Cyffyllog

Grandalf, on 27 Nov 2014 - 10:46 AM, said: Exceptional, reminds me of many an oldie.... and I am on my way there!

Well what a thread, here I am in my 66th year and throughout my life I have trudged bogs / hedgerows / any kind of cover and I would be there with my spaniels, main quarry was the Woodcock and all else and sundry that appeared also. There was never any decoying until lately. Now having suffered a heart attack back in 1994.... twenty years since I am now slowing up, but to be honest the shortness of breath could be associated with the excess 5 stone that I now carry, gave up the fags and something happened to my feet, yes serious,.... could not keep them out of the pantry... Had some nice days out over the stubbles this year not great bags but enough to make the pate and a few pies for the winter months. My main objective was to involve my grandson, last year he carried a gun, swung it at game etc / etc with no cartridges in and this year treated him to a shooting lesson. The shooting instructor soon moulded and smoothed the rough edges that I had implanted. He had 25 shots the other day at driven clays and dusted 22 of them, impressive at 12 years old. The future lies with decoying for both of us and I intend to sample some paid days if I can find any in the Midlands with him soon, I am about 2 hours from Birmingham, so if I can be pointed in the right direction I would be obliged. Thank you in advance.

Thanks Marc for arranging the days, will speak before the January dates, have a good Christmas an a Happy, prosperous New Year. Let's wish for frost / snow for the A wintry scene for the January dates. Gwilym

Out in the Corwen North Wales yesterday counted 18 in a small area, they were tired, flight of 20 to 30 yards, looked as if they had just dropped in, will look forward to an outing sometime later this week. Also flocks of hundreds of woodpigeon heading into oak woods.

'Sold'

Surplus to requirements, an unused boxed set of 3 Parker Hale Gunsmith's Flats and a Square Pewter Oil Bottle also new and unused. £50.00 the lot plus £7.00 postage, no offers. A similar Parker Hale set sold by itself in an Auction last August for £47.50. So £57.00 is a bargain! Sorry about the first post, my mistake, did not read the rules, hope this one is ok.

Mark you are too kind !! , the eye is in 5 out of 7 yesterday and two were double shots... Same again, hundreds of pigeons. Worked flight lines, but, they would not decoy. Having said that, 5 came straight in to the decoys out of many hundreds that flew past, and were bagged. My brother in law was also out in another area on the shoot and he managed 5 also, same problem. A lot of food about though , will keep on trying. Anyway a couple of moons to go aye Mark !! looking forward to it.

Well !! Hundreds of Pigeons in the area of my whirleygig and 20 decoy's, on 140 acres of Rape stubble, showing very little interest for most of the time, then all of the sudden one comes straight in ??. Thursday last week had 6 5 hours Saturday 7 5 hours This week: Monday 7 6 hours Tuesday 25 6 hours Today was better they did come to have a look and i was able to get some nice shooting from it. Rope bangers at the ready for Thursday or Friday depending on the weather, should keep them on the move.

Excellent two days out, plenty of shooting, great company, well organised.....can I come again PLEASE !!!

Hi Mark, Count me in for both days please.

A little better managed 10 today, some came in no problem to the magnet others ignored completely....try again tomorrow.

Thanks, will give it a go again tommorrow, hope it is better.

At least I got out this week and managed an 8 and a 4.... not great but at least i got out, freshly combined in North Shropshire, just on the border with God's own!!, hey ho, strangely early doors, first two came to magnet then nothing all day came in.... could not believe it....140 acres going down to Rape... advice please ?

Another great day today, they seem to be in in North Wales in style !! saw possibly 30 today, covered a large area, but quietly working area's that have produced for the past 40 years. Fired 14 shots for a 50 % return, good enough, but missed some sitters, I'll keep practicing !

When I opened up the Gun Cabinet last friday morning to get the gun for a walkabout on the Woodcock front, in and among the weapons, there waiting patiently and looking at me longingly, was my father’s old shotgun. William Henry Pollard 12 Bore boxlock ejector, 30 inch barrels, which I recently had refurbished for sentimental reasons, I’m sure you will understand. Whilst the barrels are clean they are out of proof, still safe for use but not for re-sale. As a small boy I recall watching my father closely as he shot various game on outings and then clean this gun meticulously before storing away. I recall to this day his various discussions with his shooting accomplices on walkabout days, and with me personally, that he could afford to allow others to have a go, knowing full well that the Pollard would bring them down at a long distance if they were to miss. I witnessed this on many an occasion too. It may well have been my father’s skills also that contributed to this, but, I also witnessed him miss at times. I decided on an outing for the old armoury, and took the gun onto a farm in Eifionydd, North Wales, where I have shot Woodcock since about 1960, yes, about 50 years or so. I had both dogs with me ‘Buddy’ the spaniel and ‘Ross’ the labrador. I decided on a small piece of about 7 acres of rough ground with a mixture of Goarse and Willow bushes with bogs, ditches, fern and reeds, perfect resting ground, to make a start on. Not far into the piece when a Woodcock was flushed by ’Buddy’. Two shots at it, fired hastily through the willows as it made good his escape, went begging. I watched it into the distance and saw it climb onto the breeze, change course and come back at a slight angle to my right, high above the cover and possibly a good 40 yards if not more up and out from me, gaining speed on the wind. One cartridge into the choke barrel and with plenty of lead infront of it, a squeeze on the trigger with a follow through swing, saw it fold and drop into the marsh. ‘Ross’ nearby to me, spotted this, whilst Buddy was still busying himself in the cover infront. “Fetch that”, the mark was perfect and it was to hand in seconds, great, from a Labrador that is only 14 months old, and relatively inexperienced in such matters. I flushed another three in the piece but they were not shootable for one reason or another, never mind, the job was done. Back to the car and I took this photo for the record, before moving on to another small farm for some more searching. Not long before I was posed with an easy going away type shot on open ground, by a Woodcock that flushed by my feet, missed, both barrels, just could not believe it. I appeared to be right on it when I squeezed the trigger both occasions, not a feather. Did I fire too quickly maybe?, for the Pollard. Next one to flush was from about 30 yards infront of me . It left the cover of it’s own accord on my approach, with a crossing flight out to my left through some willow scrub, I let it go, and, when it came to an open area again with a deliberate lead and swing I squeezed the trigger and saw it drop unceremoniously into the marsh a good 60 if not 70 yards away. It appeared dead in the air. To get to it, I had to cross a brook and climb over a fence, after lifting the dogs over. I had the mark area but neither of the dogs would have seen that. Despite a very thorough search of the marshy bog land in the reeds and pools of water I failed to locate it and the dogs also did their very best on the mark area and all around for a good 30 or so yards, strange, but there we go, we don’t win them all, do we. The old Pollard had it’s first outing in about 5 years. My dad gave up shooting at the age of 80. I called with him for a cuppa at lunchtime, giving him a step by step account of the outing. He reminded me again that I could allow the quarry to go a fair way before firing the Pollard, and not to be overly concerned about not picking that last woodcock, that these things do happen from time to time for no apparent reason. I was still uneasy about this ,so, I returned to the very spot . I then took a direct line between two points on a two yard width out into the marsh, ‘Ross’ was with me, a visual search in the main. Whilst stood still, and looking into a clump of reeds infront of me, I could see the Woodcock there tail up, very well secured, and about 2 feet off the ground. It had fallen directly into a hole in the reeds. I urged ‘Ross’ onto it, he was inches away and showed no response at all. I picked it out and showed it to him and he turned away from it. I threw it a few feet away from him and gave him the command to ’Fetch’. He went to it, sniffed it and walked away. On return to the car I threw it again for ‘Ross’, and, he refused it. I threw it for ‘Buddy’ also , and he refused it. Naturally I was puzzled by this and gave it a lot of thought on the way home. When I got home I took the first woodcock that I had shot that day out of the bag and threw that for ‘Ross’ and ‘Buddy’ , both picked it without a problem. I threw that second woodcock, and, yes, yet again both refused to pick it. I wonder if anyone else has experienced such problems on the picking of some Woodcock that have been shot and also the distances at which to shoot at the quarry. The cartridges I was using were Clear Pigeon No 6, 30grammes.

Oh it's still here, it's outing is coming this Thursday on a driven day, hope the weather improves!

Worry not boys, there is a lack of Pigeons in North Wales ever since farming methods changed here a few years ago. This year the place is plastered with Pigeons in small groups, they are under every Beech tree in the County, the frost when it comes will sort it and you shall have your sport, well hopefully. They are here just with changed habits.

As promised a report on the weekend. Some friends and I had a couple of days walked up on some very very wet ground and jungle like cover in North Wales, Friday and Saturday. Three of us did some small beats on Friday, flushed 20, missed them all except for 2 and a Grey Squirel Jackdaw and a Pigeon made up the bag for the day. It was an early shower followed by copious amounts of 'Monkey Juices' of various kinds, as we were joined by another two eager enthusiasts ready for the next day. Saturday saw a full breakfast and away, we walked all day and covered some ground seeing 30+ the chance of a left and right came to three of us during the day and I have to admit that each of us failed to get a single feather from those chances. We saw plenty of snipe too and much bartering was experienced as we constantly missed, time and again. We ended up the day with 11 Woodcock and another Pigeon. Tired and aching bodies arrived back at base, well I speak for myself, a great birthday for a young 63 year old!, and i pray for some frost, heavy frost, for the next escapade with the next full moon in January 2012, it will be easier walking !! More Sloe Vodka please ! A moment in the sun whilst stood on a Bracken Bank yesterday:

Saw two on a small shoot I have yesterday, missed both !!!, heh heh, out next weekend 9th 10th on a permission I have with a few friends will report the week after.

Not sure where to post this, but it may help some members. I was near Waverham Cheshire today near the river Weaver fishing some pools for Pike and from about 2.30pm until 4pm there was a flight line through the area I was at, groups of from under ten to twenty birds, some groups of fifty to a hundred, passing over 30 yards up, some lower, a constant stream of them. Well over one thousand flying in the general direction of Chester. Have no permission there, no gun, and no Pike either !! tough day but great to see the Pigeons.

Tom, you have a PM !

Well done, not easy to do that and more to the point, great news that you are on the mend !

Not intended as a knock but a 'Rape Flower', it certainly is. At home here in North Wales the small Rhodedendron Bush in the garden is breaking into flower and also other seeds are bursting into leaf, strange autumn, no frosts as yet here either. It will draw them back when (if) it comes.

Elby, you have a PM.