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.