobby.
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The Professional:


ADJECTIVE


Relating to or belonging to a profession.
‘young professional people’


Engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
‘a professional boxer’


Worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent, skilful, or assured.
‘their music is both memorable and professional’


NOUN


A person engaged or qualified in a profession.
‘professionals such as lawyers and surveyors’


A person engaged in a specified activity, especially a sport, as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
‘his first season as a professional’


A person competent or skilled in a particular activity.
‘she was a real professional on stage’ ​
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We Have touched briefly on the Professional side of the job, now we will look in slightly more depth as to the paper work side, by law and to be insured your Health and Safety paperwork must be spot on, this must be current and up to date always, your record keeping must be exact and legible, all your PPE equipment must be in good order and fit for purpose, if you use chemicals or poisons etc this must all be stored correctly and have the necessary equipment and qualification as well as licences to use it, again your record keeping should be crystal clear, although I have all and more than I will ever need as far as licences and qualifications. I choose not to use it, my personal opinion is that its not good for the environment and secondary poisoning of non target species etc, this is just my personal opinion and ethical approach, although poisons and chemicals have their place in Professional Pest Control, I don't like the idea of the un trained or qualified general public being allowed anywhere near the poisons and chemicals etc, I feel personally this should not be sold in shops etc at all, I know in quantity and strength the general public cant get hold of poisons any more without the correct qualifications and licences etc, but none the less the shop bought stuff is out there and should be banned.


Risk Assessments now that's a right head ache for me even before I start a job, I do have some generic ones but one size does not fit all in this job, so I have to fill the forms out by hand then transfer them to computer when back at the office, this all takes time, time I am to be paid for in my JOB/PROFESSION, method statements now there's another head ache as of the generic ones don't fit all jobs/contracts, so these have to be customised, staying conversant of all the licences, the GL licences, applying for specific ones, I am barely touching on this as I could write a book on this subject, then there's the difference between Amateur Country Sports insurance and Professional Pest control insurance and complying with regulations under that as well, making sure the qualifications are up to date for myself, my animals and birds of prey and all the equipment, not forgetting the trucks and vans being kept in good order, properly insured and sign written just to touch briefly on this subject.

I have touched very briefly of this subject as I want to write a bit about being out on my rounds, but as you can see there is a vast difference between you The Amateur and me The Professional, some take the micky on my social media posts etc, I don't mind one bit, I like the banter and as many have found out I have skin as thick as a rhinos and a nose like one too, but remember don't give me stick if you cant take it back for this Lion bites. ​

I suppose one of the biggest differences I see between The Amateur and The Professional is? The fact I am being paid to be there in all winds and weathers, YOU are not and get to choose when you want to be there, I don't get the luxury to say oh its raining I will put the rugby on instead and have a beer, I have to be on the job day and night, 7 days/nights a week in all winds and weathers, also the client expects results if there is a fox attacking and they employ me to deal with it, then they expect it to be in the bag and dealt with, as an Amateur you can say you tried your best and most often the farmer etc will say have another go when you can, not The Professional your there to get the job done no matter what the weather etc, also a lot of folk now rely on the gadgets, they have no real field craft experience.
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I am a Countryman first and a Professional Pest Controller second, I have gained a life time of knowledge from the ole school Countrymen as well as earned my stripes on my own two feet, plus the fact I have a vast amount of qualifications on my CV, one reason just recently a world leader in pest control sent their top man in the UK to head hunt me and come find me, I had been highly recommended by an old colleague of mine who now lives and works in the USA for this company, I am told the orders were get me to sign the contract at any cost, I will say they did make it a very lucrative offer and as a younger man say ten years ago, I would of said where do you want me to sign, but alas its a young man's game to chase that corporate monster, I have been there done that and got the tee shirt, I am done this dog wont hunt that monster again, my own health means more to me than the stress off that job, so I graciously turned it down.
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I did recommend a fine young man I trained many years ago for the job as they asked me did I know anyone who could fill these big boots, I know he has accepted the position and will be starting in that fantastic role next month, I have told him if he needs his old mentors help or advice he knows where I am, I am the happy one working for myself and doing what I do best and love it, but I will say its not all strawberries and cream you know, often muckers say, oh I wish I had your job and not mine, I say a job is a job and your putting food on the table and paying your bills, looking after your families and enjoying your sport, you wont want my job at 4am in the middle of January, wet, cold and tired waiting to deal with one rat, but the highs do out way the lows in the wonderful world of Professional Poison Free Pest Control.​

Now I have rambled on so much here I am running out of time, space and the will to keep writing, for there is a gurt roast Hoggett dinner waiting for me and an ice cold pint of Thatchers Rosie Cider chilling in the fridge, so what I will do is take you on a whirl wind ride around my pest control rounds, watch the videos and look the slide show and photos that accompany this article.
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My forestry work has taken a massive up turn this last few months, mostly to do with Grey Squirrel damage and explosion in their numbers, the past two years has been fantastic breeding years for them, there I am checking the Squirrel multi traps from katch it traps, these must be checked several times daily, legally these must be checked a minimum of once every 12 hours ie twice a day, the Air Arms air rifles are a vital tool in humanly dispatching the Squirrels caught there in, finding a balance between Habitat and Conservation, bringing this grey invader to balance, this is vital conservation work as well as Professional pest control, these do so much irreparable damage to our forests and broad leaf trees, song bird and ground nesting bird population, as well as being directly responsible for our native Red Squirrel decline to almost extinction, Habitat management, conservation and pest control walk hand in hand this is my ethos and my ethical approach to all I do, conservation must be at your core.
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For several years now I have not done a great deal of wild rabbit control, this is largely due to the lack of rabbits here in Somerset, myxomatosis, RHD/VHD diseases all having their toll on the humble wild rabbit, predation of their habitats by ghastly humans and our insatiable greed to build more houses, shopping complexes, trading estates etc are all hitting their numbers down, not forgetting their natural enemies, the fox, weasel, stoat, birds of prey and man itself, of course the rabbit as with all pests must be kept in balance, but alas the humble rabbits gets it from all angels, I really don't like shooting rabbits any more as we don't have enough of them, I pray for the glory days of the rabbit in vast numbers where Amateur and Professional can go at them again with hawk, ferret, dog, net and the gun, put wild rabbit meat back on the table with a wild renewable source of great wild meat, whilst controlling them the traditional way.
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Like I said I am a Countryman of the old school first before I am a Professional Pest Controller, I also lecture at several catering colleges with my wild game preparation and game cookery master class, its my job to not only teach budding young chefs but fully qualified chefs too, I teach them a passion for wild fish and game, the ethical procurement of said wild food from Mother Natures living larder, its protection and all must start with Conservation at your core, that said we have this wonderful free range, cholesterol/fat free resource at our finger tips, ethically sourced wild food, I teach them to take it from fur, feather or fin, from field to fork or water to wok and to have a passion for mother natures wild food, the photos with this are from my latest lecture with a group of fine young people from an inner city hard back ground, I awarded one of them one of my game cook books I had written, for the young fellow inspired me, I also signed my latest Game cookery Book to the department too, Home and Away is available from my website, all the money goes to the Pass It On Young Sports Organisation that I head up, so buy my books, your helping the kids and the future of Country Sports.
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Fox control has gone mad just recently both by day and by night, lots of early cubs being born and I know of one vixen pregnant now with her third litter, as I have written many times, I don't deal with foxes because they are foxes, the whole idea the only good fox is a dead fox sickens me, such wonderful beautiful intelligent creature, but alas they are murderous too, for if they get inside the hens, lambs or even pet enclosures they go into a killing frenzy and kill everything in sight, as I type I have just picked up a call from a lady client of mine, she is distraught sobbing down the phone in tears, a BXXXXXD FOX just broke into my new enclosure and killed all my hens apart from two, I always teach good animal husbandry first, a lot of the time you can stop the attacks, the battery had stopped working on the electric fence and it dug under the wire buried in the ground, so I now have to go deal with that fox and get everything fox proofed again before she gets any more hens, we can all live with a natural loss, the odd hen, lamb etc, but when they break in and kill everything, that we cant stand for, also these snow flake do gooders releasing town caught foxes off in the countryside. ​

Compete morons and they should be strung up for cruelty to animals, those foxes don't know how to survive in the country, there are no bins or KFCs here to scavenge around, so they either starve to death, get driven off by the country fox as your in his territory, the farm dog has them or I or my compatriots The Amateur or Professional Pest Controller have to deal with them, or even farmer with his shotgun etc, STOP releasing town caught foxes you ghastly cruel people.
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My rodent control work really has gone into over time, it feels like all I do is deal with rats, I find myself buying more and more humane live catch traps from Katch It Traps of Basingstoke almost weekly, I like humane live traps, if you get say a hedge hog in them you can turn them out free to go unharmed to go merrily on their way.
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I have just take on a new pest tech solely to deal with Bee, wasp and Hornet jobs too, so if you have a problem drop Really Wild Pest Control a line via this website www.reallywildadventure.co.uk we will get you sorted in no time.
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I have just started a huge feral pigeon and rodent job on an agricultural education centre, the campus is huge, my ole Dad has been doing some part time work for me as I needed someone with experience and who I can trust on this delicate site, I was highly recommended for this job by the now retired general site manager, a very well respected man, the new GM called ole Bob up to ask who he would recommend, even though a lot of the big boy pest control companies had bided for the contract, Bobs orders were don't let anyone on site bur me, thanks Bob I wont let you down mucker, it turns out some other Hmmm Professional Pest Control mob went in before me and caused a bit of problem with the general public and corporate professionals there, after just one visit, I am now on my tenth visit and lets just say there is peace and harmony and the job is getting done correctly, it is funny the Pest Controller from the local town is reporting a definite lowering of feral pigeon numbers there and he cant work out why? as he has to use a non lethal approach, I laughed and said all your doing is pushing the problem around not dealing with the root source of the infestation, but that's OK you keep sending them over here and I will deal with the problem correctly with the help of the awesome Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sporter.
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I could go on and on with this subject, but now my roast minted Hoggett Sunday Dinner is calling and that ice cold cider is screaming drink me, as are the others in the fridge, for this is supposed to be my day off, the only one this month, I hope you have enjoyed this long article and it has gone some way into clarifying the huge difference between the The Amateur Pest Controller and The Professional Pest Controller, I didn't even get on to the tax returns and more, like I say it was a very brief explanation of the differences and more, come say hello on my stand at the shows and I will be more than happy to chat with you on this subject and more, perhaps you could teach me a thing or two, until the next article stay safe and well one and all.


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keep the emails, messages and letters coming into internationally read The Countryman’s Diary Magazine we try to answer you all, why not tune in on our new pod casts too. ​

By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
countrymans-diary.co.uk 
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Air Arms TX200 Review

1/6/2021

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​Air Arms TX200 Review

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George Lilley is one of my now senior graduated Young Sports Ambassador's, he has completed my Ambassadorship training programme with honours, truly a shining light to his fellow Young Sports Ambassador's as well as all the Pass It On Young Sports following on in his shoes, now a professional chef and 19 years old he still has a passion for wild game prep and wild game cooking, he loves Shooting, Hunting, Bush Craft and Conservation, all I have taught him and much more, he has carried on for himself as a fine young man truly an Ambassador for all Country Sports and Conservation, he is also a damn fine shot too, I am very proud of this awesome young man, now earning his own money he has gone straight out and purchased an Air Arms TX200, after years of using mine, although he has other cheaper air rifles, this is the one he always wanted but could not afford, he has put his TX200 to great effect since he purchased his own, as in this photo of the squirrels and magpie that is with this article, he has used every air rifle in the range with me too, from all of my Air Arms to the rest of my vast air rifle collection, he has hunted and shot on the range with them all, but come the end there was only one choice, preferring the spring power of the awesome Air Arms TX200, I asked him to put together a short review of why he chose this rifle over all the others, I hope you enjoy his review as much as I did and remembering the day this shy young man first entered my Pass It On Young Sports Range and out in the hunting fields too.​

The Ole Hedge Creeper.
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Air Arms TX200

By George Lilley

Well by request of The Ole Hedge Creeper, I guess I must present to you a quick review of my recent purchase, the awesome Air Arms TX200.
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I have always wanted this rifle after using Rob's Collins (The Ole Hedge Creeper) both in 177 and 22, but 22 is my preferred calibre, Rob would not let me Keep his, so as soon as I had saved up enough money I bought one for myself.

I bought the Air Arms TX200 in .22 calibre with the beech stock, I preferred the beech stock as it appealed to me the most compared to the walnut stock, it may be a subtle colour difference but these things really matter when you’re buying such a high quality rifle. Of course they serve a purpose, to shoot pellets and either put holes in paper or dinner on your plate but they are also a piece of artwork and history to hand down to the younger generation and keep our ever dissolving sport going.
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The Ole Hedge Creeper and myself, putting the Arms S400 to great use on a crop protection job a few years ago now.
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Now onto the rifle you say, so here we go. The TX200 is a spring-piston, sliding breach, under lever rifle. The first impression when you handle this rifle is the impeccable build quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail. The beech stock is expertly smooth and feels as if it were sculpted and detailed by a master craftsmen. The polished barrel and under lever are so shiny and smooth that you can see your reflection glancing back at you as you load this magnificent rifle. The detailed texturing on the stock is one of my favourite parts of this rifle, it not only gives you a good grip on the stock but it is also truly beautiful and adds to the elegant piece of art this gun is. The construction is the most solid and durable out of any rifle I’ve ever owned or used, when holding it you can really feel the craftsmanship and quality testing that has gone into this gun. When loading this rifle, Air Arms have used a completely innovative mechanism to not only keep you safe but to protect the rifle. You must cock the rifle using the under lever, insert your pellet into the sliding breech and then press the cocking lever release button on the right hand side of the rifle to take the cocking lever back to its seated position with the barrel. Then you must simply flick the automatic safety mechanism before firing your shot, in my eyes this makes this rifle the safest and most well thought out spring powered air rifle on the market today.
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We’ve talked about the looks, design features and safety elements but let’s get on to the most important part of this little review, the shooting performance. I fitted a Hawke scope on my TX200 and visited my local rifle range to set the zero and lead in the barrel. I took a couple of shots and started to adjust the scope accordingly, it was not too far off zero which is always a bonus when fitting a new scope. After about 5 shots I had it where I wanted for fine tuning. I put a few more shots down range at some paper targets to get a feel of the rifle and to start leading the barrel in. Well what can I say, it’s awesome to shoot. The rifle is comfortable in your shoulder and to rest your cheek on, the trigger is feather light, the safety mechanisms are second to none and of course the rifle is deadly accurate and extremely consistent. Every shot brings a smile to your face and cocking it is an absolute pleasure unlike some spring rifles. After leading the rifle in I was getting 4-5 pellets in a half inch grouping at 30 yards. I wont use any other pellets than Air Arms field Diablo 16 grain 5.52 pellets, they are consistent, accurate and well lubricated.
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I have tried a vast amount of Air Rifles from The Ole Hedge Creepers collection, both PCPs and Springers, finally deciding the Air Arms TX200 was the gun for me, in 2nd place came the HW77 or HW97.
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The Air Arms TX-200 and a tin of Air Arms field Diablos, now that’s a duo to set you up for life.

Cheers George Lilley
Senior Graduated Pass It On Young Sports Ambassador.


Teach Them Right, Coach Them Well, for TOGETHER WE CAN INSPIRE.
www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
countrymans-diary.co.uk 
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Shooting The Silk Moth’s Part 4

1/5/2021

3 Comments

 

Shooting The Silk Moth’s Part 4
Putting The Awesome Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sporters to work
By The Ole Hedge Creeper

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Blimey here we are in part 4 of Shooting The Silk Moths, I gave the Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sporters this name right from the start, since that very first article nothing has changed, they are still like shooting pure silk, sweet on the eye and in the shoulder, deadly accurate, reliable, whisper quiet, good shot count, with a totally humane strike on target, what more could you ask for from an English quality craftsmanship precision surgical tool, the fact that each model is so sweet on the eyes and as comfy as hugging a loved one in your shoulder is a bonus, I will admit it now, I am an Air Arms snob, although in my vast air rifle collection I have so many makes and models from Springers to PCPs and even CO2 models, my collection is vast, but nothing comes close to my beloved Air Arms Collection that started way back in 1989 with the Air Arms Carmargue, although my air rifle collection actually started in the early 1970s, its when I fell in love with the Air Arms rifles my passion really accelerated, you know none of their rifles have ever let me down in competition, practice or especially in the field where it matters most to me, so here we are part 4, come along on this journey with me as we head out to the field, with special guests joining me along the way, not just shooting but conservation too, as I guide you through the mists of time, feel the wind on your face, smell the rain and fresh cut crass, listen to nature and hear my voice tell you the tales of great adventures and more with the awesome Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sports.
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We start out on a cold wet miserable night, I had been called out to deal with a rat infestation at a VIP clients venue, I decided it was a job for the Ultimate Sporter, NiteSite Eagle Dark Ops Combo mounted on my Primos trigger sticks that I got from Really Wild Adventures www.reallywildadventures.co.uk worth every penny too, I spotted the rats first with my Night Pearl Thermal Spotter, that spotter really is a game changer, I knew the rats were there, before the rats knew they were there, what I will, the Ultimate Sporters are as smooth as silk to cock with that side lever mechanism, each scaly tailed Ratticuss was taken as smooth as Galaxy Caramel as the TV advert says, I have gotten so good with my system now I literally shoot one handed from the sticks whilst spotting with the thermal with these awesome Air Rifles, I think the photos tell the best story here, so don't forget to watch the slide show and the you tube videos attached below, my younger brother joined me on this job this night, it was his first time rat shooting and well what can I say he now wants an Air Arms S510 of his own now after using these.
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The next job I was on was a forestry protection contract, this was purely proving how Conservation and Pest Control walking hand in hand, the problem here were the Grey Squirrels, not only were they destroying all our ancient native woodland and broad leaf trees, they were decimating our local song bird populations and ground nesting birds, stealing their eggs and young from the nests, even adult birds being taken, just look at the photo that is with this article, my nephew joined me as we built some squirrel proof bird boxes and then helped put them and put up, we have made a great many squirrel proof bird boxes over the years, we also on this day set all my humane cage traps from Katch It Traps, search for them on google they are a brilliant company to deal with and of the highest quality English Made traps, you know as I write they are all being used by all sorts of song birds, so for me and Young Jake that's a happy time of conservation for all our hard work, I have caught so many Grey Squirrels in my traps in this forestry plantation its really starting to make a difference to the whole eco system here, the Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sporters has played a huge part in the squirrel control here, they are my go to air rifle for precision pest control, as smooth as silk, sweet in the arms and on the eyes, deadly accurate packing a powerful humane strike on target, in this case the squirrels, I did use my old Air Arms S410 fac on this job too and took a cracking shot on a squirrel as I checked my traps, my apprentice could not believe his eyes as I taught him the finer points about precision marksmanship, again take a look at the photos, my smile says it all, Air Arms and The Ole Hedge Creeper, now that's a winning combination right there, on the range, in competition or in the field where it matters most to me.
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The next job was a huge conservation effort by a local conservation group, they have some waterways, ponds, rivers, streams etc, I was called in to deal with a huge rat infestation, again on this one my Brother joined me, well as soon as I said do you fancy joining me on a rat job, he nearly pulled my arm off, when, where, what time, I can do now if you want, I think he enjoyed the rat shooting on the other venue, I think his excitement said it all, oh and bring my Air Arms S510 will you, hmmmm I think he wants to claim my air rifle as his own, this time I decided to use the Air Arms TDR S510 a take down version of The Ultimate Sporter, my Brother wanted to use the black Ultimate Sporter from the other night, straight away I shot a rat with my NiteSite/TDR/Trigger sticks combo, although the rat dropped stone dead to a perfect head shot, the shot report was so quiet I had to check I had actually shot, those Air Arms Sound Moderators are the shizzle, we shot right from dusk till almost dawn and accounted for a huge pile of rats, the conservation group were over the moon with our efforts, even though several were against using lethal methods on the rats, after they saw how precise and humane we were several now want their own Air Arms air rifle to start shooting with.


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Finally I was back out on the Forestry Conservation Contract, George my apprentice joined me with his Webley Sting Ray spring powered air rifle, he shot very well with that old gun in the hide in the pine plantation, but he was no match for me armed with an Ultimate Sporter, I also had Goose the cocker spaniel to retrieve for me, I do have a great video of shooting some tree rats with the trusty ole Air Arms S510 Ultimate Sporter, I hope it comes out on you tube OK, I could write a book just about the awesome Air Arms air rifles that have never let me down, especially where the metal meets the meat, if you are looking for just one air rifle to last a life time, look no further than the truly amazing Air Arms Ultimate Sporter, that's one reason this gun has won best air rifle in the British Shooting Awards for the last three years running, you just cant improve on perfection, others try but fall very short every time, that's my opinion anyway. ​
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I hope you have enjoyed reading my humble scribbles, please keep the letters, emails, smoke signals and carrier pigeons coming in, I do personally try to answer every one of them, but some do slip past the cross hairs, until next time please stay safe and well one and all.

Remember Air Arms Simply The Best.

Shooting The Silk Moths part 4​

By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
countrymans-diary.co.uk 
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Out Foxing Charlie 17 Educating Charlie

1/4/2021

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Out Foxing Charlie 17
​ Educating Charlie

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Out Foxing Charlie 17, now how did that happen, one moment I am writing the first one that was a massive hit and crashed our servers, the next thing I know here we are on article 17, we now have this series as well as its in print in my best selling books, who knew I knew so much about dealing with foxes, well I suppose I learned most of what I know from the old masters, folks that will have forgotten more than YOU or I will ever know, in this one I hope to really impart on you some of their time learned wisdom and knowledge, especially if you are just starting out on your Countryman’s journey, so I have sub titled this article in the series as Educating Charlie, by this I mean how you educate the awesome intelligent fox and miss your chance, he wont be fooled twice, as the old saying goes, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, I will try and point out some of the rooky mistakes, some like, the there's no fool, like an old fool ones etc, I will try and impart over you a lifetime of my knowledge, some taught to me and some learnt on my own two feet, learning lessons after making mistakes myself, trying to impart on you things like correct lamping procedure, not looking like Darth Vader and Luke Sky Walker are having a light sabre fight, field craft, using the wind, not relying on the gadgets and more, I may have a rant or two in this one, I hear you say that's nothing unusual, but I do I get frustrated with some of the people involved in this industry, so here goes lets see what's left in my head and heart for such an emotive subject.
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Now where do I start, I suppose I should start off with the correct lamping procedures and field craft, lamping should be a delicate affair, its no good waving the lamp around like a laser show, also less is more in this case, by this I mean a lower power lamp will work better or one with variable power settings, OK if I were lamping rabbits with a running dog, the brighter lamp is the better tool, also if I were using a running dog, good field craft would be needed to get me into a close enough position so the dog stood a chance of catching the rabbit, also cutting it off from its set from the slip position if possible.

For rifle shooting this is what I am talking about here, for controlling foxes, less power is more, you will be surprised how clearly you can see through the correct lamp, rifle scope set up, also you don't look like an alien landing burning the foxes eyes out, when lamping or scanning its best to use the residual or outer edge of the beam, it always surprises me how many people still go right on straight away with the center of the beam, then come out with it started running away as soon as the light toughed it, no kidding Sherlock, this happens a lot when you have not only taught the fox what a lamp is, but also fluffed the shot and taught the fox that a light means bullet is on its way, I have recounted stories of such from novices in the previous articles, I hear a lot of folk now say, ahhh well I now have night vision and or thermal gear, I still say to be any good with any of it you must first master the correct lamping procedures, also what happens when this gear fails, the batteries die, or you forget the batteries, the good ole lamp is still my back up, I still have as good results with a lamp as I do with night vision and thermal, most of my success comes down to time learnt field craft, something I will get on to shortly.


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​Filters are another good one, oh I know I will chuck a red filter on they wont see it, WRONG, yes filters can help but they are not the magic cure for bad lampmanship, a dear friend and fellow foxer Robert Bucknell and I had an in depth conversation on my stand at a game fair a few years ago about filters, I think he used some of that conversation in one of his fox lamping articles if I remember correctly, yes some times filters can help, especially in over lamped areas but they can also be over done and cause more problems, for me my favourite filter is a green one, my theory is that the grass is green so does not overly alarm the fox, that said Greg my fellow Co Owner of the internationally read The Countryman's Diary Magazine has a green lamp, the spectrum on that lamp scares everything away including the horses, I like the Night Master Venom green pill, I have had lamp shy foxes just sit there and look at it before now, my theory here is it must be in a spectrum that does not scare them, I really must find out what spectrum codes it is in, all I can say foxes, rabbits and other wildlife just take no notice of this green pill.


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​Field Craft, this is where so many people fail on so many levels, first of all just being quiet, small movements are something most folk just cant do, I had one fellow he just could not talk quietly, walk or even just look quiet, I nicked named him crisp packet trousers, when he walked anywhere he sounded like a couple of empty crisp packets rubbing together, as for his foot steps, ghost walking was impossible, he sounded more like an elephant with clogs on, with bells on his toes, smoking especially those vape things, the scent just carries on the wind, I could pin point him at a 100 yards in the pitch dark, just by the smell of cherry or mixes fruit, I will say he did have his uses, carrying equipment, retrieving shot foxes etc, but as a lamp man or shooting partner he was damn near useless, actually I found a great use for him, I would send him off to stalk a perimeter or far off field, the noise and smell of him sent the fox right too me, as you see I am as crafty as the awesome fox too, there is always method in my madness.


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The prevailing wind is another thing most people take no notice of, first of all you want the wind blowing from your quarry to you, not the other way around, or they will wind scent you in an instant, obviously this cant always be achieved but you must try to use the wind to your best advantage just like the fox does, this also helps with marksmanship, especially if you have to shoot over any kind of distance, the calculation of the wind plays a huge part, I always recommend you go to any venue in daylight, work out the safe shot and the not safe shot areas for they look a lot different at night, game trails, the attacking points of the fox, oh I forgot to say I only deal with foxes that attack live stock etc I never go out to just cull a fox because its a fox, the if its red its dead attitude is not mine at all, which way is the fox coming in, is he using a game trail, ditch bottom a hole in a fence etc, is he also using them as an escape route and so fourth, even the most erratic of scenarios has a pattern you just have to look, I call it looking through your quarries eye.​

I often get called in to a fox problem after every Tom, Dick and Harry has had a go and FAILED, often its simple mistakes that Educate Charlie as he shows you his brush and a clean pair of heels as he takes a lamb or fowl from right under your nose, I have one very large VIP agricultural client who calls me the resolver, he has me in his phone as such, I asked why he calls me that, his exact words are no matter what pest control I call you in on, you always resolve the problem, often in scenarios like this its showing good animal husbandry/security ideas etc, some folks may not have thought of, but yes I will agree I seem to have a talent when it comes to dealing with the crafty old fox.

One of the things I like to do is study my quarry, weather its squirrels in a woodland plantation etc, or in this case its the crafty Charlie Fox, I have said this many times, its wonderful to watch nature, the fox is a remarkable animal in its natural hunting environment, the fox really fascinates me, this is one reason I am that good at dealing with them, because I study them so much, just like planning a military operation, I want all the intelligence I can get, the patterns and times of his movements, prevailing winds, safe shot areas, right down to making sure my equipment is working 100%, I plan everything down to last detail, I don't just step out onto the battle field to cross swords with a worthy adversary unprepared, a couple of sayings come to mind here, failing to prepare, is preparing to fail, or the 7Ps, Prior, Planning and Preparation, prevents a piss poor performance, so as you can see its not an erratic man with a gun going out to kill an innocent fox as the anti will have the public believe, but many of us don't help ourselves or the industry here by some of the social media posts I see, thwack, shmack, kaboom, Charlie down, if its red its dead, being some of the wording I see used, this does not help us at all with the general public and the authorities, no clear and correct explanation why you just took the foxes life, the correct ethics of explaining it was attacking live stock etc, remember you are all ambassador's for all Country Sports so behave like it, its how I teach my Young Sports the best practices, be prepared, understand your quarry, make sure your equipment and your in-tell is bang on, also check zero before heading out on live quarry, for if you miss you will educate Charlie once more, this is when the job gets a lot harder and usually when I get called in, my message to you here is preparation and attention to detail.
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Clothing should be up to the job for being out in mother nature it should be able to handle all the weathers and be as silent as the grave, I have told you about crisp packet trousers man, he made a good scarecrow for me but never got any shots himself, I fully recommend the Jack Pyke Range, my favourite is the jack Pyke Hunter Jacket with the Countryman’s Trousers, the jacket is warm, water proof and has lots of pockets including one that turns into a seat or a game pocket, the trousers are lovely heavy duty cotton with reinforced knees and back side, although I do cut the lining out as they are double lined, the main reason is they are too hot for me, but perfect without the lining in, most of all they are silent, one thing that bugs me, are peoples boots, if you have a squeaky pair of boots when you walk, that drives me nuts, leave things in the truck like the change in your pockets, the keys etc, you have to be able to move with stealth when on foot, be as silent as the grave and as light footed as a cat, use the natural surroundings, like if you have to be out on a full moon or where there is residual light etc, by this I mean work in the shadows of a hedge, tree, building or in some cases the truck, I wrote about this in a previous Out Foxing Charlie, this particular evening I was called out to one of my oldest VIP clients, the problem we had here, he had turned much of the farm buildings and barns into an industrial estate and work units, security lights flood lit the area, especially the area what we call the orchards and lambing paddocks, of course this was where Charlie was attacking the new born lambs and attacking the rare breed fowl, how the heck was I going to remain unseen here, I parked my Landrover broad side on with the security lights behind the truck, I did this for two reasons, one the truck afforded me with a dark place as I set up in her shadow, obviously it took a little blacking out with jackets and hide nets etc, but I got a good elevated shooting position from up there on the embankment, it also meant I was shooting away from the buildings and live stock enclosures, also this position put the fox looking directly at the lights blinding it a little, just like a falcon swooping out of the sun on the pigeons below, all was set, I knew there were two foxes attacking as I had tracked their movements and knew exactly where to expect them from, I knew there were two foxes by their tracks, either it was a large dog fox with a smaller vixen, or it was a big vixen with a smaller dog fox, my experience and intuition said it was a big dog fox with a vixen, by golly I was right, I put out a couple of fresh shot rabbits from a previous job that day, tied them to a road pin about 70 yards out with their guts split out to get that scent drifting on the wind, this got the foxes to where I wanted to take them, the rain started to come down, a light drizzle, the sort of rain that really gets you wet, I knew these foxes would be along presently though, they appeared right on button, right where I knew they would, I gave a very short rodent squeal just to focus them, they caught sent of the rabbits on the wind and came running in like a laser, I dropped the vixen just a couple of feet from the rabbits, the dog fox bolted as I recycled the bolt, I gave a loud hare squeak and stopped him at around the hundred yard mark, the shot was still on as he was right at the foot of a big dung heap, it was that last look over the shoulder moment that was all I needed, I was about to take the shot when the loud mouth appeared from the position he should of stayed in at the orchard covering that area, shouting at the top of his voice DID YOU GET IT, well Mr Crisp Packet Man I got half thanks to your big mouth, I went back a couple of days later and dealt with the dog fox on my own, discipline or the lack of it is one thing that irritates me, crisp packet was put in position on another job, I had a vast area to cover, I needed someone to play the short game close to the live stock, this was crisp packets job, I went out on the lambing hill grounds, my strict orders were FOXES ONLY, I was there on the primos trigger sticks with the NiteSite mounted on the fox stopper (rifle) watching over the flocks with the Night Pearl Thermal Spotter, I had already shot three foxes as they were on the attack route on the new born lambs, this was when I heard 12 shots from the live stock paddocks near the farm, did crisp packet shoot twelve foxes? or did he miss a lot, I called him to make sure things were OK, yes I am OK just bored so I shot at some rabbits, I told him to pack his gear away and go sit in the truck, I was not a happy bunny, he also missed every rabbit too what a waste of ammunition and scared the away the foxes I was trying to deal with, I did manage one more fox as I stealthily stalked back, it came from the live stock enclosure areas, one crisp packet should have had but for lack of discipline, after that night he was never invited to join me again, lack of discipline is a big bug bear of mine, I have been known to wait 10 hours or more before now just for that one shot, the patience of Jobe comes with a price, my back feels it now days, as well as every joint and muscle in my body, getting old does not come alone, crisp packet like many others just didn't do stealth, it mattered not if talking or walking he was just loud, also like many others a door slammer, that's just plain stupidity, you announce your position to the world, plus if when he had a lamp or torch in his hand, he lit up the sky and fields and blinded me.
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Another thing was smelling like a tarts hand bag, that scent carries for miles, my own Dad is a bugger for this, he has a shower and puts on deodorant hair gel and god knows what before heading out, in a pigeon hide as a boy he would cover himself in Hi Karate after shave (Back in the 80s) it would keep the midges away and the cattle, for starters its not a fashion parade as my Pappy would say, dirty is better than clean on this job, you can have a shower when you get back, so many over the years I have had to pull up on this, washing their cloths in the sweetest smelling washing powder and softener, ohhhh I smell like a summer breeze, no you smell like a tarts hand bag, were not out pulling a bird down the pub here, no we are hunting a worthy quarry with highly attuned senses of sight, smell and hearing, talk about make the job hard work.
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The mighty awesome fox comes in many shapes, sizes, different colours, some are just plain stupid, and some are so clever and crafty they could steal a rabbit from your feet and you not notice, like the urban fox, it has gotten used to dirty man, scavenging the bins, take always and shopping centers etc, the country fox is aware of man it has a natural fear, dog, light and gun they know full well means man and danger, they are also well aware of other foxes, they patrol their territories not just for food but policing them, these are tricky customers to deal with if you don't approach it correctly with field craft, by far the most tricky fox of all is the woodland fox I find, they are so in tune with their area, just a leaf out of place and they know it, alright not a leaf but you know what I mean here, I am dealing with one at the moment he keeps out smarting me, I have been sat in high seats, ground hides, sat against trees you name it, by day and night, each time he out foxes me, just last night Young Sports Ambassador Harry bumped into him on a feed ride as he had forgotten his coat and went back for it, I just know that huge dog fox was there watching us work on a release pen, I could feel him, but could I see him NO, I just knew he was there watching us, my sixth sense told me he was there, Harry saw him for the first time in his torch light, he came back and said that's not a fox, that's a Red Wolf disguised as a fox he is huge, I chuckled and said I know lad, I thought he was a deer the first time I saw him in the long summer grass, OK I could put humane cage taps in and run a line of legal snares, but no this Charlie as I do with most foxes are given a sporting chance, me against them, I deal with them with respect and honour, this big fox is hunting for food I know but he is eating my birds, alas if he gets in with my new pheasants and partridges he will kill the lot for fun, in a killing frenzy, I have seen this many times, I don’t actually mind losing the odd bird that's a natural loss, he is more hungry than me, its the killing of everything that I cant allow, like I said at the start I only deal with foxes that attack live stock, pets etc.
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Pen ultimately, over calling and not calling, this you learn over time and experience, so many people over call, miss the fox take a frustrated shot at the fox then educate the fox what a call is, you need to understand when to use a distressed rodent call, Hare Call or Rabbit Call, also the magic remote control battery operated calls, they all have their place but they can be over done, most often having the adverse effect and become a fox scarer, although I have mastered most calls by hand, now days I seldom call as everyone else does, I find I have more success actually not calling, working out the foxes attack or retreat routes, putting myself on them and let the foxes come to me, so many of you don't treat these magnificent animals with respect they deserve, they truly are a magnificent feat of mother natures making, they are as agile as a cat, with lightning reflexes, can eat most anything, hearing that can pin point a sound hundreds of yards away, brilliant sight that can see well in almost pitch black, the foxes nose can pick up the most microscopic of scent and track it to its source, its sixth sense when prey or danger is about is amazing to watch, so treat the fox with respect and really study this worthy adversary.
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So my final words here are, be quiet in your person, your cloths, your approach, your equipment, study your quarry, stay concealed, make sure your equipment is bang on the money and the rifle properly zeroed, learn and understand field craft, learn how, when and where to use a lamp correctly, don't smell like a tarts hand bag, learn to track and think like your quarry, if your not on foot, don't slam the door of the truck use your natural surrounding to your advantage, don't be so bone headed to learn from your peers or the old guard, respect the land, live stock, the quarry and all mother nature, learn to be disciplined and single minded in dealing with all quarry, especially the magnificent humble Charlie Fox.​

Follow these simple rules of engagement against this worthy adversary and you wont fail, if you do, be a wise man and learn from any fail, for each time its a lesson learned, thus many you wont need to take cheap shots at me for getting the job done where you fail, for if you do what you are supposed to do correctly to best practices, your farmers, clients etc, wont need to call me The Resolver in to deal with a live stock killing Charlie Fox and cross my palm with silver.
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So my final words here are, be quiet in your person, your cloths, your approach, your equipment, study your quarry, stay concealed, make sure your equipment is bang on the money and the rifle properly zeroed, learn and understand field craft, learn how, when and where to use a lamp correctly, don't smell like a tarts hand bag, learn to track and think like your quarry, if your not on foot, don't slam the door of the truck use your natural surrounding to your advantage, don't be so bone headed to learn from your peers or the old guard, respect the land, live stock, the quarry and all mother nature, learn to be disciplined and single minded in dealing with all quarry, especially the magnificent humble Charlie Fox.​

Follow these simple rules of engagement against this worthy adversary and you wont fail, if you do, be a wise man and learn from any fail, for each time its a lesson learned, thus many you wont need to take cheap shots at me for getting the job done where you fail, for if you do what you are supposed to do correctly to best practices, your farmers, clients etc, wont need to call me The Resolver in to deal with a live stock killing Charlie Fox and cross my palm with silver.
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I hope you have enjoyed my humble scribbles and a bit of a rant at times, I hope this article helps you to understand your quarry, point out some of the Rooky Mistakes at Educating Charlie, fingers crossed we all grow together for we are all ambassador's for Country Sports, remember this when posting on social media etc, put respectful photos on and word them correctly with the right ethics, if you do not you will be the ones putting the death nail in to the coffin of Country Sports not the ghastly Anti, please keep the emails and letters coming in to the office of the internationally read The Countryman’s Diary Magazine, I try to answer them all, but just like the Charlie Fox some escape under the hedge row.
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I will finish off with an inscription from inside the shooting times from king George the VI that I memorized as a boy in the 1970s.

The Wildlife Of Today, Is Not Ours To Dispose Of As We Please, We Have It In Trust And Must Account For It To Those The Come After Us.

Out Foxing Charlie 17 (Educating Charlie)
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
countrymans-diary.co.uk 
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The Fat n Hairy Weekly Round Up Episode 5

12/3/2021

1 Comment

 

​The Fat n Hairy Weekly Round Up Episode 5

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In this weeks episode (5) of The fat n Hairy Weekly round up we touch on some emotive subjects this week, still with our jovial laughter and banter, spoken in the velvet tones of The West Country, join The Ole Hedge Creeper (Somerset) and The Countryman (Cornwall) as we bring you latest international news and more from the world of Country Sports, Farming and Agriculture, not forgetting Conservation.

We bring you such subjects as, responsible drinking and some funny stories from a time of being young and impetuous young country boys, the loves, the life and stories of the farm yard, from shearing sheep to cattle stuck in a feeder, big cats of Britain, proper country cooking and more.

We touch on the subject and The Royal Family and this Harry and Megan debacle, one thing is clear here, Our Queen has our Love, Loyalty and Respect, our Sword is hers to command as she will, God Save The Queen.

With hilarious tales of past game fairs and shooting shows, the funny stories that happen behind the scenes, like Big Vernon from Yorkshire sitting Stewart on his knee in a Cumbrian meadow sat around the camp fire, giving him advice on love and how to keep a woman happy, or when Greg (The Countryman) tried to sell raffle tickets to the artist so she could win her own picture back.

So many funny stories and more in this weeks show, pour yourself a glass of something nice, sit in front of the fire in your comfy chair, listen to embers of the fire crack as you listen to two ole West Countrymen chew the fat at the bar in the snug.

​Don't forget to click on the button below to hear this awesome Pod Cast.
The Fat n Hairy Round Up Part 5 pod cast link
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The Ole Hedge Creeper & The Countryman, an interview with Jim Shockey, the world famous international Hunter, Out Doors Man and Conservationist

11/3/2021

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​The Ole Hedge Creeper & The Countryman, an interview with Jim Shockey, the world famous international Hunter, Out Doors Man and Conservationist

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WOW what a Pleasure nay Honor it was for Greg (The Countryman) and myself (The Ole Hedge Creeper) to be able to interview the infamous Jim Shockey , such a fascinating, inspirational man, pour yourself a glass of something nice, sit down and be entertained, inspired and educated with this pod cast, three great Out Doors Men (Countrymen) come together share knowledge, education, comedy, take the Micky out of each other, Jim learns what the word Mucker stands for whilst we have a beer together, click on the pod cast button below to listen in on this awesome pod cast.

Jim Shockey (born 1957) is a Canadian outdoor writer, a professional big game outfitter and television producer and host for many hunting shows. Shockey is the producer and host of Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures and Jim Shockey's Uncharted on Outdoor Channel[1] and Jim Shockey's The Professionals on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel.[2] He is a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), serving the rank Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel (HLCol) of the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group.[3][4] His hunting adventures have spanned six continents and 50 countries.[5] Shockey has been called by Outdoor Life magazine "the most accomplished big-game hunter of the modern era, having taken arguably the most free-range big game species by any living hunter." They also noted that he is "the most influential celebrity in big-game hunting. 
The Jim Shockey Interview and Pod Cast
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The Ole Hedge Creeper and The Countryman's Pod Casts

10/3/2021

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​The Ole Hedge Creeper and The Countryman's Pod Casts

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Below are a series of links buttons, they are all the pod casts we have done up to date, after this article each pod cast will have its own article.

all I will say here is pull up a bar stool, listen to the roaring log fire as it spits and crackles with the old apple tree burning on it, pour yourself a glass of something nice and have a listen, the smell of wood smoke and beer will fill the air, these pod cast will take you back to a time of sitting in the village pub listening in on conversation of proper Countrymen.

Click on the pod cast buttons and be ready to be entertained by the velvet West Country tones of The ole Hedge Creeper (Somerset) and The Countryman (Cornwall) with hilarious stories and tales of old, the adventures, the loves and the losses with some and even more inspiration, education and comedy only a pair of proper West Countrymen can get away with, listen to our VIP international Guests pod casts with tales from far off foreign shores and some closer to home too, learn how Country Sports and Conservation walk hand in hand.

​Arrrrrrr for tiz proper job mucker.


Rob & Greg's Introduction where it All Started
The Fat n Hairy Round Up episode 1
The Fat n Hairy Round Up Episode 2
The Fat N Hairy Round Up Episode 3
The Fat and Hairy Round Up Episode 4
Interview with Dean from ADG Custom Knives
Interview with Shaun Porter international Hunter
Interview with Rob Elton owner of Katch It Traps
Interview with Charlie Jacoby Field Sports Britain
Interview with J Allain Smith International Hunter
Greg on the Right To Roam a bit of a rant
Hunters Education should there be an exam
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The Ole Hedge Creeper & Charlie Jacoby Field Sports Britain

10/3/2021

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The Ole Hedge Creeper & The Countryman
Pod Cast Interview with
Charlie Jacoby Field Sports Britain

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In this interview from the creators of the internationally read The Countryman's Diary, we catch up with none other than our Old Friend Charlie Jacoby of Field Sports Britain, learn how the red carpet was thrown out by The Ole Hedge Creeper  so Charlie could get in the back of the old series 2A land-rover whilst filming pigeon shooting, the dogs did not mind, learn what is the definitive biscuit for dunking, with so many hilarious tales, stories, ethical approach to country sports and more, the loves, the laughs, The CLA Game Fair Ban where I joined in with Charlie and some top British Country Sports names to inspire another publication that music is the international language of the people and more.

Pour yourself a glass or two of something nice, have the tissues ready for you will cry with laughter and be entertained in the West Country Velvet tones of The Ole Hedge Creeper and the Countryman, oh yes and Charlie too.
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The Ole hedge Creeper & The Charlie Jacoby pod cast link
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The Glaswegian Muntjack Deer Who Retires To Hampshire

3/3/2021

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The Glaswegian Muntjack Deer
​Who Retires To Hampshire

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Well there I was in Hampshire as a guest at the start of the fallow deer cull, I managed to upset a Glaswegian Muntjac Deer that had retired to Hampshire, with no Andrex in my pocket I had no choice to resort to natures own loo paper, the bark on those trees was rough in them Squirrel-less Hampshire Woodlands, ooooo arrrrrr, learn how I got the new knick name of The Ole Hedge Crapper, if I were a lesser man I would of been like a lamb to the slaughter with those Wolves, but as always I came back leading the pack, with more hilarious tales from myself, Greg The Countryman and Rob from Katch It Traps, this pod cast will split your sides from laughing, with some inspirational education thrown in Country Boy style for good measure
​
https://anchor.fm/.../Interview-with-Rob-from-Katch-it...
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Click Here for The Angry Glaswegian Muntjac pod cast
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    To my Haters & Stalkers, I am a Lion not a Sheeple, my advice is to not poke the Sleeping Lion, for if you awake me from my slumber you will hear me ROAR, then you will find yourself staying at Her Majesty's pleasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

    About the Archive

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

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

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

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

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