I’m not a night shooter but I want to, don't get me wrong I've been lambing three time this year and been out with my night scope. It is a Deben 1st gen which I bought about 6 mouths ago but I've not had time to play with it much and I have a lot to learn about night shooting.

Where I shoot is not the best place for a night scope as it’s close to a large city so to me and you it looks dark but not to the rabbits, there can see movement even on an overcast night. It was not the best night to go but it was when I had planned and the wind was perfect. It was not to windy but it had rained very hard the night before and there was still a lot of standing water in the fields but I was keen to get out of the house so of I went.

When I arrived I went though my check list; i.e. which way the wind was blowing and jump up and down to see if I was silent with no rattles, locked the car and walked down the drive, when I got to the house I turned the sight on and scanned the garden but no luck, shame as that was how I got shooting permission in the first place, to clear the garden of rabbits. On to the first field, with the gateway in front of me I scanned the entrance with no luck, I did the same again but this time with the I R on this is a light but it is in infrared, you can't see the light it gives off but the light lens glows red like someone smoking a cigar with the end glowing red but the little light is very bright through the scope and the refection from the rabbits eyes can be seen a 100 yards, a rabbit can be spotted about half that distance without the IR.

But still no game, I entered the field and it struck home how bad the ground was, it was so noisy when I lifted my feet, it made a sucking noise every time I lifted my feet, it meant I had to take the dry route from then on, not the best route or start to the hunt.

I decided a ambush would be best, I walked through the field to the next gateway as I came close I scanned the gate but came up blank, went into stealth mode to get to the gate when there I scanned no luck but I did it again with the I R and found about half a dozen rabbits along the hedge I was on but well out of my range, I claimed over the gate sat down and waited, after about 10 minutes a rabbit from the hedge to my right came out, it was over 40 yards, I brought my logun up to aim and let of my first shoot of the night it hit home with a thwack it was still standing I pulled the bolt and took aim and gently squeezed the trigger once more I herd the thwack of the pellet struck home but to my surprise it walked of to die in the hedge where I cant get him, as I said I’m still learning and it’s hard to judge range though the night sight.

I waited for a few minutes to see if any more were going to come out close to me but the water was starting to come though my camo, it was not a good day to be laying on the ground so I went after the rabbits on my far left, I got up slowly and started to stalk the closest to me which was about 65 yards but by the time I got to 45 yards it had had enough and took off, as did it’s mates, I went on, at the other end of the field is a another gate, as I approached I scanned the next field and yes yes a big fat bunny no more then 30 yards away, it was a standing shot I took my time as it was unaware of me, I picked out it’s head and slowly slipped off the shot but this time it went nowhere - it just fell over, the way I like it, I learned how clear the image was, it's a good way of judging ranges, like I said I've still got a lot to learn about using my night sight.

I walked through the next field but seen nothing, it had taken 2 hours of hard stalking to get this far, my back was killing me by now so I headed back towards the house, as I came close to the house I spotted 5 rabbits in the corner closes to the house through the scope about 60 yards away, with the wind to my side I slowly made my way towards them but the dog in the yard got my scent and started to bark.

I had to make a decision which was a hard one to make:
point 1 the farmer wanted the rabbits by the house gone as they are the ones which go to his garden,

point 2 it was 2:30 in the morning and the dogs barking might wake them up,

point 3 the noise could scare the rabbits off.

I played it safe and make a quick getaway and left the rabbits for next time, and went back to the car as fast as pos for some pain relief and a ride home. I’ve all ready decided to put up a hide a few days before I want to use it for next time and will get there earlier. I think hide work with the scope is the way forward for this area as they can spot movement thanks to the city lights close by.

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