POW!

Same this way, Clover and fresh buds from the Hawthorn hedges , POW!

Hi LS, This is not a nesting site , its just a small two acre wood that they rest in ,or overnigt in. it not on a regular basis just for a few weeks each year , it does however disturb the pigeon from roosting , [ not as much as the greys are!!!] ., they seem to have almost gone now, i just wanted to keep them on the move , I let a few friends shoot the wood for a few nights and , it seems to have done the trick. The same woos is a bit of a nesting area for pigeon through the year as wheat and barley are the main crops crown in that part of the farm . I noticed too that a Fox earth is close by too this year , they must have opened up the rabbit warren , amazing how they live as neighbours , and quite happily it seems !!. I can see the wood from the cottage , so its been an interesting observation exercise too . POW!.

The Jack daws have moved away now , a few pigeon have rerturned to roost again , but, the Crows are back in large numbers [over a hundred roosting , ] You can certainly go through a few boxes of shells too . As I said before the biggest pain is burrying the carcases , Just a note of a different kind , one of my resident fox earths had 3 cubs venturing out in the sunlight , earlier than usual !!! POW! .

Having read this for a while I can only add Our skill as pigeon shooters , is only exceeded by our good looks !! and that only by our Moddesty!!! Hense the rush to aply , There are too many **** takers about to take this one on , My wife would be the first in the que as a PT . POW!

On My shoot there are about 8 or so natural hides thet were there when I started shooting and are Fixed back up, as and when needed , Ocasionaly other shooters will use hidesof srim or tank webbing . and you can spot the a mile off , Some are branches laid against trees so do have a type of roof . I prefere no roof and wait till lst second to fire , Most hides are under known flight lines and have worked well for the last 60+years . I often think too much is read into hides and decoy paterns , Movement is I belive yhe key !! A bird wishes to see another bird feeding , sudden movement by humans is an inbuilt alarm to them , , on reflection having said that , I am truly amazed how well a magnet works , [ I dont have one!!] . its uncanny how a pigeon will change flight and drop in like a stone as if mesmorised , yet is they see its not right jink and never return , [ is this not what its all about KIDDING THEM?] , Farming here dictates we rarely get big bags , yet the enjoyment is none the less , 20 years ago I would drive to the borders to slay hundreds in a day , [ and often pay for the chance ] , its easy , [ nay never easy] , its easier , to shoot big bags of hungry young birds in Autumn , [ over pes especialy] , then we had open toppped hides , often two guns together , Again what works at one field may not work at another , or indeed another day , BUt its correct to ASK as it helps with the knowledge you will pick up , To any newcommer the best advice I could give is . Go with an experienced pidgeon shooter , you will learn so much even if you only shoot one bird , it akes time to learn , then when you know iot all you cant be bothered to go !! , [ And just POST!!} . POW1

Well Grasshopper , you read my mind on the Larsen in the spring , In the last 10 years of trapping Magpies , Crows ,yes .. Jacks NO , They are crafty foe !!!! but its a challenge to get them now , , On observing them they are out at first light , in groups of 15/20 , around 5 mni intervals , [ Taking a regular fight line ,so here is worth a try , ] The numbers are down now so as spring is imminent I think thats norm?? they are not as high on my list for action as other things , so I may leave it and just keep an eye on the situation , and next year if they follow the same pattern get a few guns down to thin them , A couple of nights shooting is all you get , they just move , They are scrawny B****** , so not a lot to hit , 7 trap shot was what l used , l may try 8s next time . Another lesson learned . As l allways say " No one knows it all" , and what happens here may not work elsewhere , Once more thanks for the input , its all part of our wonderfull sport , POW!

Well just an update in case anyone was interested , I shot the wood a week or so later with a 410 as sugested , Either its me or there were few pellets in these { EXPENSIVE} cartridge , They soon got wise and mooved on , the crows however came in as usual later and were suitably shot at !! The following evening my 12 bore was well up to thje job , taking a dozen jacks and a few crows , The Jacks have gone now , the pigeon are returning [yes!!] but, still dont seem to like the crows roosting , Were the wood bigger I dont think it would be a problem , Th Jackdaws seemed to be just visiting though about 40 are still aroung feeding , yet roosting elsewhere , For sure they are a bright bird , they sense danger and are quickly away , I can see the wood from the cottage , and its just after 6 pm with NO activity yet , [ maybe its too cold in that wood ] , So Jackdaws not a welcome visitor ,YET a worth one to shoot against , Thanks for your input previously , all part of the "Big Picture" , POW!.

Although not heavy Snow here , on Monday I set up an Airgunner near some Ivy covered Oaks , as I had seen pigeons feeding mid afternoon , A few decoys in the hedge and lofted up a bit , He took 8 for 10 shots!!!! [ His words!] , anyway , he was more than happy , worth a try! .POW!

Fixed up now , Thanks , POW!

Another Farmers point of view here , I totaly agree with the other comments , Yes , its become much more difficult as housing estates are closer to the business Farm , Dog walkers , Ramblers , Quad bikers to name just a few see an open field as a place just for them , Its only grass I hear so many times BUT, its a feed crop to us! , I wasa tempted to reply last night to the topic on Short sighted Farmers , It is such a complex issue now , the paperwork and Legislation is legion! , Of late Insurance companies heve dictated who and what is insured , aheadace not needed often after a 10 hour day another 4 hours spent on paperwork is tiring , a wrongly timed phone call after tea ,just as yopu are about to start paperwork is the last thing you want , YES , face to face IS the way to do it , But, NO is in our vocabulary too!! Lets be real here ....... A guy comes along and asks to keep ypur pigeons down , you say yes , Fine , .... One day he,s there , NO pigeons about , BUT , a chance at a Woodcock . Duck , Pheasant , and he takes it , { DONT , tell me it doesnot happen! } , He thinks we dont notice !!! Wrong , We notice everything almost !! , Can you imagine the number of Letters , Phone calls , visits , regading shooting , [ and ALL want it for free!!] So here is the chance >> What can you offer , say if you are for example a Train Driver ! [ SORRY M] , its even more difficult when you cant turn up when they phone , As for sending another in your place !! I for one like to know my people on here , SO , Yes is easied for farms further away , just as its easier to live in a village than abig estate , THere is NO best time to call , And remember too , the Farmer does not allways have the right to allow shooting , most will not tell you that as the like to think they are in control [ rightly so in most cases] , Its not as straitforward as it apears , , Be patient , offer what you can in terms of help , Its often easier for us to say NO than Yes , reading posts that label us as short sighted , is NOT the way to get your foot in the door , I help a lot of farmers with paperwork now I an SO called semi retired !! , a lot may not post on here but, DO read it , I know how many have Sussed me out , and ribbed me , !! I dont have an answer but, I am trying to let you see it from another angle , Shooting IS welcome , The attitude of the Shooter is more so , POW!

Hmmm , You have given me a lot to think about now!!! Yes a .22 into a tree is a bit daft !! Yet as a kid we used to go with a rook rifle and get through 100 subsonics!! . I have been watching them again this afternoon , same patern around 15 30 jackdaws arive , Crows followed half hour later , looking through the Bino,s there is not as many as last night ,[ still 150 aprox!!] . May be easier to get someone with an Airgun who knows what he,s doing , Thing is this week last year I was averaging 7/10 woodies on a regular basis from here!. They have certainly shifted them!! as I watched them flight over into a different wood. Good sport it can be but I am not an avid Crow basher ! Its a lot of work giogging to dispose of them . A rethink is in order !! and thank you for your thoughts on this one , POW!

In the short time observing this wood , it would apear that the Jackdaws arive about 15/20 mins before the Crows , then a right old squabble untill they all settle !! Anyone know if thius is the normal pattern??? Its a shotty or an air rifle here as I found the land is not Firearm aproved!!!! . POW!

A friend bought me a "Kershaw" knife with a blade and a saw , I have had it over 20 years and use it almost daily , In fact its in front of me now! , its been a super piece of gear , I suppose there is far better now , but this has served me well . I dont oversharpen it , just a light stone to keep it right , itsnot worn at all , and the blade is still good and firm in the " I " shaped housing , it has a rubber handle and floats , with a red dot on the handle its not bad to spot , POW!

Wanted please , Schnabel front wood for Beretta , a few marks not a problem so long as its not split. Price with post if one available , or if local swap a walk round with a finish in a roost wood , POW!

I have just been viewing the wood the last 10 mins [ its just gone 16 30 ] the flight of jacks have mingled with a hoard of crows and around 300 birds ar now roosting and circling over , Cant go out now but I will get out ASAP , Looks realy tempting !!! , .22 r.f or shotty??? , this could be expensive if my past experience is to go by . they seem confident in roosting ,m We shall see , POW!

Yes , I know I should have run a search before posting !!!!! , Just done one now , I had not realised how many reported an increase in Jackdawc numbers , They may become a pain from what I saw !!! POW!

Yesterday afternoon , I decided to roost shoot a small wood that usualy atracts a few woodies in the New Year , Its a sparse wood no conifers ,in fact mostly willow , in the past it has been a bit of a stopping / resting wood before flying on to the main roost woods . so early afternoon is esential , I soon found an Ideal area that covers two sides with a good view of aproaching pigeon, I spotted plenty of droppings and was confident it would be a decent bit of shooting, sure enough around three ish a few started to apear but, they settled in the oaktrees a hundred yards away . Soon drop in here I thought , no!! they rested and carried on over out of shot . same thing all afternoon , none roosting as previous years , A waste of an afternoon I told myself! , I was about to go when i saw a large flock aproaching . flight patern different from pidgeon , Crows I thought , ? As they got nearer the racket was obvious they were Jackdaws !! , A bit of quick shooting , a few kills , They mingled noisily overhead out of range , then settled in the outlying Oaks , , Get a few more as they come in was the plan ! A few late pigeon carried on over too high , in the past they would have dropped in fast and perch up , [ I am sure those who stay late know the scene] Nowt !! just a noisy laughter from them till almost dark ! SO up sticks and home . feeling the frost forming now , too cold for comfort , A brisk walk back soon warmed me , , Stopping to look back they desended on the wood , safe for the night , again laughing in the way they do !!! I am sure , like the grey squirrels they are pushing the woodies out of the regular roosts , Pigeon like their opwn company , and quiet at that , I am going to monitor the wood with the Binos the next couple of nights , to see the patern , If it is a regular one . A couple of folk with silenced Airguns is my next ploy ! . Has anyone any insight into Jackdaw behaviour??? , Where have they come from ?? I sure as Hell dont want them arround ! They are an inteligent bird from what I saw , bold yet bright!! , Whos the EXPERT!! , POW!

All the above are sound tips , , BUT my top tip is , I try to get out for sure if its a realy strong wind , It never ceaces to amase me how good it can be to pep up the shooting , POW!.

Just get the best you can aford , I shoot verry smply , My gun, cartridge , and a small pair of Binos , they can make the difference for sure , and save on legwork , once you can read the ground , A Must! , POW!

What a difference a strong wind can make , only up for an hour and a half on the leaward side of a wood , Plenty of steady shooting 16 picked up from some testing shots , Still buzzin !!!! POW!

Perhaps the Buzzard forgot to read the species list!!! Recently I saw a buzzard take a Teal in the air , An unusual sight !!! they tend to be scavengers . POW!

The easy answer NO , I have a GP , they dont like being taken apart too often , A solid gun but , a fair amount of recoil !! You dont waste a lot of cartridge with one of those guns !!! POW!

Two pigeon I shot this morning were stuffed with clover leaves , POW!

Sorry double post POW!

I agree abut the back stop issue , I have taken over 500 foxes in my time shooting and could have at least doubled that figure were it not for my concious thought abuot where a ill advised shot may end up . Certainly a professional piece of film , and SO different from the scene I have to deal with , I realy hate the glamourised shots , and line up of trophy kills , I would hate my shoot to be devoid of foxes , I just dont want it over run , Back in the early 70s I used to take folk out at night , I soon learned some people just had a killing lust , and NO respect for the fox or ME if a result was not achieved , As we all know best to leave tham maim , That is easier said than done POW!