'n Ford Ranger as jagvoertuig
Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:24 pm
'n Kostelike verhaal uit Australië.
Last night I decided I’d finally give my Pulsar Krypton thermal a run on some nocturnal pests.
Drove out to the farm in my Ford Ranger company vehicle. Clamped a Big Iron shooting rest onto my door and had the thermal clipped onto the 3-18x50 Leupold VX6 that lives on my Sako .220 Swift.
Given that I was using a thermal my plan was to try to be stealthy as the pests on this particular farm proved very flighty when I was there a couple of weeks ago using a spotlight. There was a fair bit of moonlight and I thought I might drive the farm tracks in the dark. Turning the headlights off I found that no, I would not be driving in the dark because the daytime driving lights came on. With them came the dashlights which I learned are brighter on their daytime setting than they are when your headlights are on. Plenty of glare for me to contend with. Roos could probably see my ghostly white face from 200m away
I soon learned that to scan the paddocks I really needed to get out of the vehicle fairly regularly and look around through the scope. Scanning out of the driver’s window is too limiting. This meant that I didn’t want my seatbelt on and of course it also meant a constant audible tune to remind me that I was driving without said safety device done up. I connected it behind my back which in the Ranger results in the belt clip sticking into you uncomfortably. Bewdy.
After driving a few hundred metres I decided it was a time for a look around. Pulling up and putting the ute in neutral I opened the door to be greeted by the Ranger playing me a little number to remind me the vehicle wasn’t in Park. Of course the interior light came on which I promptly dealt with by switching it off. Having then placed the transmission in Park the audible warnings continued because now I had the door open with the engine running. Closing the door I turned off the engine and then reopened the door to be greeted by the park and tail lights coming on. :grrrr: They stayed on a for maybe a minute and then shut themselves off whilst I scanned the paddock. I then reopened the driver’s door to have the park lights come on again. Oh FFS!
At one stage whilst lining up a roo I accidentally bumped the steering wheel and was promptly asked to “Say a command”.
Really took the gloss off the night so whilst I got quite a few I’d had an absolute gutful by about 10.30 and went home. Having to turn the ute off every few hundred metres so I could get out without warning every animal in a 500 metre radius became a little tiring. Much more of that and I’d have shot the Ranger. Bugger the roos.
The moral of the story is that if you want a ute for shooting at night then don’t choose a bloody Ford Ranger. Should have taken my own Navara which doesn’t have a warning bell go off every time you fart and other passengers still need to wind down the window themselves.
Last night I decided I’d finally give my Pulsar Krypton thermal a run on some nocturnal pests.
Drove out to the farm in my Ford Ranger company vehicle. Clamped a Big Iron shooting rest onto my door and had the thermal clipped onto the 3-18x50 Leupold VX6 that lives on my Sako .220 Swift.
Given that I was using a thermal my plan was to try to be stealthy as the pests on this particular farm proved very flighty when I was there a couple of weeks ago using a spotlight. There was a fair bit of moonlight and I thought I might drive the farm tracks in the dark. Turning the headlights off I found that no, I would not be driving in the dark because the daytime driving lights came on. With them came the dashlights which I learned are brighter on their daytime setting than they are when your headlights are on. Plenty of glare for me to contend with. Roos could probably see my ghostly white face from 200m away
I soon learned that to scan the paddocks I really needed to get out of the vehicle fairly regularly and look around through the scope. Scanning out of the driver’s window is too limiting. This meant that I didn’t want my seatbelt on and of course it also meant a constant audible tune to remind me that I was driving without said safety device done up. I connected it behind my back which in the Ranger results in the belt clip sticking into you uncomfortably. Bewdy.
After driving a few hundred metres I decided it was a time for a look around. Pulling up and putting the ute in neutral I opened the door to be greeted by the Ranger playing me a little number to remind me the vehicle wasn’t in Park. Of course the interior light came on which I promptly dealt with by switching it off. Having then placed the transmission in Park the audible warnings continued because now I had the door open with the engine running. Closing the door I turned off the engine and then reopened the door to be greeted by the park and tail lights coming on. :grrrr: They stayed on a for maybe a minute and then shut themselves off whilst I scanned the paddock. I then reopened the driver’s door to have the park lights come on again. Oh FFS!
At one stage whilst lining up a roo I accidentally bumped the steering wheel and was promptly asked to “Say a command”.
Really took the gloss off the night so whilst I got quite a few I’d had an absolute gutful by about 10.30 and went home. Having to turn the ute off every few hundred metres so I could get out without warning every animal in a 500 metre radius became a little tiring. Much more of that and I’d have shot the Ranger. Bugger the roos.
The moral of the story is that if you want a ute for shooting at night then don’t choose a bloody Ford Ranger. Should have taken my own Navara which doesn’t have a warning bell go off every time you fart and other passengers still need to wind down the window themselves.
