Downside to living in the country ....

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Crewella
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Downside to living in the country ....

Post by Crewella »

All my cats have been thrilled to move to this house - we've now been here almost a year. However, this time last year we were still moving and spent several weeks with the cats all confined to quarters. We didn't notice the locals doing what apparently the locals do.

This morning I heard the hunt charging across the field opposite, ran out to call the cats in. Let them out a couple of hours later ........... only to hear shooting in the field beside out garden later this afternoon. To be fair, I looked and nobody was shooting in our direction - they all were either side on or had their backs to us, but they were right by our fence and the noise scared the life out of Daz and Merrick, I eventually found them hiding behind an old piano in the garage. Thankfully. Thank heavens for the garage, which they can get into at all times and obviously did have the sense to do. I'm sure we'll all get used to it, but it reminded me of what a 'townee' I probably am. :shock:
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bobbys girl
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by bobbys girl »

Crewella wrote:only to hear shooting in the field beside out garden later this afternoon. To be fair, I looked and nobody was shooting in our direction - they all were either side on or had their backs to us,
OOH TELL ME ABOUT IT!!!!

We don't have a hunt, but we do have several shooting 'clubs'! The massacre seems to start on St Stephen's Day (Boxing Day). I can just picture the scene. Christmas is over, 'I'm bored, let's go out and shoot something.' :x

A few years back our lovely next door neighbours in-laws (her dad) stopped his car half way down their drive (at the back of our house, 15m from my mum's bedroom window), took a shotgun out of the boot and started blasting pheasants behind our house. A quiet word with our neighbour put a stop to any more of that! :roll:

What really worries me is that Bob and Purdy, have no fear of loud noises and continue their own hunting.

Having said that they are probably still more safe in the country than the town and you wouldn't get me back in the city for ANYTHING! Do I miss Stoke-on-Trent? Do I thump.
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Crewella
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by Crewella »

Nope, I agree - you wouldn't get me moving back to town for anything. It just takes a bit of getting used to.

Though I'm praying that the gang of five male pheasants that were hanging around on our lawn are safe ...... I'm kind of fond of those boys.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by bobbys girl »

We used to get Pheasants, a boy, a girl and a ? Yep, it happens with pheasants too. A female, unsure of her sexuality. They were Jack, Gert and Daisy (Dizzy). :lol:

We had snow overnight and a lot of hungry birds this morning. I re-filled the peanuts and stocked the (fortified) bird table. The Purdy took up residence under the table. :roll: I now have a piece of that green, clematis trellis proped up on the grass as a barrier, to stop Purdy doing a headlong rush at the birds. It is working and Purd is not amused. You can look but don't touch. I can expect a headless mouse on the rug any time!

A clue to how out in the sticks we are. Over winter, we sometimes get Snipe in the garden and in the summer buzzards overhead. Now I'd like to see Purdy try one of those (knowing her she'd get Bobby to lend a paw and ambush one if it was stupid enough to land!)
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Walesgang
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by Walesgang »

We're lucky - never seen the hunt near here. Hear shooting in the distance sometimes, but I think it's clay pigeons in a nearby quarry. There us a fishery just down the road and we suspect the owner does take a shot at otters and other wildlife but can't prove anything :cry:

Our cats are lucky though. Safely contained in our fenced garden - not the prettiest project but worth it for peace of mind :D

Could not imagine living in a town though :)
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by mr_frisky »

Fortunately there are no inbred yokels killing for pleasure near me, just psycho speeders to look out for.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by bobbys girl »

mr_frisky wrote:just psycho speeders to look out for.
Oh, we've got them too! No need for hunts or badger culls around here - the car/4wheel drive accounts for a lot of them. :(
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Mollysmummy
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by Mollysmummy »

We just have lots of feisty foxes! We're kind of on the edge of a town and the country, on a fairly main road which thankfully Molly has the sense not to go near. But over the road is allotments and then fields, fields and more fields!

My parents have shooting near their house; a few years ago they got a free pheasant for Xmas dinner....it had been shot and somehow in its last minutes flew smack into their dining room window! Grandad plucked and dressed it and it was very tasty!
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Crewella
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by Crewella »

Blimey - we've never had dinner come knocking!

We did have our lovely (and only) neighbours give us a pheasant they'd just hit with their car a few weeks back - OH had been eyeing them up on the lawn and wondering how to pluck and dress one, so at last got the chance. Very yummy it was too! :D
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bobbys girl
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Re: Downside to living in the country ....

Post by bobbys girl »

Crewella wrote:Blimey - we've never had dinner come knocking!
:lol: :lol:
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