Where would we be without innovation?
by Charles Smith-Jones.
I HAD been sitting in the high seat for almost an hour and nothing had moved, not even a squirrel or a pheasant to distract the eye and add some interest to the evening session. It was surprisingly cold for September and the woods seemed dead, but I resolved to sit it out after briefly considering a foot stalk, a look at the still-lush undergrowth persuaded me that I was better off in my vantage point.
I didn’t even have the pocket radio to provide distraction through an earbud as the battery had just run out. I settled the butt of the rifle on my lap with the fore-end resting on the shooting rail, hunching down into the open seat for warmth and secure in the knowledge that at least, thanks to the inventor of Gore-tex, the drizzle would not penetrate my jacket, as I hoped for a roebuck or muntjac to show itself.
The trail camera had also been picking up regular fox activity in the area, so perhaps I might yet have a chance to manage something to cheer up the keeper.
At such times the mind can tend to wander, and a solitary cronk from a raven passing overhead started a train of thought. Ravens in Hampshire – anyone of my age would remember when you had to travel to the wilder parts of the country if you wanted to see them. Now they seem to be almost everywhere and increasing in number year-on-year.
