TrevDR
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How did everyone elses Friday the 13th go.
I had a bit of spare time on my hands and after seeing a couple of nice pheasant shots on here recently, I decided to try somewhere else for a change.
The place I had in mind was slightly off the beaten track and only access is a narrow B class road, but an abundance of pheasants and the odd red squirel.
Almost at the point of where I wanted to go, I spotted a cock pheasant but black in colour, looked great as the sun shone on him, so I pulled into the side of the road, done a quick reverse into a forestry entrance, noticing it was muddy , I kept to what I thought was a dry area.
I thought wrong!!!
Car sunk like a lead balloon.
I drive a Vauxhall Calibra for my sins and its been lowered to a 3 1/2 inch ground clearance (not by me but last owner )really not ideal for off road use.
So as you can imagine I was well and truly grounded and bogged down.
I got out had a look and the mud was up to the sills. Had a cigarette and looked around. Plenty old dry wood sitting around, gave me an idea.
Forced some wood under the front tyres then laid out a nice path for each wheel made out of old dry branches and think it was dead willow herd, thought it would make a nice dry matt to get me out. Total waste of time, wouldnt budge.
Next try was to dig a hole with a large piece of branch under the jacking points, put a stone in the hole, jack up each side in turn to fill the holes, Id created under each wheel, with stones and sticks etc.
Over an hour and a few ciggies later still no joy, except sore and blistered hands and a shoe filled with mud as it came off at one point during excavation process. Time to call out recovery I thought. Then it dawned on me, Id left my mobile charging at home.
There was a house next to me but no vehicles in the driveway so I assumed they were out. So I waited at the side off the road for a passing 4x4 but that area is very quiet, however, there was a house up at the junction where I saw the pheasant so took a little wander.
On my left there was a little clump of trees and watching me as I passed was a little red squirrel, Im sure hed been watching my wasted efforts and was laughing at me, I stopped and watched him, it was like a stand off, he wouldnt move, and I couldnt believe it. Camera in the car and a great opportunity of a red shot but that wouldnt get me out of the mud, so walking forward but keeping an eye on the squirrel behind, a pheasant flew out of the undergrowth and almost had my eye out in the process.
Once my heart started pumping in a regular rhythm again I got up to the house and there was an elderly couple working in the garden. To cut a long story short they offered to help (Thank you very much Ron and Ilene). Ron disappeared to get his 4x4 and I started to walk back to the car, this time on the opposite side of the road.
The house, that no-one appeared to be in, had a huge garden and in the garden (I almost wept) A couple of bird feeders stood in the middle of the lawn. 3 pheasants pecking away at the remnants of what the other smaller birds had dropped, and to top it all off, 7, yes I said 7, red squirrels running around at and on the feeder, not even bothering about me. I think it was at that point I looked up to the heavens and muttered Okay you win. Well words to that effect.
Needless to say Ron appeared with his 4x4 had me out in seconds, chatted for a while then left me. I didnt go back to take photos, I was too embarrassed, but I will go up there this week again when my face is less red and hands have healed, and guess where I wont be parking.
I had a bit of spare time on my hands and after seeing a couple of nice pheasant shots on here recently, I decided to try somewhere else for a change.
The place I had in mind was slightly off the beaten track and only access is a narrow B class road, but an abundance of pheasants and the odd red squirel.
Almost at the point of where I wanted to go, I spotted a cock pheasant but black in colour, looked great as the sun shone on him, so I pulled into the side of the road, done a quick reverse into a forestry entrance, noticing it was muddy , I kept to what I thought was a dry area.
I thought wrong!!!
Car sunk like a lead balloon.
I drive a Vauxhall Calibra for my sins and its been lowered to a 3 1/2 inch ground clearance (not by me but last owner )really not ideal for off road use.
So as you can imagine I was well and truly grounded and bogged down.
I got out had a look and the mud was up to the sills. Had a cigarette and looked around. Plenty old dry wood sitting around, gave me an idea.
Forced some wood under the front tyres then laid out a nice path for each wheel made out of old dry branches and think it was dead willow herd, thought it would make a nice dry matt to get me out. Total waste of time, wouldnt budge.
Next try was to dig a hole with a large piece of branch under the jacking points, put a stone in the hole, jack up each side in turn to fill the holes, Id created under each wheel, with stones and sticks etc.
Over an hour and a few ciggies later still no joy, except sore and blistered hands and a shoe filled with mud as it came off at one point during excavation process. Time to call out recovery I thought. Then it dawned on me, Id left my mobile charging at home.
There was a house next to me but no vehicles in the driveway so I assumed they were out. So I waited at the side off the road for a passing 4x4 but that area is very quiet, however, there was a house up at the junction where I saw the pheasant so took a little wander.
On my left there was a little clump of trees and watching me as I passed was a little red squirrel, Im sure hed been watching my wasted efforts and was laughing at me, I stopped and watched him, it was like a stand off, he wouldnt move, and I couldnt believe it. Camera in the car and a great opportunity of a red shot but that wouldnt get me out of the mud, so walking forward but keeping an eye on the squirrel behind, a pheasant flew out of the undergrowth and almost had my eye out in the process.
Once my heart started pumping in a regular rhythm again I got up to the house and there was an elderly couple working in the garden. To cut a long story short they offered to help (Thank you very much Ron and Ilene). Ron disappeared to get his 4x4 and I started to walk back to the car, this time on the opposite side of the road.
The house, that no-one appeared to be in, had a huge garden and in the garden (I almost wept) A couple of bird feeders stood in the middle of the lawn. 3 pheasants pecking away at the remnants of what the other smaller birds had dropped, and to top it all off, 7, yes I said 7, red squirrels running around at and on the feeder, not even bothering about me. I think it was at that point I looked up to the heavens and muttered Okay you win. Well words to that effect.
Needless to say Ron appeared with his 4x4 had me out in seconds, chatted for a while then left me. I didnt go back to take photos, I was too embarrassed, but I will go up there this week again when my face is less red and hands have healed, and guess where I wont be parking.
