The second 'Minimum Mileage' hunt and we have a great turn out of 8 teams.!
19:30. First transmission, we can clearly hear G5RR (the fox) and get a good bearing. We quickly check the direction with our trusty hand held system and it agrees!
We have a bearing through Hucknall and so set off down Woodthorpe drive and right into Mansfield road heading for the ring road.
19:40. Edwards lane roundabout, signals very weak now, just getting a sniff of a similar reading. Better turn up Hucknall Road at the next island past the Hospital.
19:45. The bearings go exactly between the A610 and the A611 crossing the Motorway just above the B6009 (Long lane). Aha! look at that, here is a sneaky track going under the motorway just to the north…I wonder?
19:50. Decision time, do we stay on the A611 or go West towards Watnall down the B6009 (Long Lane). If my hunch is right and they are under the M1, then Watnall could be the shortest route.
19:59. We have spent quite a while studying the map and have made our way down Long Lane.
We are hoping the fox is hiding at the end of Narrow lane in Watnall.
We just turn into the lane as the fox transmission starts, disaster the signal has increased dramatically and is now back to the North West.
About turn, 500 yards wasted! It now looks more like Moorgreen.
20:10. Driven the bare minimum past Moorgreen to test whether the fox is comes on behind.
No, still straight on, so we carefully proceed on the B600 towards Underwood.
20:15. And we are waiting at the junction of the B600 and the A608. The fox comes on air
and is really strong. The bearing points to Selston, almost directly North, glad we waited …could have shot off up Mansfield road and seriously added some miles. Instead we take Alfreton Road towards Bagthorpe. Now, are they as far as Selston?
20:20 And we are waiting just past the second turning into Bagthorpe on the B600.
I feel we are doing well, having hardly had to back track at all.
Suddenly we need 40dB's of attenuation..... we're nearly on them!
Bearing to the left now and slightly behind, we drive slowly down School Road checking each and every pub car park in Bagthorpe.
20:30 We arrive at the Shepherd's Rest.
Rock-crushing signal, so it's out of the car and scour the car park.
20:34and we find the crafty fox behind the pub in the pitch dark! Now to hand in our mileage slip. As I search the car several other teams arrive and check in.
G7WFM's team are first on 15 miles, G6HRN and G8ZHA share second place with 19 miles. G4EKW checks in with 21 miles for a deserved third place. We never did find our mileage slip and were granted fourth place by the others. Thanks chaps!
G4EKW was picked for last fox of the season. (Standard rules apply).
Thanks go to G5RR for a very enjoyable hunt and maybe a new pub to try for a meal!
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