Mixenden

I received a phone call last night from Jim, a local farmer that I shoot rabbits for:

"Can you do owt wi 3 Guinea Fowl?"

"What you want for 'em?"

"Nowt, just come shift the buggers!... I'll tell ya what I want for 'em! Shift some more rabbits."

"OK I'll come get them over the weekend"

Well, I went for them today :-)

I finished work at lunchtime, grabbed my air rifle and took a quick trip to his farm.

These Guinea Fowl had been lodging with his chickens for about 4 months, each time they were chased out of the pen, within an hour they'd return.

I'd had a quick nosey round the farm, looking for rabbits, but none were out, so I headed for the chicken pen.

Sure enough, they were there.

I walked towards the pen and one of the Guinea Fowl started shrieking loudly, as I went in he shut up & they ran away from me.

I started to follow, but they sped up, so I thought 'sod this for a game of soldiers' and went back to the gate for my rifle.

I crouched in the middle of the pen, and the birds started coming closer. I scoped the 1st, but her head wouldn't stay still long enough to get a shot. I eventually got a shot, but missed. The birds ran to the far corner of the pen and huddled together.

1 was stood staring at me, while the other 2 dithered around her.

Her head was perfectly still, so I chose my mark, and squeezed the trigger.

Her face hit the dirt, and she started flapping violently. The commotion spooked the other 2, which took flight.

They flew just over the fence, and landed in the field.

I retrieved my dead bird, and went out of the pen, walked around the sheds & pens in search of the 2 escapees.

I found them trying to hide under some young trees & bushes.

As I approached, to get within range, they became nervous and moved into the open, so I froze. The Guinea Fowl stopped and stood staring at me, so slowly raised the rifle and took aim on #2's head

She flopped to the floor stone dead, and #3 took flight again.

She flew back into the chicken pen, and as I looked through the wire fence, I saw her stood at the far side, approx. 25 yards away. So I poked my barrel through the mesh and took aim.

She keeled over silently, and fluttered her wings.

A couple of seconds later, Jim's daughter Caroline, arrived at the pen to feed the chickens, and called out:

"Oh it's you! I thought someone was shooting my chickens."

I walked back round the sheds & pens, and went to collect #1 & #3.

As I walked back to my car with my quarry, Jim & his son were in the yard:

"You'll be eating like a king!" commented his son.

"I sure will!" was my reply, and I bid them farewell.

I'd already asked Dave next-door if he wanted one, and my father-in-law, so had ovens waiting for 2, and I am having the other myself.