Warm Barrels

Thanx to a member Darren m I now have a forend for the winchester picked up today... THANX Darren m.

Yes build a wood pen 6ft x 4ft x 2ft high ( using 2inch x 2inch wood ) cover top and 3 sides with mesh wire but leave "one end" open.cut some strong steel bars and bend them into a" n " shape like crochet posts and use staples on them to fix to the top of the open end make them the size that a pigeon can get through pushing it open with its shoulder but not wide enough to walk through also make them long enough to drop below the botton piece of wood and swing inwards. Bait inside and the pigeons will push through the "Bars" and enter but when they try to get out the "Bars" will not move/swing outwards as the bottom wood will stop it from doing so Pigeon caught and can be dispatched at your convienience. BE CAREFULL in urban areas as there are Pigeon lofts with racing pigeons and the owners will not take too kindly to you killing thier birds. BUT ********* ? YOU CAN also if you wish catch Rabbit with this method if you use steel instead of wood and steel bar the floor or as we doo here cover the floor with paving stones to stop them digging out. Larget has caught Pheasant/partridges.

Sounds as though the cats will have a go at anything then,and teach their offspring the way forward. In Scotland when I last visited my good friend "Orkney Gun" up there he mentioned they have a few wild cat roaming the glens there? These I presume are ferral cats quite a different breed from our domesticated moggy.will keep my eye on Brandy though as she may be thinking of a pheasant/patridge lunch.

Yorkshire mate

As I walked home along the parkland trap line this evening. I stopped to light the pipe (yes filthy habit I know) when out of the corner of my eye I noticed the local farm cat and 2 of her kittens comming down the hedgerow towards me they stopped near a small clump of nettle. The female cat called "Brandy" then seemed to place one kitten in the nettle clump and walked toward me with the other some 10yardsfurther along .She then placed this kitten in the side of the hedgerow and went back and disapeared through the hedge and into the wood on the other side. I know that there is a warren with a thriving rabbit population just inside where she went in ...and sure enough out came a rabbit and bolted down the hedge into the nettle clump where the kitten was. At the same time I noticed that a stoat was travelling up the hedgerow towards the clump of nettle (disturbed inside by "Brandy" no doubt) ..BUT and as it got to the nettle clump the kitten pounced out and caught the stoat.A struggle followed whereby the cat "Brandy" came out and joined in the fray.She dealt with the stoat and off all 3 cats went toward the farm with it. I walked toward the clump of nettle and found to my suprise that the little kitten had indeed killed the rabbit ... Stoat must taste nicer then I thought. I used the rabbit for trap bait further along the trap line.One less stoat anyway. Anyone heard or seen such behaviour before? I have seen fox do this but not cats.

luckily I live in the keepers cottage here tucked away from "eyes" and anyway the nearest neighbour is over 200yds away,I do not think that you would be breaking any law doing so. As for your neighbours they see you go out shooting anyway so they know that you have a gun. If the garden is at the rear of the property then fine. In a towns front/side garden then passers by who are NOT neighbours would see and could phone the law. As for cleaning in doors you obviously dont have the Use of "the gunroom" with all its kit even gun rooms smell...so clean the gun outside as above mate ...Why not.

About the size of your quarry then is it...... snails Henry ?

I Have both o/u and semi auto I would go for the o/u(or u/o) as a first gun if I were you SAFER for you mate.

The smaller the shot the worst the problem becomes.Incidentally most men will clean with WD40 or use Brake oil I clean the Big house guns with a solution of both these 50/50. Lead shot has changed over the years some cheap cartridges are not entirely "round" if you open one up look and you will see odd shape shot,caused when moulton "drop" in manufacture.This scrapes the barrel on ejection.

Ive caught thousands in my time.This year I caught up 150 hens and 50 cock birds to breed from. Need 9000 poults to go covert this year. ..

From one Yorkshire man to another George I too find the site a help at times although I have been a keeper for 30yrs. WELCOME MATE

buy a freeview box ..cheapest way

Best way is to buy a couple of dummy eggs(or if you cant find any..just hard boil a couple of pheasant eggs) and mark them with a pencil..then keep taking the ones that are laid daily away from the nest.As for the cock pheasant YES he will try to kill the chicks if left to his own keep them out of his way..They should be under a brooder or with a broody hen penned/cooped eleswhere some cocks do also try to break/eat the new laid egg as well. Warm Barrels

Once several years ago 1998 I think .. I caught a "GARDEN GNOME" in one of my Fenn Mk2 that was alongside a railway embankment hedgerow.I later found out that a couple of railwaymen (workers) had discovered it whilst tree cutting and returned the next day and sprung the trap...The GNOME is now hung on the gibbet line in the East covert. Yes it is advisable to place 2 sticks accross the entrance at both ends of the tunnel .... For the tunnel I use 2 clay drainnage pipes 12-18 inch long ... 6 inches Diameter with the fenn in a depression the middle..cover with a grass turf making sure the hight is ok for the trap to spring shut..... Warm Barrels.

ok thanx

Quite right "Henry d" I remember from my days at the Game Conservancy the very same question "Do they go to the back of the V when in the skein" You have it spot on there mate. As for cooking ..well Mrs Gamekeepers has read this thread and she says " ALWAYS cook in a slow oven taking time to baste the bird over 20mins per lb ..Then for the final 1hr place on a grill tray in the oven with a tray under to catch any excess fat and then place bird in a bowl of warm water until more fat comes out and floats to top of water..THEN warm to eat..... Fancy one now for Easter Diner...... But Henry d ..youre spot on mate

Shot 143 today on drilled beans and then after lunch moved on to peas wher I shot 49 so total for today 191.

Can you tell me PLEASE if you can change the forearm of a winchester with any other forearm from a different make of gun? and if so which... ? Ah! That has stumped you out there is there one wich would fit.. or as anyone got one?

call at your local diy shop and but washing line extendable poles you can get them from the market for £1.25 each they are extendable and do the job cheap

Can anyone tell me if any other forearm from any other make of semi auto .. will fit my winchester 1400 or as anyone got one or ideas please

Darren will buy if you have still got it asking price

Darren e-mail or PM me regards the forestock will have them..Thanx

Ill add a beretta (silver pigeon) to bids

will buy parts left let me know

Wanted a forearm for my winchester 1400 semi auto 12g Anyone help please Mine split yesterday and need new/second hand ....(WELL any condition really)... Tried to wood glue but hopeless..... warm barrels might throw in a days shooting with us too