Jim Sarakun

I am in fact nearly sixty, though am still very good looking and can easily pull a bird from a tree at 750 yards, and still kill it. Anyway, I tried to convince the wife last night that I am actually running 64bit, though she will NOT have it, and accuses me of running an older 32 bit with absoloutly very little or NO Ram whatsoever. The cheek of the girl. And what does she compare my super economical Dell XPS 720 running all the latest super Linux technology with? A blooming mouldy old Apple, you know, pay as you go. I'm concerned I may need an upgrade. I do in fact confess, though not to my gorgeous wife, that my hard drive IS a bit old and does let me down on the odd occassion. Sometimes it just will not boot and I'm thinking perhaps I should try a new Solid State Hard Drive. I have pulled it out a few times before now and banged it on the desk a few times, not too hard mind, don't want to break it, and claimed nothing is wrong and it works fine. I make excuses and blame the connection, you know, the broadband thingy we all have in our walls. I tell her it's a bit durty and could do with a scrub. As some of you older and more mature PW members can surely understand, it's the change, well, we just don't like the change, do we? But I have to do something, just can't have the wife running next door or wherever, to lay her lovely warm hands on that handsome young mans next door Laptop with all his Ram and latest Updates now can I? I'm game and have been looking at these new gaming PC's. 6 core, 16 gig of ram and a terrabite SSD . Now that sounds future proof to me. Do any of you PW members have any experience of these new Chinese I presume, super computers available now on flea bay for less than 500 notes. Are they all tinny and flimsy? The wife loves a bit of Sky Rim, but my old Dell is beginning to flicker when she presses the buttons, so I need to do something. Your advice would be graciously appreciated. Can I upgrade my old equipment, or is NEW the way to go..?

Some cool, no pun intended, looking snowmen. Love the car. Bet all the local snowmen go out on the lash in that, when we are all in bed..

He is HUGE.. But if MASHER was still with us, he would have given him a run for the money. MASHERS mate is expected any day, he may want to throw down the gauntlet...

Masher lost his challenge last night........

OK, a guarded comment and thank you. Any rude comments mind, about my lads long long hair, and he will instruct MASHER to visit you and stuff an icicle up your bum. So......... that out of the way......... show us your snowmen....... MASHER is ready for action.

This is my little lad with MASHER. Now MASHER is not a big guy, and as you can see he has mashed one eye in a snowball fight. He is cool and he is 'ard and he will take on any of the snowmen he has seen on Pigeonwatch so far. So if your snowman wants duffing over, Queensbury rules, MASHER is up for it. Show us your pics and we will arrange a tournament, before the thaw though please.

You ******, you got there before me... But yes, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. May I also thank you all for your invigorating, thought provoking, soul searching and your funny posts over this last year. I wish you all you wish yourselves and hope to abuse, infuriate, invigorate, stimulate you in the new year, as I am sure you do me...

I agree with these men too. There will be no storm from those with sense. I wish my father, rest his soul, didn't hand in at the amnesty in the 70's, the pieces he had. Also handed to him in probably the same situation, but during the course of the second world war, from surrendering officers. A pistol in those days and probably even today, was a very personal piece of equipment. The memories behind them and the stories they held for him and for those who handed them over, I would have liked to have passed on to my children, lest they forget and we must not forget. Not sure about the ammo though, not now...

I say live like yer hairs on fire and go for it. In my view tats are cool. I have my own, all with their own memory and I don't regret any one of them. I do have one word of advice though, no names unless it's next of kin. Your undying love for Tracy on your arm will just not look good if you marry Sandra.

The Rape was quiet, so we ended up on some Wheat drilled badly last week, loads of Wheat on the floor. It was steaming with them, easily a few thousand birds. We set up under a reasonably active flight line, as we suspected that they would not decoy. We suspected right. If they hadn't been flying over this particular corner, and us seeing them before they saw us, we would probably have ended up not taking the guns out of their sleeves. Nothing moving around from other directions came within range of the decoys. They turned away before they were half way across the field. We were shooting a bit of a prairie, not one of the easiest fields to shoot, and wasted a few cartridges on high birds for a while, but soon stopped that. It was all over by 13.00, they just evaporated. We ended up with 15 in the bag. Another pair of guns who shoot for the same company, ended up with 11 and they were on Rape. At least we have some fresh dead birds now for the next thinning out. My fridge is still off though, as I let Ozzy take them home to show to his wife and bragg a little. Apparently he gets his leg over, successful hunter gatherer thing seems to turn his wife on he said.. He's right, it does..

This must be the first time I have posted before a shoot. The continuous rain has finally abated and the wind is pretty fresh and perky, resulting in squally showers. The forecast for the day is "some sun". What a lovely day for getting on the Pigeons. All the winter drilling's are in now and this is the second week, or is it the third? on the Rape. Plenty birds about but I look around me and can't but conclude it has changed somewhat. The Pigeon fridge in my garage is not on yet, it's usually full by now. I'm taking my single barrel 12g, it's easier to clean, should the birds not decoy, these last 3 weeks having not been particularly productive. I've packed 1 box, yes, only 25 cartridges. That should ensure they will decoy in a suicidal manner. Ozzy who is picking me up, is 10 years younger and I know he will have 500 cartridges, his 3 shot semi and dead birds of which I have none yet. The thrill is still there and I can't wait to get out, watching the clock hoping Ozzy might turn up a bit earlier. So anyone else in a similar position, I wish you good luck for the day...

Starting with half a dozen dead birds, then adding floaters, flappers as and when, the twirly is usually the last thing to go out, from sheer desperation to draw them in. Placed where ever it works, front side back, where ever. I am not a lover of electrical gadgets and fortunately the dead birds always do the trick, so they are rarely used. The way the Rape shooting has started this year, I have twice used the twirly now, I am glad that it is always in the Land Rover with all the other gadgets and a charged battery. It mostly does the job...

Well Insp Grimm, that sounds pretty good to me. If you see birds flying about where you shoot, whilst you are out shooting them, then do a 10 hour day and with those numbers you quoted, you may get 30 or more in the bag. We have plenty of birds and shoot a vast area, though the numbers may surprise you. There are 8 Pigeon shooters though only 4 shoot every week. None, to my knowledge, have shot in a day, over 200 on their own. My personal best is 156, my buddies 92, another lad, is on 186. Our best ever weekend, between 4 of us, was on cut beans when we shot nearly 500 in the 2 days. We shoot dawn till dusk all year round. Do the time and you will get the birds if they are in your area. That is how it seems to work here mostly. Now, saying that, we have the flocks now and yesterday I had 1 shot and it was a miss. Ozzy ........... didn't even get a shot. Ryan shot 9. Next week, we may wipe the floor, that is how it seems to work down here.

We are seeing huge flocks here now. Unfortunately, they seem to know our tactics and never get within range. We need to come up with some new ideas.

Thanks for your replies, it made some interesting reading. How do you find that stuff? I googled for at least an hour when I first received it but found nothing plausible. I wont bother next time, it will be quicker to ask the PW fraternity.

I received this in an email a while back, and meant to post it. I have googled it but have not come up with anything positive, or an acceptable review from what appears to be a reliable source. Can any PW members, who may be involved with government , like a civil servant say, confirm or deny this.. Coming close to pensionable age and having paid in all my life............ well, if it is true............. to me................... it stinks... Tell me it's all sensationalizing bumph.................................PLEASE.......................... Dear Prime Minister, RT. Hon. David Cameron, MP. I wish to ask you a Question: "Is This True?" I refer to the Pension Reality Check. Are you aware of the following ? The British Government provides the following financial assistance:- BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER (bearing in mind they worked hard and paid their Income Tax and National Insurance contributions to the British Government all their working life) Weekly allowance: £106.00? IMMIGRANTS/REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN (No Income Tax and National Insurance contribution whatsoever) Weekly allowance: £250.00 BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER Weekly Spouse Allowance: £25.00? ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS/REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN Weekly Spouse Allowance: £225.00 BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER Additional Weekly Hardship Allowance: £0.00? ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS/REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN Additional Weekly Hardship Allowance: £100.00 A British old age pensioner is no less hard up than an illegal immigrant/refugee yet receives nothing BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER TOTAL YEARLY BENEFIT £6,000? ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS/REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN TOTAL YEARLY BENEFIT: £29,900 Please read all and then forward to all your contacts so that we can lobby for a decent state pension. After all, the average pensioner has paid taxes and contributed to the growth of this country for the last 40 to 60 years. Sad isn't it? Surely it's about time we put our own people first.

Thanks for your comments chaps. It was a crapp day for thinning out the Pigeon population, but it was none the less, a lovely day. One of those days that makes you glad to be alive. Days that I am sure, all of you shooting types, know what I am talking about..

It was a cloudy start to the day and as usual, I got there before sun up, because I like to see where the Pigeons come from. Usually that is where they go back to, so you can get under the flight line when they do, come the couple of hours before dusk. The company I shoot for, have just acquired 250 acres to farm and have planted the whole shebang with Rape. This was my first day on it. It has a hill in the middle which is great, so the one above sees all. There are large pockets of woods too, around the perimeter, even better, I liked the layout. My shooting buddy Ozzy threatened to come, but was on nights and declined the opportunity with the excuse of being "tired", what the hell is that? These youngsters just don't know they are born. It was about 07.15 when the flocks started to lift from the trees. That lifting en masse in a spiral, then the dive down to the ground with the odd few jerking off and zig zagging in all directions makes the nerves in my neck and back, tingle to this day and for me is a joy to watch. I reckon I was watching about 3000 birds warming up for the day. I never rush to set up, at my age it is a pain in the butt to move. I like to get it right first time and begrudge the pulling down and resiting, though do it if I get it hopelessly wrong. The blue grey clouds of birds were now landing on the Rape, 3 distinctive flocks were evident. It was 08.30. One flock, the largest, I still had my eye on, the other two flocks had disappeared over the brow of the hill, so I thought it was time to put them all up, to see which were going to stay. I drove around the perimeter and up and down the two tracks that dissected the block of ground, put them up, then went back to the top of the hill. One flock headed off toward the City, two came back. It was now a gorgeous day, intense blue sky, the sun was out and there was a light breeze. It smelt of autumn, I love that smell. The trees in all their glorious gold red and brown colours, were glowing in the low sun, which made me feel good. I watched a Fox walk brazenly through the Rape, his coat had a healthy shine to it. Some Crows were cackling and arguing as they flew slowly past, no particular place to go, and totally free, their gait confirming this. I could hear some Jays laughing, the Magpies were cackling too, at me I'm sure. All this beauty I was surrounded with, did nothing to encourage the necessity of the job I was being paid for. Fortunately, my blood lust did. It was now 10.00. I chose to thin out the larger flock, they were closer to the trees. I never set up too close to sitting trees. At a distance, the bang makes them fly into them, regain posture, then fly back out again. If I sit too close, they fly beyond them and don't come back. So I set up and waited. Just 7 rubber decoys, which wobbled nicely in the breeze. About 7 came in initially, within 10 minutes of me sitting down, from height, wings back, don't they look beautiful? Two shots, one bird down and 6 educated, those six wont come back. I observed the other flock in the distance, rise and head for the City. My flock hit the trees. Within the next hour they were in the sky, flying out of the trees, all around me, mocking I thought and never in range. Time for the twirly. I have a 3 arm twirly, which uses dead birds and enables the wings to flap. If I was a Pigeon and saw this Twirly, I would definately fly down and investigate. So I put my one dead bird on it, and hoped, as I waited. They flew past and around me, at a safe distance. It was now 12.00, time for some nosh. I get these like, 7 inch long pink German sausages from Tesco that are scrummy, all snot, hooves, eyes and brains but I dont care because they taste yummy. I peel back the skin and eat them like a banana, with beetroot and tomato and lettuce. My wife says I should slice it and eat it with a fork because it looks wrong. I have no idea what she is talking about. Whilst I ate this culinary delight, my pattern was mobbed, but knickers, they can wait, for their hot lead desert. That didn't happen though, the birds seemed to dissolve into the sunlight once I had finished my trough. So I sat there, with my Twirly and it's annoying squeeke, squeeke, must put some oil on it, for another half hour. There was not a bird in the sky, or in the trees. I decided to pack up and move. I drove around this 250 acre restaurant and did not see enough birds to decoy. OK I thought, back to the trees and wait for them to come to roost. It was really warm now, about 13.00 and my view was awash with gold from the low sun, and I fell asleep while watching two Squirrels burying their mornings work. I was rudely awakened by the crash of a dumb dove on my windscreen, who left the perfect pattern in powder of his/her physique on my windscreen. The culprit I never found just a couple of feathers. I was bored, eff the roost shoot, I'm going home, little pay today, so off I went. Amazingly, I cleaned my gun and in the daylight. Usually when I get back from a Rape shoot, it is dark and I don't have time, so clean it as and when. Mind, it wasn't too dirty, not after two whole shots anyway. Does this sound like a typical day on the Rape for you? Is rape shooting just a day in the country, but take the gun, just in case? Two years ago, it wasn't like this, a 100 bird + day was the norm, for a very long time prior to now.

Up at 08.00, woken by the kids, screeching squealing and running around. A lay in that surely was. Made their breakfast, some cereal, messed with them a bit, then put some pork in the oven, slow heat, 3 hours or so, so it melts in the mouth, ready for lunch. I washed the car, cleaned the gun, prepared and cooked some veg and gravy then did a wash and hung it out. Sorted my maps for tomorrows job and made my sarnies. Loaded then emptied the dish washer and put away. Messed with the kids some more then we had lunch. All done and it is only half one. Re loaded the dish washer and now we are going for a walk while the weather is good. At nearly 60 I think I may be on the scrap heap, can not find work, well I can, 70 hours a week for minimum wage, so choose to work on agency for 3 to 4 days a week, same money. Any other PW. members in the same boat, late family, mine are 3, 5 and 14. Mortgage is paid off which is a great help. Do you too find that being more mature, with a young family and no financial burdens, is probably a better thing as it gives you more time to spend with the kids? Being a bit childish myself, I do. I am fortunate that I am in good health, which I appreciate is a blessing. This is normally what my wife's day consists of, but I will not go into how fantastic and cushy it is, because I know she will read this and point out some things I may have missed. Today she is doing her V.A.T thingies. ( shush... I have really missed nothing, being a mum is really rewarding, a great life, so cushy)

Yep, I agree with this 'ere. My daughter is going to, if she is into men at adult age, or women even, only be allowed to attatch herself to those with wealth, if I have my way that is . If not, then she will have to stay with her wealthy mum and dad, until that day arises. I will obviously make life very difficult for unsuitable suitors, you know, one night stand type of guys or galls, drugy types, no hopers, but if a guy or gall really loves my offspring, have ****** all nothing, but would draw blood to show their resolve, like I would cut their wrists, I mean, really really deep, hospital cure kind of stuff, as proof of their love, for the child I love and would die for, then so be it... Do I need help?

Well Blunderbus, I think you have a nice, well, nearly nice bike there, that will be a money pit for you and absorb all of your meagre pension. I suggest that you sell it to me for, well, the phenominal sum of............... £100? .................negotiable, .......so much more than you paid for it....... too much I know, but I will promise to take you for a ride on the back once I have transformed it to concourse condition. I await your response....

I guess you must be about 28 years of age then SniperCWF. MC still thrive and most are not as you suggest. "MCs are a long way removed to the good old days of the 70s - 80s". My reponse to that is that they have evolved. Who wants to spend most of their life in prison these days eh? The hardcore still exist and the love for the life still goes on, I hope forever. Turning up in a Range Rover? Cool.

Good on you bruno22rf and I hope you have many years of pleasurable riding ahead of you. I would challenge you to a brisk ride at dawn, with the goal of jellied eels and chips at the coastal destination of your choice as the reward, paid for by the loser. But you with one eye and me with 2 at half vision, it may take a week or so to reach our destination, but it would be fun. Should you wish to take me up on this in the summer months, then I would accept the challenge with gusto. Mail me if you dare!!

Gram, the word on the street is you are a bit of a WHUUUMMFFFF BANG. But never the less, the day after, phew, the smell of cordite lingering, the coins on the floor, and all the unexploded fireworks to be had. Village displays are great.........

The kids are pestering me now for FIREWORKS. Wow!!!!!!!!!!! How I love Pyrotechnics. Banggs and whizzzzzzz and crackkkle.. Pumpkins, and Pumpkin soup, tea lights, bbq suasages and hot buttered rolls. Am I the only one who reverts back to a 5 year old at this time of year or are we all guilty? .