www.ontracksportingagents.co.uk
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
African plain Game Hunting - We're different to the rest
Our basic price covers you staying with us and hunting on our reserve. Thereafter what you decide to harvest during your stay is up to you. There is no pressure to take a big trophy, whatever you prefer is fine by us, we just want you to enjoy your time hunting in the African bush.
I'm often asked by hunting clients can they eat what they shoot. Of-course the answer is yes, thats absolutley part of any hunt. Our talented cooks will prepare the best cuts from your animal and serve them at dinner during your stay.
Written by Sporting Agent
Email sportingagents@gmail.com
Friday, 9 November 2012
"One of those days that one remembers for a life time".
"One of those days that one remembers for a life time".
That was how four guns from the Midlands described there day with us in Dorset. They joined a small syndicate on an informal 50 bird driven day. And, well, if their complements at the end of the day were anything to go by, I rekon they had value for money.
To which I should say I did not do the magnificently presented birds any credit.
And then, when I checked my phone at the close of play there was an urgent message for a client who suddenly had a gap in his schedule and wanted to know if I could set up an African Plains Game hunt. That wouldn't normally be an issue but he wants to go next week!
Frantic phone calls to Africa secured a five day management hunt for Kudu, Waterbuck and Impala.
Although the hunting season is closed in South Africa, our reserve has an exemption certificate for management hunts and desperately need to thin out some of their herds to avoid over grazing, so all is well.
All I have to do now, is work out if I can get to Africa and back for next Saturdays Duck and Pheasant day!
www.ontracksportingagents.co.uk
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Three more months...happy days
 |
| Beaters finished a drive. picture by Kat |
Pheasant shoot days are back with us.
Three months of sporting days ahead.
Fantastic.
Of-course we’ve had quite a few days
already, but it’s the next three months that I look forward to most.
I am very lucky that my wife Kat (short for
Karen) enjoys the country life as much as I do.
Whether she is covering me if I am away by
feeding pheasants in August, dealing with enquiries, or joining me on a shoot
day, socializing with old and new friends. Or (as happened last week), helping
a rather worried keeper out by taking his landrover to the edge of a drive to
stop pheasants bleeding out of one corner and then returning in time for
elevenses and a very well earned sloe gin.
For us shooting is all about enjoying a day
in the countryside with friends. And at the end of the day, we like to drop
into the pub in our village on the way home. Dogs steaming away by the fire. A
nice glass of red. And that great feeling of relaxing after a day outdoors.
Three more months……happy days!
Written by Sporting Agent
www.ontracksportingagent.com
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Ducks and fluffy towels
Do you have any duck days going for
tomorrow?
It was a short and to the point enquiry
from a broad Yorkshire accent.
To be honest I didn’t have anything
available at that short notice, but I asked for a couple of hours to make a few
calls.
The enquiry was for a team of four guys who
were in Dorset on a mini break with their wives. They later told me how they’d
negotiated a deal where by a beauty therapy session in their hotel spar would offset
a days pheasant shooting. Keeping everyone happy.
However the days pheasant shooting that
they had booked directly with a local shoot had been called off at the last
minute (not sure why), and they were desperately trying to find some shooting.
But for me, the best part of the weekend
agreement was that everyone had been booked to go for the beauty therapy as
well as to go shooting.
Anyway back to my calls to find some duck
shooting.
As luck would have it, a very good friend
of mine offered an evenings duck flight on his estate, with the added spice of
the possibility of some Canada Geese. I also recruited three pickers up and
reported back.
We agreed on a one off fee for the whole
party. And so, not twenty-four hours later, four guns with partners, sat in woodland
hides around two ponds in the early evening, waiting for the evening duck
flight to come over the treetops.
Thankfully the wind was blowing reasonably
hard, which is normally a good sign. In windy weather the ducks tend to leave
the nearby exposed estuary early and come inland.
Things stared a bit slow. As normal I had
given instructions to let the first few mallard settle in, which appeared to be
back firing, as the guns left eight or more ducks. Then as the light was fading
and my anxiety level rose, the action started. Mallard and teal arrived at
regular intervals over the next forty minutes.
At close we had sixteen duck in the bag and
after picking up, everyone retired to the local pub for a warm by the fire and
very welcome pint.
What great folks they are. We enjoyed a
hearty meal and lots of laughs together, but of-course I couldn’t leave the
subject of the day’s spar beauty session hanging. These were four big Yorkshire
lads, who I couldn’t see walking around in a fluffy white towel being serenaded
by soothing elevator music. But I was wrong.
As well as booking a 50-bird pheasant day
with us in January, they’ll be staying in the same hotel and have booked a detox
spar session. Who knows, I may even join them.
Written by Sporting Agent.
Friday, 19 October 2012
Dogs and friends
One of the big pleasures I have in life is
working a dog on a pheasant shoot. I have to say that I enjoy picking up, just
as much as standing on a peg. Indeed probably more. What could be better than a
days shooting with a good dog?
As the years roll on, one tends to remember
all the good times and try to forget the embarrassing moments when dog and man
had an ‘off day’ and were defiantly not working in harmony. Of-course that’s
where friends come in. Friends, who can remember every details of those days and
remind you about them every now and again, especially in the pub after a shoot.
Whatever your background shooting people
have a great way of light heartedly enjoying a day in the field together. I
can’t think of a day’s sport that hasn’t included lots of laughs, mickey taking
and comradely banter that comes from being in the field with like-minded
people.
And if one has a dog or two to enjoy the
day with, then even better.
Written by Sporting Agent
It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it.
The two couples had booked a mixed package
of plains game hunting and big five game viewing over ten days that gave a nice
mix to their tour. Something for everyone.
Plains game hunting on our in Mpumalaga,
with a trophy Kudu at the top of the list for both guys, was to be followed by
big five game viewing in the greater Kruger National Park.
As ever we like to keep things relaxed and
easy going with our Safaris. Indeed the main reason for hunting on our reserve
is to thin out the numbers of Antelope and prevent over grazing/browsing. That would normally be managed by game capture,
but in these mountains chasing animals with a helicopter into a boma, leads to
animals breaking legs as they run and is just not a viable option. However hunting
is.
The guys had asked to hunt together with
one PH. A toss of a coin set the order of who would shoot first as they took
turns in shooting.
At the end of day five we had a couple of
nice Impala, two warthogs and a Kudu cow in the bag (which made for great
eating). However, although we had glassed some of the monster Kudu bulls that
this area is famed for, we hadn’t had an opportunity for a shot.
Day six put all that right and was one of
those days that will stay with me for a long time. We were on the move before
dawn and drove down through the reserve on a chilly morning. The sun was just
creeping above the mountains, as we set off to stalk an area of around 2,000
acres where we had seen several Kudu bulls the day before.
We had only been on the move for ten
minutes and were still shaking off the morning chill, when our tracker held up
his hand and motioned for us to stop.
All eyes followed his to a huge set of
spiral horns sticking up above some dense bush about 500 meters to our right.
Quickly back tracking to better cover we made a plan to get one gun and tracker
into shooting range.
As he went forward and out of sight, the
rest of the party remained behind, waiting anxiously for some sign of what was
happening.
I have to say that it is those waiting moments
that I have fingers crossed hoping that all goes well and my client gets a
shot.
There was no need to worry. A bang echoed
around the mountains, soon followed by the sight of our tracker with a big grin
on his face, beckoning us to join them.
A 56” Kudu lay within thirty meters of
where it had been shot. There were smiles on faces and relief on mine.
With gun number one happily making his way
back to the lodge with his prize, it was time for Kudu number two.
Normally after a shot I would move to a
different part of the reserve to try our hand elsewhere, but Finius (our
tracker) took me to one side. He’d seen
an even bigger Kudu bull up on the mountainside. It would be a hard stalk but
he wanted to go for it. Both gun and wife were keen, so we grabbed some extra
water bottles and set off.
A three-hour trek around the base of a
mountain had us overlooking a valley where several Kudu bulls browsed below.
Crawling the last 15meteres on our bellies, we came up to a small ledge and
more importantly to within 150 meters of a 60” bull.
First shot knocked the Kudu flat, but he
tried to stand up again, so a second dropped him on the spot.
What fantastic day. Two very nice Kudu bulls
were on their way to the taxidermist and we were headed to a luxury lodge, in
the Kruger Park for big five game viewing and relaxation. It’s a hard job, but
someone has to do it.
Written by Sporting Agent.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
A great end
After shooting tests were completed on the first morning (both nailed the bull at 100 yards......sorry meters), we split into two teams with each seeing plenty of sign, but neither getting a shot.
I had Alan with me and we did see a nice eight pointer that was frustratingly too far away to get a safe shot. By the time we had stalked around him into wind he'd slipped away (accompanied by the odd expletive from yours truly).
Later that day we did find a pricket that Alan took as a management hunt, which set us up nicely for day two.
As day two dawned we were on the ground early, enjoying a beautiful sunrise. The morning dew and a light mist were clearing away as the sun rose, so Alan and I decided to take five behind a gorse hedge and watch the morning unfold. Glassing across a large meadow in front of us, surrounded by woodland, we were ideally placed, or so I thought.
What's that they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?
As we were looking across the meadow to our front a ten pointer walked out from behind us on the right hand side. He was no more than 50 meters away. We were tucked down in a drainage line in good cover, dead still. Surely he would wind us, but he didn't. He jumped through the hedge and trotted out into the meadow.
Steadily walking away from us, there was no shot possible.
Just when it seemed as though he would never turn around, he slowly turned full broadside on to us. I ranged him at 140meters, we had a good back drop and Alan took a perfect heart shot.
By the time we had called in a quad bike and recovered the stag it was time for a celebratory full English breakfast and then a trip to the local taxidermist.
Later that day Robert got a six pointer as well, having put in a lot of miles walking himself, yet finally having success from a high seat.
It would be fair to say that we raised a glass or two back at their hotel that night. A great end to a great hunt.
Written by Sporting Agent
Week three in Dorset
Week three in Dorset and I’ve fallen into the old routine
that will be familiar to all those who are looking after pheasant poults. Early
morning finds me out with the birds, checking all is well from the previous
night. Cleaning and topping up feeders and drinkers, checking the water is
flowing and all the maintenance jobs that need to be done. I’ve started the
birds ‘on the whistle’ while I feed. Not the tune I would use (after all I’m
only standing in for Roy until he is up and about), but the few notes that Roy
uses to familiarize the birds. They will soon register that the tune means food
and come a running when they hear it, which will make life a lot easier as they
grow bigger and wander further.
I’m not normal an early morning person, but I love these
mornings in the woods. We’re far enough away from roads and traffic for there
to be no man made sounds, save perhaps for the odd tractor starting up away off
in the distance. We’ve been blessed with some sunny mornings; enough to take
the nights chill out of the air. My favorite pastime is to sit on a straw bale
in the pheasant pen, enjoy the sun on my face and watch the young poults
scrabbling around my feet. Of-course it also gives me a chance to check the
birds for any problems. None so far to worry about, Roy has done a good job in
sizing his pens and ensuring there is the right cover for the birds to enjoy. I
haven’t seen any sign of sickness; coughing or feather pecking that can occur
if you don’t get it right. There are low rails for the birds to stand on and
some small trees for them to hop up into as the fancy takes them. We did loose
two poults earlier in the week to an owl, but I have used the old trick of placing
a flashing amber beacon on the fence line (the type you used to see on road
works), which seems to have done the trick and we haven’t lost any since.
Fingers crossed that continues.
Kat usually joins me and we take some time after the checks to
do the romantic walk in the woods. You would think we’d be old enough o know
better but the setting makes our hearts young. Just the two of us and Ed (Roy’s
Springer Spaniel that now follows me everywhere I go, Roy is seeing that as
disloyalty, but he’s taking it well). There is an old gas stove in the
shoot store, where Roy stores sacks of pheasant food and all the other
paraphernalia you need to keep the birds happy. Kat usually knocks up a bacon
sandwich and puts the kettle on when we have finished our rounds. There is some
thing magical about cooking and eating outdoors, even Ed gets a piece from my
sandwich, another traitorous act which Roy would not see the funny side of, but
we’re a team and why not, he works hard.
We normally have the rest of the day to ourselves and return to
the wood around 7pm for the evening checks. If necessary we’ll replace the
battery on the electric fencer and then test to see that 5,000 volts is running
down the wire. As everyone who has touched a fencer wire will know it ‘kicks’.
Not enough to kill anything or anyone but enough to deter a fox. I have known
keepers who can grab a fence wire to test it, but I prefer to use a test meter
and avoid my hair standing on end. Then it is back to Roy’s for dinner. Jennie
is wonderful cook and most of the ingredients come from their garden and game
from their freezer. I may need to take up jogging to keep the weight
down. Last night we enjoyed roast venison with veg from their garden, followed
by homemade strawberry tart. It’s a hard life.
Written by Sporting Agent
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)