After my successful visit to the historic house with Jane last week I decided to take on the vinyard with her this week. Another friend was supposed to come as well but he had to work a shift so it was just the pair of us as before. Since my hunting successes with Jane have been good before I wasn't sad.
We got out to the property around 8:30pm and started with a trip to the back end of the property. We saw a couple of bunnies and a fox but I was too slow for the bunnies and the fox was a long way out. Too far for me even if the Hornet could make the distance. So we turned around and headed back to the vines.
We soon saw hares when we got to the fence and began to drive around in search of one which would stop. Bunnies also darted across the rows but they were reticent to halt too. Finally we spotted a hare on the top of hill above the vines and we chased him to a point where I could get a bead. He went down with one shot. And big animal he was!
We drove down the rows a couple of times and spotted a rabbit too but I was a bit slow off the mark and it leapt into the long grass before I managed to nail it. Not long afterwards, however, a hare was appeared in the paddock right next to the vineyard so I aimed carefully.....and missed.
My next shot was one of those "
I'm all excited and the blood is pumping 'cause I missed the first time".....so I missed again.
The hare disappeared over a little rise so we turned into the paddock to pursue it. Jane called out that there was a hare directly in front and one shot anchored it. But that was ANOTHER hare. The original one was still ambling away to the right. My third shot was more accurate and it went down hard. On examination it had probably been hit the first time but the wound was not deadly, just enough to disorientate it and prevent it escaping at speed. But the 3rd shot detonated and it was down hard. So another 2 hares to the tally:
Jane had an early morning tomorrow so we decided to make one short trip through the vines and then head home. It yielded a healthy looking bunny. Here's Jane with the rabbit:
And since there are bunnies around the stockyards, house and winery we made a short drive up there. There was nothing there.....until one little long ear bandit ran out and paused a little too long in the headlights. The Hornet made short work of him.
So, for 2 hours shooting our tally was 3 hares and 2 bunnies. Not the spectacular haul we'd made at the historic house the week before but a solid effort that decimated the hare breeding population and knocked over a couple of bunnies. And the owner will be pleased. Hares ringbark the vines and do lots of damage. Small game hunting may be humble but it's still very satisfying.
