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Best day of the season so far


henry d
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Spoke to Lucky Jim yesterday and asked if he`d like to try decoying geese and then off round the farms and he said..................OK!

 

We decided to set up at a place in a grass field next to a wee burn that the geese have been coming in to quite regularly to feed, when we arrived there in the motor we could quite clearly, as they were only 100-120yds away, hear a load of Teal whistling at us and each other, yet they stayed put, even with the vehicle lights and noise.

 

We set out a few deeks to the rear in 2 main squads and a couple of birds out towards the burn and across the burn we set out a nice spread of deeks that were mainly on a small rise and would look very prominent to approaching geese.

 

Dawn was swiftly approaching and the light was only just filling in when the first geese came in, 4 pinks, all with their wings open and paddles down and we both missed royally :rolleyes: Nothing like having birds take the £%*^ out of you eh?

 

It was just as the monochrome wash of dawn was retreating when the next skein came in, again pinks, this time I had to give a few feed chuckles and they eventually circled and opened out. Jim was on top form with a goose almost over him and I was a split second too late with the same bird as it was dead in the air and falling into the decoy pattern.

 

Next skein that came was a bit wary, perhaps they heard the shots earlier and they circled 3 times before leaving. The next skein were similar and Jim winged one bird that was a little too far out for me but I gave it 3 shots from my remmi and we watched it sail off to a stubble field before faltering and falling :lol:

 

I had a wee word with myself and a cuppa before the next skein came in, it was a small skein of greys and they seem to decoy better than the pinks. First time round they were @ 50yds up but interested, then they circled to my calls and were lower but further out. Next time they were spot on and it was wings spread and paddles down. Jimmy was again in the right place as he neatly dropped the nearest bird.

 

As this was happening there was a lot of birds in the air but a good way off and as we were retrieving the grey they seemed to want to come in. All I did was give a feed call and a honk and they circled and circled then dropped. I hope the video works as you will get the idea of how many were coming in :thanks:

 

Anyway as they came in it was my turn, 2 pinks with wings wide and flaps down were the first to power into the deeks and I dropped a right and left :beer:

We waited a bit longer but there were a good few birds dropping into another grass field 1/2 mile away and decided to give it best and go for a wee walk. We knew that most of the thick cover would be down so we were against the odds but what the hell.

I was first to contact the pheasant population and a split second later Jim had a red-leg in the bag. I hit a cock pheasant and only managed to wing it, but my spaniel soon had it to hand. We then tried a spot down near a burn that generally produces a few pheasant and occaisionally a snipe and when we walked it we never moved a pheasant, yet we lifted 3 snipe..............oh how fast are they !! and 2 woodcock, one of which I managed to shoot.

 

So for a last walk and decoy round the farm we ended up with 9 head and 5 species and better still a barrow load of memories.

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I'm very envious Henry, I spent three hours last Friday getting my nuts (and fingers) frozen off. There

wasn't a bird to be seen apart from one suicidal pigeon that flew straight at me (standing dead still

at the side of a wood when I saw it a fair way out) until I mounted the gun, it jinked and I missed.

 

I got one grey squirrel.

 

:rolleyes:

 

The farmer assures me the peas he'll be sowing in March will bring them in.

 

 

Nial.

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Top stuff hd, a good honest write up, including all your mistakes and the best bits - a left and right at geese must be magnificent :hmm:

 

It must have been a bloody cold start to the day judging from the frost, but finished off with a nice walk round with some challenging shots :good:

 

Thankyou,

 

p.

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