Wildlife knows no boundaries. This means shooters are given access to unlikely places when numbers
become a problem. It can be football stadiums, golf courses, graveyards and this evening,
a prison.
Well we're here tonight just outside Sudbury Prison, we've been shooting this ground now
for about twenty years on and off. It's been pretty good for rabbits, we've shot ten, fifteen
even up to fifty on a small piece of ground before myxomatosis really took a hammering
to them.
So we're here tonight and hopefully it's going to be a good place to test the night sight
out and we should get a few down. I'm looking forward to it.
We're not actually inside the perimeter fence, but as close as you can get without a criminal
record.
We have to be careful the sodium lighting doesn't give us away, but the odds are in
our favour thanks to the night sight. Steve has an initial scan and you never get bored
of seeing those tell-tale eyes in the distance.
As we work our way along to get in range with the Daystate Mk4iS the prison officers want
a word and Steve has to return to the truck for a chat.
In the meantime I manage to pick off a few rabbits whilst Steve's away for questioning.
Another one for the bag. So, you might be wondering why I've got the rifle. Well the
guards at neighbouring Sudbury Prison here were feeling slightly uncomfortable at two
men walking around ith guns and one with a camera.
When they first came over I thought they wanted an autograph, but apparently we constitute
a security risk, so Steve's had to go and sort it out.
So how did that go?
Fine, they stood around the back of the car, having a look at the rabbits in the back and
he says your making nobody's knees run for us boys.
We're just not use to people being around here.
Yeah, well, don't worry about it, it's all good, it's fine, and they seemed quite happy,
and I explained who we were and what we were doing so.
Cool, twenty years and it's the first time.
Twenty years and the first time, thanks.
Rabbits in this field here hold on there's somebody coming with a torch behind us bud.
Unfortunately that's not the end of it, ten minutes later Derbyshire police come and say
hello.
How are you?
Very good thank you.
What's happening gents, we've just had a call from the prison next door because they're
a little concerned.
The boys next door are a little bit worried that we're walking around with guns and a
camera, so we're just shooting some rabbits here.
The two officers ask us nicely to return to the truck and give our details.
So guys you've obviously been called out to see what we're doing here, so do you have
any other advice for sportsmen like ourselves?
Yes, it's basically obviously that the police have been called because of the location of
where you are shooting.
If you'd have just giving in a call to say that you were out shooting in the first place
that would have given us a little bit of a header as what to expect.
Potentially, when weapons are mentioned you've got the possibility of an armed response vehicle
attending and the consequences of that can be easily misunderstood in the dark.
It can be quite exciting armed responses units
It can be quite exciting but then there's the resource of the armed response coming
out, it might be better used where it's needed but more to the point if a misunderstanding
happens the consequences potentially are very serious obviously.
Sure, so it's probably just to keep everyone informed that we can.
Just a phone call to the local police, obviously where you're shooting tonight just pop into
the establishment to let them know that you were here would've juts as I say stopped any
misunderstanding.
Ease the situation potentially. For everybody, absolutely, just a quick phone
call that's all it takes and everyone knows what we're dealing with.
Normally you see when I send Steve towards the gate like that they tend to close it as
he approaches. But no, that's good advice, sorry to call you guys out on a busy night.
The guys at the prison now seem pretty comfortable that we're here once we introduced ourselves,
so I'll make sure I slap his wrist for him.
Much appreciated.
Thanks guys.
Thankfully the police are satisfied we're not a security risk and we're here with the
best of intentions. So some good advice to digest followed by
some humble pie.
We're now left to our evening, and it's not one we'll forget in a hurry.
Well, that was a bit of excitement. Wildy, call them!