Airgun Hunter: Thinking it Through

It had been a while since I had last been out with the air rifle, stalking the hedge rows. My trigger finger was getting itchy and I planned to go out after vermin on the farm. The corvids, pigeons and squirrels were still at large, despite my efforts in previous visits. I knew far more work had to be done. I had a day off and could spend as much time as I liked at the farm, hunting.

Stick to the plot

As per-usual, I had set up a plan in my head. I reckon it’s better to create a plan before leaving. This way, I have some idea of what I am doing, which allows more time for hunting when at the farm. Too many times I’ve had an idea of what I want to do, only to change my mind at the last minute when I am there, ending up frustrated, chasing birds from field to field and not actually shooting many at all. So, I feel pretty sure that it’s a better bet to think it through and stick to the original intentions.

At the time, the wheat was still fairly green, meaning trying to decoy birds down was not practical or effective. Firstly, pigeons aren’t the fondest of wheat that is not yet ready to harvest. If it’s not yet good enough for us, it’s not good enough for them. Secondly, if the bird landed, I would not have a clear shot due to the crop obscuring my view. Shooting pigeons pre-harvest would be a far better with a shotgun and dog to retrieve as them.

 

Woodland work

So, with decoys out the window, I settled myself down in the woodlands on the edge of the crop. Using basic concealment principals, I hid myself away in amongst the vegetation. My face-vale is a great help and the addition of a baseball cap cast a shadow over my otherwise, bright white face, enabling me to blend far better into the background.

People often comment that when I am hunting, I rarely wear gloves! While it would aid concealment, it would hinder me operating the camera and other bits and pieces I use. For example, my scope camera is touch screen and doesn’t work with most gloves. It’s a bit of a trade-off between possibly shooting one or two more sharp eyed birds or getting the photo or video needed to write these articles and make the YouTube videos.

I arrived and sat down under the relatively young oak tree for about an hour. This is the time it usually takes for the woodland to settle back down and return to normal after the disturbance of any human walking in.

 

First customer

The first customer of the day showed up; one of this year’s crows! From my seated position, I could not get a clear shot, but could only see the jet black tail feathers of the bird. Knowing that crows are one of the sharpest birds in the wood when it comes to spotting movement, I was very cautious to break my cover. The advantage with this one was its age. It had likely never been shot at before and should be relatively unaware of the danger that it was in. For this reason, some air gunners prefer to target crows when they are young, or even just ‘branchers’ (just out of the nest).

Once they wise-up, they are next to impossible to hunt without building a state of the art hide, or just being very lucky on the day (in my experience, anyway). I very gently and slowly tried to get up from my seated position, without making a sound. I used the oak tree to support my weight as I shifted from one foot to another. I could still not see the bird for a clean shot. I knew that I would have to move further to a pine tree to the side of me. I began to creep over, again trying not to break any twigs as I moved.

 

Longest yard

The tree must have been 6 yards or so away but it felt like the longest 6 yards in history. Once at the tree, I could see the crow perfectly. I positioned myself in a nice and wide stance (this is the most comfortable and stable for me and allows for the most accurate shooting). I tried to brace myself on every part possible, including resting my knee on the trunk to be as solid as I could. I had the crow’s head in the mill dot cross hair of the Nikko scope and squeezed the trigger. The familiar ‘crack’ of the pellet striking the skull echoed through the woods and the bird fell to the floor, thankfully landing just outside the locked pheasant pen.

Before I even had time to reload, crows seemed to come from everywhere. The sky was screeching as they investigated their fallen comrade. I stayed put! I knew the bird was dead, so no need to break cover and retrieve it just yet. I decided to see how the situation would play out. I’m glad I did!! They began to land right where I had shot the last one, so I was set up perfectly. I lined up the rifle at bird number two.

 

Jackpot

This one wasn’t a crow but a Jack Daw, still a menace on the farm, so I had no worries shooting it. It fell virtually on top of the previous recipient of the ‘Air Arms Diablo Field .177’. Some of the other birds that had landed behind me took off, spooked by the shot of the rifle. Although silenced, it still gives a pop loud enough for the wildlife to notice. However, the sky was still filled with corvids, so keeping still remained my best option. Another landed behind, so another position move was needed.

I lowered the Air Arms S410 Carbine from where it was aiming and bought it round for a shot in the opposite direction. One of the reasons I bought this rifle was for its manoeuvrability in these situations. The length (or rather, the lack of it) is a real help in tight spaces like the woodlands. I have no fear of knocking the barrel on objects that may be in the way. The position I was in for this shot was the same as the last two, just facing a different direction. The only real difference was the sun, which was now in my face. It was not too much of a problem though, as the canopy of the wood scattered plenty of dappled shadow for me to adjust into.

 

Squeeeeeze!

I squeezed the trigger once again, expecting to see another bird drop. It might have helped if I cycled the bolt!! Not the first time it’s been done and it won’t be the last! In the excitement of the hunt the simple but essential act of cocking the gun just slipped my mind. Never mind, I cycled the magazine, which was shortly followed by another dead Jackdaw. Three birds on the ground now. Great stuff! This third and final shot of the flurry sent the remaining birds flying for the hills, so I collected my quarry. On closer inspection I could see that all shots landed where they were intended. I wouldn’t expect anything else from this rifle in these ideal, still conditions.

Some time went past and I was just enjoying being in the woods. Nothing was really moving, so I decided to take a walk to stretch my legs. I headed out of the woods and walked along the edge of the fields. There are sometimes squirrels foraging on the dirt tracks and they can provide good opportunities when they are thinking more about food than their surroundings.

 

Not today

It wasn’t to be today. They were just not there in the numbers I had seen before. Looked like my previous efforts may be making a difference after all. I continued to walk in a semi crouched position, expectant that I may have another opportunity somewhere down the track. Movement grabbed my attention. I was unsure what it was that I had seen. Maybe one of last year’s pheasants wandering into the corn field? I didn’t think so and I sat tight.

Shortly after, a fully grown buck rabbit wondered from out of the corn. It looked like he had been eating for quite some time and appeared drowsy and unaware of my presence. I gently rose into a standing position and settled myself for a shot. I wanted this to be a clean head shot. I released it and the rabbit rolled over, with just a kick of its hind leg. A lovely headshot from 30 yards.

I retrieved the rabbit and put it in my game carrier to prepare later for the pot. I stayed at the farm for a while longer but nothing else showed. You never can tell how things will go on any given day but however things turn out, I thoroughly enjoy just being in the woods with my gun.