Dr D

The two things combined (sun and wind) meant that the birds spent most of today on the sheltered side of trees taking in the warmth. About 2 o'clock the thought of a long dark night ahead obviously got too much and they started moving. All the other local shooters had given up by then, but I noticed a nice little line developing along a stand of beech. No decoys, just stratospheric pigeon in a steady strong wind. This my favourite shooting and not a method to count the cartridge to kill ratio. I finished with 19 picked. Every one was memorable and 10 times more enjoyable than any driven game bird.

Plenty of food here for them. A short trip across the Irish sea and I will show them some hospitality. 😁

Pigeons in my area are a bit hit and miss at the minute. So I had a nice little walkabout for a change followed by a short spot of flightlining.

Not so sure about that. Last year I notice quite a few birds first week in November with a distinctive line of fat. Which suggested they had been feeding up hard before I stopped them on route. They passed through here in a week and half. Hope they come this year again

Jackdaw

Birds in my area were showing signs of leaving the stubbles in favour the woods last week. Very few about this week and by the time today had come around they had vanished. Even fresh cut barley was not enough to pull them away from the protein rich calorific banquet on offer now from mother nature. They are well and truly on acorns and beechmast. I probably won't get much in way of shooting for about 6-8 weeks. By then it will be nearly time for the migrants. My favourite time of year for pigeon shooting. Big flocks, full plumage, strong birds that have crossed the sea to escape the winter, strong winds, short days. Can't wait!!!!

Thanks for the comments. As I said in different post a few weeks ago, I have been late getting started this year because of a building project. However, I really enjoyed this weekend. A good day on Friday for myself and an equally enjoyable day on Saturday watching a friend have some mighty sport in the wind and rain.

Brilliant. Particularly love the mixed presentational styles

Top class

The wind was too much to resist this afternoon, despite the buckets of rain accompanying. A friend wanted a shot, who doesn't get out as often as he would like. So, a 3pm rendezvous at a chosen field and off we headed across a large block of stubble. The flightline across the field was very wide and the wind made them even more unpredictable. I kept my gun in the slip for the afternoon and for the first half hour or sothe temptation was great. A rusty shooter, plus pigeons playing in a gale. However, I resolved myself to letting the guest find his feet. I can say he really enjoyed the best of sport for a few hours and was pleased with his bag of 35, plus a few lost. The cartridge to kill ratio was an irrelevance. Apologies for the photo quality. It was a quick snap in the driving rain. Before dashing of the field to the warmth of a car.

I managed to get out of work at lunch time today and there was only one thing for it. A weather front was coming in, pressure was dropping. Surely I could find a few birds feeding?!? I rushed home and was out scouting for 2pm. First farm. Nothing. Second. Nothing. Third, I spotted a few moving along hedge over a very small barley stubble field. I have shot this place over the years and it can be hit or miss. More in hope than expectation, I decided to give it a bash. The wind was getting stronger and stronger. I knew it would probably push birds out of an estate a few miles away. The set up was a dozen shells replaced in the first half hour or so with the real thing, plus two birds on home made bouncers. They came in fits and start for the next two or so hours. And I had them decoying sweet. Final bag was 78 plus a few unfortunate grey backs and magpies. All in all, a very enjoyable early start to the weekend.

Nice! And lucky boy. Provided other don't hammer the life out of it you could Have alot of fun there over the next few months

That's the sort of day I dream about. It unlikely ever to happen. Just don't have the volume of birds. Super going

Nuts. Just nuts! The big bag compared to what the boys got on exactly the same field the day before is a classic demonstration of someone who knows their quarry and someone who doesn't. Welcome back. Be afraid pigeons. Be very afraid!

A long time ago, when I little sense, I dropped 11 Goldie's for three shots. They are spectacular shooting coming into a field to feed at dark. Faster than any duck. You can forget about cartridge to kill ratios. They are a beautiful bird and as good to eat as any woodcock.

My shooting buddy phoned me in work this afternoon about 3.30pm. "I have just set up in a field with slurry sprayed on it. The place was black with crows. But a few pigeons have started flighting!" There was a real low pressure today and the wind was up. The said field is position under a well used flight line, so I wasn't surprised he had a few pigeons. The next call came at 5pm. "There are quite a few birds using this line. I'm on for a bit of a bag" I called in to see him at 6pm. The flight had ended. He was picking up. I gave him a hand and together we counted 94 into the bags. Some flight! Lucky sod. And he never seen a single crow over the decoys all afternoon!!!! 😲

Practice really will make perfect. I learned to fly fish in a grass field. Get your rod etc and get started out on the lawn or in a field. Plenty of space and you will see your mistake. Oh... Attach a tippit, to stop cracking off, but obviously no flies. This way you will enjoy time spent on the water much more, while your confidence grows. Good luck.

56 on Friday in a couple of hours. I posted in sporting pics. I might get out next weekend again. Quite a few young birds decoyed which I didn't shoot. Must be getting soft.

Oh and two big hooded crows paid the price for being nosy while I was talking to the farmer. He was well pleased, because there was a few nasty incidents with lambs earlier in the year and he knew who the pointy breaked culprits were.

So, this harvest has been a non starter for me. I have been tied down with serious DIY. But this afternoon I managed to grab a couple of hours for the first time. I had been watching a likely spot, and rushed home from work. I was at the field (winter barley stubble) by 4.20. set up for 4.30 and shot till 6.30. Most of the birds came in from behind and were shot going away, DTL style. It was a nice first outing and I finished picking up 56. Well pleased. Waiting now for the second round of harvest (spring stuff) to get started.

Haven't tried yet. This week will be my first attempt. However, my shooting buddy has been out three times. 83, 37, 87.

New topic. Same old faces peddling the same old bigotry directed at yet another minority on PW. What a progressive bunch.

They are going to attempt to JR the result and argue that in any case it needs to be endorsed by parliament. Now there's a car crash - judiciary v parliament v the will of the majority v a majority of Scotland and n Ireland v a majority of England and Wales. What a headache. No wonder May has said article 50 won't be triggered this year!

I think this might win the prize for the most simplistic I'll thought through post I have read on PW. And I have read some tosh on here over the years.