bloody distractions

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jwpzx9r

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May 9, 2013
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Location
France
I don't know if anybody else has had this problem but it has happened twice to me now. I was shooting on Sunday and just at the very instant I called for the target a flying insect of some description flew over the end of my gun... I just could not move my gun?? I saw the insect first then milliseconds later the target flew out in the opposite direction the insect completely took my attention. The same thing happened at Lonato only on that occasion it was a small clump of birds that were messing around out in the front at the point I called the target one of them flew out in the opposite direction to the target on that occasion I did move my gun to the target but it was well out and I missed of course.

 
I don't know if anybody else has had this problem but it has happened twice to me now. I was shooting on Sunday and just at the very instant I called for the target a flying insect of some description flew over the end of my gun... I just could not move my gun?? I saw the insect first then milliseconds later the target flew out in the opposite direction the insect completely took my attention. The same thing happened at Lonato only on that occasion it was a small clump of birds that were messing around out in the front at the point I called the target one of them flew out in the opposite direction to the target on that occasion I did move my gun to the target but it was well out and I missed of course.
So call distraction?

 
So call distraction?
I don't know if a ref would listen to that to be honest. I reckon if he could not see it then ...zero! I did see one guy at Lonato call for the target and as he shot it a black bird flew over the full length of the fosse. The guy missed the target and the ref immediately called a no bird... I think if he had hit the target then nothing would have happened but because the ref could see the obvious distraction he called the no bird. The incident when the bird flew up was seen by one of the markers/judges but I did not call for the target again ... doh!

 
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I don't know if a ref would listen to that to be honest. I reckon if he could not see it then ...zero! I did see one guy at Lonato call for the target and as he shot it a black bird flew over the full length of the fosse. The guy missed the target and the ref immediately called a no bird... I think if he had hit the target then nothing would have happened but because the ref could see the obvious distraction he called the no bird.
Got to be worth the shout if you think its valid.

Not unusual for it to be called in ESP though you usually have a group of people to back you up or not as the case may be,sometimes necessary as some refs pick peculiar vantage points.

Actually had one complain about me standing behind the person shooting to "avail myself of the chance to see the target before i shot"...needed to get his arse out of the chair!

 
Had it been something obvious I would think there would be no problem but some sort of small bug that might not be spotted by another shooter was very obvious to me :lol:

 
Had it been something obvious I would think there would be no problem but some sort of small bug that might not be spotted by another shooter was very obvious to me :lol:
I was meaning the bird!

Mind you did have a fair sized fly land on my barrel while shooting,helped with the muzzle flip ;)

 
I didn't know you call a distraction.

Can you also call distraction if people behind you are loud and distract you?

 
I have called distraction in compak when a clay box decided to travel alongside the rabbit I was supposed to be shooting at on a  very windy day at Garlands.  I have wanted to call distraction when I realised there was a spider on my action but I was committed to shoot so just went ahead - yuk.  I often also get distracted by small flies and bees who seem to fly just in front of me when I am ready to shoot and they always take my eye away from what I am doing  :rolleyes:

 
I didn't know you call a distraction.

Can you also call distraction if people behind you are loud and distract you?
You could do but i guess whether it would be upheld or not i don't know?

I just don't really hear anything when i am focusing though i have seen AA plus shooters complain about the noise from groups behind them when they miss ;)

Though they don't complain about the noise from people shooting at nearby stands which is louder so i think we can call that gamesmanship.

I have on occasion been asked to shush when some miserable git is having a bad day,i personally probably wouldn't notice of there was a party going on behind me!

 
I was thinking more along the lines of sudden raucous shout/laugh etc rather than a continuous babble or loud talking.

Interesting point to consider, but as you say once you focus I try to blot out everything, not always successfully

 
You could do but i guess whether it would be upheld or not i don't know?

I just don't really hear anything when i am focusing though i have seen AA plus shooters complain about the noise from groups behind them when they miss ;)

Though they don't complain about the noise from people shooting at nearby stands which is louder so i think we can call that gamesmanship.

I have on occasion been asked to shush when some miserable git is having a bad day,i personally probably wouldn't notice of there was a party going on behind me!
If I am scoring/Reffing at any discipline, I will stop the next shooter and ask the support group to shut up or 'go away' If they choose to move away at Sporting, I decline to show them a target when it is their turn to shoot, in my book they should have taken more notice instead of having a meaningless conversation !

 
I think the swifts/swallows (can't remember which) that used to randomly fly out of trap houses at Southern Counties were a pain, usually just as you've called for the damn thing! As an aside - trying to service machines which were full of nests, eggs, bird crap and dead birds wasn't fun either!

I was shooting a UT county championship at Thurlaston when Steve Benbow ran it. He was referee on the squad and his phone went off just as I called for the bird, thankfully I hit it!

 
Layout 2 on the Sporttrap at Hodnet this weekend, ref had a phone ring in his pocket during shooting

 
I don't know if anybody else has had this problem but it has happened twice to me now. I was shooting on Sunday and just at the very instant I called for the target a flying insect of some description flew over the end of my gun... I just could not move my gun?? I saw the insect first then milliseconds later the target flew out in the opposite direction the insect completely took my attention. The same thing happened at Lonato only on that occasion it was a small clump of birds that were messing around out in the front at the point I called the target one of them flew out in the opposite direction to the target on that occasion I did move my gun to the target but it was well out and I missed of course.
It's a baulk, plain and simple. Make your claim to the referee. They should give you the benefit of the doubt.

 
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A couple of weeks ago at Purbeck a light plane flew low, straining with a glider towed behind. That was a distraction, as was a biplane that flew over Three Lions last Sunday with a person standing on the upper wing.

Down here in Dorset we don't just have wildlife distractions, we're high tech here you know...

 
What if they show you the sting? I had a wasp go up my sleeve and sting my arm at RBSS. Bastard. 
Don't you hate that when you cant get to it.  I had a biting bug go up the leg of my shorts at Southdown a few weeks back, chaos ensued.

 
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