No blog - Just Mikey

This is Mikey, Henry's Bearded Draggon..  He's a real character, but no good with a shot gun ;-)

17 Nov 2012 - A day to remember for Henry

I was really tempted to get up early and head to Haddiscoe after the pinks again, but Wendy was working nights and both Henry and me we tired so I went for the easy option of staying in bed ;-)

Feeling pretty fresh after my lay in, me and my man headed over to Lowestoft to pick up the dive bottle for my new air rifle.  I've had it for 2 weeks now but havent been able to fire a shot due to a broken valve. 

Got home, fill her up and had my first few shots.  She's a nice gun to hold, but its a bit noisier than my old Webley and why Air arms but the bolt right where your nose is, is any ones guess.  You have to take the gun down to cock it, which defeats the object of having 10 shots.  The Webley is a far better set up with a side bolt so you can keep the gun in situ and on target while you reload.  Having said that, its a good quality bit of kit and i'm sure i will get used to using it.

Setting up the sights took a bit longer than expected, due to the fact that for some reason the cross hairs go out of focus after 5 seconds of you looking down the scope.  I have no idea why, so will have to research this.  but being as i was trying to set it up on he mill dots, it was hard going, but managed some good groups.

All excited we headed down to Rorys in hope of a pigeon or squirrel, we had seen plenty about and thought they would be in the wood after acorns, but we didnt see a thing !  Gutted not to get a shot with my new weapon we headed home to get changed and head out after a duck

My new S410 - brought from my Dads mate Mike

We had been to fritton earlier in the day to see if there was any sign of duck on the splash, but there was no sign of ducks what so ever.  We couldnt believe how much they have taken out of the wood, and the whole place was like 'crazy kevs' off-road centre.  It was mad, i'm not sure if we did any damage to the car, but we went over a stump at full pelt and we heard it run the whole length of the underside of the motor..

Given the lack of ducks over there, we decided to go for the easy option of heading to Davids, no chance of anyone else being down there other than my mate Sean and the walk from the car is only a couple of hundred yards

Henry in his hide down Davids - you can see our truck in the distance

We set up, threw a few decoys out onto a wet patch and crossed our fingers.

As usual we saw a few mallard heading into a pit in the distance, but none came our way.  Then the geese (greys) came out of Hardley a bunch at a time, calling loudly over in the distance and heading out to Cantley to feed somewhere.

Water on the marsh with a few Mallard coys

Then, for some reason a bunch flew out the other side of the floods and headed roughly in our direction.  Knowing that they were more likely to go fly over the car than us, I shouted to Hery to move to the bottom end.  Gun unloaded, I think he would have given Usane Bolt a run for his money, this while blowing full pelt on his Grey call..  I was laughing to myself, thinking of all the times I would have done the same and wishing i had the energy, but it takes more than the thought of a goose to get me to run these days.

Two skeins came just wide of him but out of range, so he headed back up the marsh to his hide.  some 20 minutes later it was dark enough to come out of our hides without being seen and knowing that the teal sometimes fly the opposite dyke i told him to go and stand over there for the last 30 minutes of the flight.

Just as he got settled,  I heard the faint sound of gun fire in Cantley direction, shortly followed by the calling of Grey Geese. I too started calling and soon saw a solitary greylag heading our way! I shouted Henry and got low in my hide, calling all the time.

The Grey was heading wide, but then swung our way 300 yards away, he passed me 45 yards out but was on a direct line for Henry, sure enough it flew straight over his head ! Kabooom (or should i say Parrp) his little 20 went,  but the goose didnt move an inch..  Kaparrp he went again, and to my amazement the big ole fella tumbled out of the sky and smack into the ground 50 yards behind him! Ben was quickly dispatched to pick it up and it was smiles all around. you can see  by the picture how dark things were getting at this time.

Henry and his second Greylag ever. shot with 24grm no 5 steel

I put the grey out with the mallard decoys in the water just in case another one saw it and got tempted to come our way....

The next thing we saw was some pinks, they came to the call but swung wide at about 500 yards and off into the distance,  a few moments later we heard more 'Wink Wink' in the distance and started calling, in the near darkness we saw a skein heading our way of around 20 birds.  I kept calling them and they kept responding, then there wings hit the MoBot style glide position and they headed straight for Henry.  I was hoping that he was going to leave them, as i was sure they would swing and come in to land, but as i watched he raised his gun and if I had of shouted they would have heard me for sure.

The birds were still moving fast and up there about 45 yards as Henry let fire his first shot, I was pleased to hear the crack of pinion feathers as his pellets struck home, thinking to myself "at least he hit one" then in slow motion and totally to my amazement a bird from the front of the pack tumbled out and splashed into the dyke!  I couldnt help but shout, totally forgetting the boy had another shot to go which understandably missed its target.



Henry's 1st Pink foot goose - those suckers have evil eyes..

 Ben was once again put into action and Henry proudly claimed his 1st Pink


















I never really thought there would be a day when my boy stood on a marsh with 2 geese and I went home empty handed:



Boy did good..



10 November

10 Nov 2012 -

Ian has been keeping his eye out for Pinks on his way to work and has noticed several hundred Pinks in the Haddiscoe area..

Its earlier in the year than we would normally turn attention to the pinks, but being as they were there

my little man (Henry) and my big cuz Ian get up at stupid O'clock and head to Haddiscoe '3 Sisters' with a shed load of decoys and netting.


Before dawn broke we could hear the pinks on a field about 1/2 a mile to the east - it would appear that they have been feeding through the night (strange as there was no moon) so full of excitement we picked what we thought was a good spot and set up quickly.

As light broke, literally thousands of geese and birds of all variety descended on on particular field.. we didnt question why to start with, but as more and more targeted just this one field we started to think there must be more to it than just the nice grass.

After a look with binoculars and a scouting mission from the youngest and fittest member of the group we decided that it was either rape or beet tops they were feeding and no matter how many decoys we had out would entice them our way. As we had Hellington booked up, we decided to leave at 8.30 only to look over our shoulder when we got to the gate to see half a dozen pinks skimming over where we had been standing ;-(

Highlights of the session were:

• Me Ian and Henry taking 7 shots and one goose, hitting it hard but it still didnt come down
• Henry's face when i let him drive back down the track in the Truck
• Ians new boddy warmer - (apparently he got it cheap from a shop in Beccles)
• My wet feet - after 10 years my boots finally gave up ;-(

Anyway, we headed to Maccy D's for breakfast and then headed on over to Hellington,

We walked up the arable field as normal, ian taking the footpath and me the track with Henry, Ian put a cock up off the path which crossed the field closely followed 3 lots of 32grm 5's and then henrys 2 20bore loads, that baby was going like an express train when i swung on it and dropped it in one ;-) I only wish the rest of the day could have gone so well.

I think the early morning had put us all out of kilter as we put up several pheasants and either missed them clean or put em down as runners which the dogs couldnt find in the chest deep rough ground.

At the end of the day we picked up 3 pheasants, I have no idea who got them I think Ian and Henry shared one, me and Henry shared one and Henry butt shot a beauty on his own.

New boots have been ordered and are on the way !!

What's it all about...

It's the 14th November 2012, and in a months time I will hit the bit 40....

Things are moving so fast in my life, that I thought I would try to capture some of my weekends, memories and special times for the future so that I can look back at them and remember my adventures..

Thinking back over just the last few weeks i can remember seeing the biggest otter in the world ever, 10 feet from my boat on Rockland, an Osprey and a hen harrier (must have been the 1st time Henry has seen these things) also, Henry shooting his 1st Widgeon at Blundeston..

I will start by adding a few pictures, for no other reason than i like them - and they will give you a flavour of whats coming.

Rockland Broad at Sunrise - I love this place. Its a shame the birds don't use it like they used to, but what a place to sit and shoot nothing..

This is Henry on the Boat with Benson early 2011season enjoying a cup of tea and next to that is a picture of him and his 1st duck off the broad, shot east side of Toms hole when it foolishly by passed the decoys,

This is my Big Bro commonly known as Vera holding the 1st duck he shot with his 40th Birthday present a Browning Maxus 3.5inch magnum.  This was our 1st outing with it on the broad and he brought it down at in the slaughters - fen channel side. The gun proved to be such a success that Big cuz got one, then one of his friends and then Me also..  They seem to be great guns, light enough to carry all day but with a big 3'5 inch chamber

This is my beloved dog Benson - also known as Bweno, the Goat, or Mr Ben he's a hard-core dog & regularly smashes through the ice to retrieve a bird for me.  He loves the cold and wont even come in the house unless it's about -7c and he's tired.. I got him for my 30th, and what a present he's turned out to be..  He may well turn out to be my best gun dog ever, the one i look back and wish all the rest could be like.  Poor ole boy will be retiring soon, he will be 10 on the 17th Jan 2013, and his replacement will soon need to be brought and trained

Henry and a bag of 97 birds.. this was pretty much his first day out with his now 20 bore back in March 2011..  From memory he took
9 of these,  which isn't bad because the wind was blowing hard and they werent easy to hit..  I'm sure it took me years before i got my
1st flyer, I can see it now - a pigeon coming into feed on some Hawthorne berries at my childhood home in Alpington.  It wasn't so much flying as it was hovering..


Another big bag from the same field 213 picked up by me and my big cuz Ian over rape stubble in Geldeston (2008 I think).  Ian was so superstitious about ending on a 13 that he dove around looking for another bird for ages!  both of us (and our barrels) were hot on this day.  when we are on form, I think we can hang with the best of em.

Now this was a proud day..  Ian had sorted some shooting for us on an old quarry (he always comes up with the goods).  He also managed to get permission for Henny to tag along, helping out with collecting the birds etc and in return he could stand with his 20bore at the edge.

No sooner had he loaded up than a flight of 6 greys came over him, a single shot with a 24grm no5 steel and goose folded dead in the air.  I was so busy shooting at another one, I didn't even realise he had hit one until it zipped passed my right shoulder near decapitating me..

I don't know who was more excited, him or me.. Whilst he was very pleased with it, I don't think he realises what a big thing it is to get your first grey.  I was around the age of 20 before I got mine and my dad, was around the age of 50 (another day i wont forget)

This is my Big Cuz, friend and shooting buddy Ian..   I hate to say it, but he beats on shot to bird ratio 9 times out of 10.  What ever he turns his hand to he seems to make it a success.  As demonstrated by these Canada's taken from Haddiscoe at the start of 2011.  But I have to mention that it was probably down to my calling prowess;-)


 For now, i will end with some picutres of Henry - learning the ropes

What a good looking shooter..  Looks like something straight out of a magazine.  November 2011 Blundeston

Smiling as always, we forgot the hide poles so had to lay on the grass at Davids

Now thats what i call a hide !!   me and Henry set this 'bungalow' up on cookies farm geldeston.. it was Bean stubble, and a great day before we got kicked off because the neighbours dogs were going mad...

A bit of Air Rifle action

 This is another one of our passions - getting the air rifle out on a still sunny day.  We are lucky enough to have a little (about 8 acre site) to shoot on but it has a lot of Rabbits, squirells and pigeons!  Henry took these two with his Raider 10 shot and then went on to get another one in the wood



Bream just under 6lb

When we arent shooting we are fishing - now Henry has stopped his Gymnastics training, we had a lot of time to spend down the pit and he really enjoyed it.  These were a few of his better fish from Broome pits summer 2012

Not a massive carp, only about7lb but what a pretty fish.



A beautiful tench from the car park pit.