Mixenden

I took a quick trip to a local permission in the afternoon, I only took my air rifle.

After a quick chat with the farmer's wife in the yard, I headed to the bury under the Nettle patch.

There was a large doe sunning herself, and she was too busy enjoying the warmth of the sun to notice me arrive.

She slumped on the spot.

I collected her, and headed to the bury by the rock piles.

As I approached I saw a rabbit dive for cover, so I got into position behind a broken wall.

I watched the hillside for about 5 minutes, when there was a rustling sound from further on the bank.

I slowly turned to face the noise, and saw a rabbit making its way towards the bury I was sat outside.

I watched it hop closer, and waited for it to reach a small clearing.

He rolled down the banking and lay motionless.

I waited another 10 minutes, then had to move because 3 young girls were heading down the hillside from the top farm, so I collected my rabbits, and went to check further down the hillside.

As I approached a large area of bushes, I spotted a pair of Collared Doves feeding in the undergrowth.

I slowly aimed my rifle, and squeezed the trigger.

One of the doves slumped, and didn't flutter a wing, the other took off, and sat in the nearest bush.

I re-cocked the rifle, took a small side-step to get a clear view, and squeezed the trigger again.

Missed! I hit a small branch, and the dove fluttered to another nearby bush.

Once again, I moved to get a clear view, and took a shot.

Another miss.

I took 5 shots at this dove, and after each shot, it moved to the next bush or tree, I still didn't get it. Then it flew away.

I headed to the bottom of the hillside, where this permission joined the next, and as I searched the trees around the plant paddock (this farm is a plant nursery) I saw a Grey Squirrel sat in the fork of a large Oak tree.

I steadily raised the rifle, and placed the sight-post on its chest (just behind the shoulder.

He fell from the tree, and lay on the floor with no more than a couple of flicks of his tail.

I collected him, and checked the rest of the remaining trees on the boundary.

My mobile rang, it was my wife saying she was beginning to make tea, so I called it a day, and headed back to my car.