[A Big Day at Powis Castle - Proper Pheasants]

Thanks for posting your videos this season Duffryn. I have enjoyed them all.

 

I cannot believe the amount of birds there still are at the end of the season!

 

Excellent shooting as always. Look forward to seeing more next season

[Driven Pheasant at Powis Castle with distraction of 7 year old son]

I can empathizes. I took my 8 year old (also called Jacob) to our Christmas shoot and had a very similar experience whilst he stood by me. I also shot poorly!

 

In the end he decided he wanted to join the beaters. It was a memory to treasure..

 

The beaters were walking through a strip of maize, in line waving their flags. About 20 yards behind the line all I could see was was this flag being waived frantically. It was Jacob he couldn't keep up with the beating line and was too short to see over the top of the maize but he was determined to wave that flag.

 

It may have been frustrating at the time but you will look back at this with fond memories and you have it captured on film.

[Its been a while.... Driven Pheasant Shooting Powis Castle]

Good to see both you and Rob back in action again. Well shot with both camera and gun!

 

Did I see the date of the film December 2016

 

Keep posting.

[Pigeons shot by PW members UPDATE]

Without the majority posting then surely the stats will have little significance if any?

 

No significance I would say. I stopped posting my totals a couple of years ago and shoot around 1000 pigeon a year.

 

PW has over 37 000 members, How many of these people actually post their totals - less than 1% I suspect ??

[DIY sydicate farm shoot]

A great little shoot

[High Birds at Brigands]

Another great video. Thanks for posting

[More Fen Pheasants + Corvids]

Really enjoyed all 4 videos you have posted. keep them coming.

[Highlights from a brilliant day in South Shropshire 20/11/15]

Good video and shooting, Nice to see you bring selective and picking your shots,

[Checkley Wood Shoot 7th November 2015]

Good video. Like some of your camera angles especially the dog picking the partridge.

 

Strange that they are picking up dead birds during the drive but as you say you are not there to tell them what to do!

[Wet and windy pheasants in Lincolnshire]

Short and sweet with a great track - who was it?

[New PB!!]

Thanks everyone I am still on cloud nine!

 

It was lucky I decided to put a new slab of shells in the Jeep. I nearly took just 3 boxes thinking that would be more than enough!!

 

A couple of downsides - my flapper broke and the electronic bit on the turbo of the Jeep packed up on the way back from the game dealers. £680 to replace them both - OUCH

 

CW

[New PB!!]

I have been shooting pigeon for over 30 years now and have been quite happy if I manage 25 in a day. Only twice have I managed 100. The last time must have been about 5 years ago with a personal best of 106.

 

On Sunday I went to look at some bean fields. They had been cut and the last time I was there beans were every where but hardly any pigeon on them. As I pulled into the farm my heart sank- the fields had all been ploughed.

I decided to have a look around and saw a few pigeon feeding and a few on the wing. After about 30 mins I decided on a likely looking spot which appeared to be on a couple of flight lines.

 

I finally got into my hide at about 11.00am with a rotary, a flapper and 16 fuds set out. At first they didn't want to know but once I had one or two things started to change. The birds started piling in in singles, pairs and bunches. I soon got through the 50 cartridges I put in the hide and had to go back to the Jeep for more.

 

I had never experienced a day like it. The barrel of my auto was hot and even with birds belly up the pigeon kept coming in. My hide was full of pigeon as well as the field. I hadn't a clue what I had shot but hoped it was a new PB.

 

At 5.00pm I decided to call it a day. I had shot 239 shells and picked up 149 pigeon and 1 crow.

 

I know many on this forum shoot that quantity on a regular basis but for me I dont expect I will ever get a day like it again.

 

A day I will never forget!!

 

 

[What's the strangest experience you have had decoying?]

As I sit here reflecting back over the years of pigeon shooting (no pigeons to shoot at the moment), it brought back memories of 2 weird events that occurred whilst out pigeon shooting.

 

The first was over wheat stubble on some fields very close to the edge of Northampton. The shooting was very slow with hardly anything about. It was a warm sunny afternoon with hardly any breeze. In the distance, coming over the houses was a hot air balloon. It was quite low and I could see several people in the basket. As it got closer it started getting lower and lower. The next thing I knew it had landed with a bump, right next to my decoys!!

 

All the people got out and I walked over to them (not carrying my gun). The pilot asked where he was and how he could get his pick up team to the field. I told him he was lucky as I had a key to the padlocked gates which I unlocked. After about an hour they had packed the balloon away and drove off.

 

I tried to blag a free balloon trip but all i got was a badge!!

 

Suffice to say I didn't get any more pigeons.

 

The second time I was out, also on wheat stubble and very close to housing, we were having a really good day. We had shot about 80 birds when I heard very load engine noise coming from behind the hedge. I got through the hedge and just in front of me was a light aircraft. He was running low on fuel so decided to make an emergency landing on the stubble. He made a couple of phone calls to friends and within the hour had refueled and took off again.

 

Anyone else had anything weird happen when out shooting.

 

CW

[pigeons on peas]

I have always found the best months for shooting pigeons on peas are May and June. Peas can provide top sport, but I have known fields to be totally ignored by pigeons,

 

We have had several fields of peas drilled for about a week now. Full of anticipation when were heard they were going to drill peas as we have never had any before.

 

Checked them out twice and not a pigeon in sight. Our only hope is they come when the peas have chitted!!

[Mole with shotguns]

 

you need to flatten the hills the evening before

go to the site 7am if no activity wait until they start working - approach very softly or on quad or in truck.

if they have already pushed up earth return 3 hours later as they work on a 4 hour cycle, unless there are fresh hills they may still be working.

shoot a third of the way up the mound as the mole is working, you can see the earth rising you need to be close 1 metre or so away.

wear rubber gloves and after you shoot remove the soil quickly to reveal a dead mole.

a very effective method when you get the hang of it, there is usually one mole per set of workings so you can visit various sites in a rotation.

 

 

An 80 year old friend of mine both shoots them and traps them. He has shot more than he has trapped this year. A frosty morning is his favorite as he can see where they are working

[What are they?]

Went back to the same field today and saw another bunch. This time they didn't stop they were just heading North.

 

Thanks everyone for identification!!

[What are they?]

Golden Plover without a doubt.

 

They will be heading North in the next week or so. You were lucky to see them.

 

Where were they coming from and where were they going to?

[What are they?]

Have to say they were so amazing in there flight I was mesmerized. Spent so long watching them I missed several woodies coming in to the decoys!!

[What are they?]

We were out yesterday in Beds on some barley spring drillings. Not many pigeon about but all of a sudden i spotted a large flock of birds approaching the field. From a distance they looked like pigeon but they weren't flying right. They were swooping about like a large mass of starlings in the autumn. One large mass all flying in unison.

 

As they flew over me they looked about the same size as a pigeon but with swept back wings, like a swift. Eventually they landed on mass and started to feed. Even the odd shot didn't seem to bother them. They lifted and circled the field and dropped down again.

 

I think they were some sort of wader but can't work out what they would be in the middle of Bedfordshire.

 

Any ideas on what they were? There must of been between 500- 700 in the flock.

 

[struggling on rape]

Had the same problem all week. Brand new permission and when the farmer showed me the fields 500+ on them. On Tuesday managed 12 before they swapped fields. Thursday and Saturday had 2 of us out covering 2 fields and managed 5 and 10 between us.

 

The pigeon just moved onto the next farm.

[Spring Drillings- Already!!]

I was shooting pigeons on spring wheat drillings in March last year. It does seem a little early but if the land is workable then i suppose it will germinate ok, after all daffodills and tulips etc are already poking through.

 

Well done on the result cloudwalker the field may well produce another bag yet!

 

Sadly went out again yesterday. Same 2 fields, same weather conditions but one thing missing- PIGEONS!!

 

We couldn't believe we were shooting the same fields. On Tuesday there were flightling in all directions in small bunches and pairs all day, Yesterday barely a bird in the sky anywhere.

 

99 on Tuesday. 19 yesterday!!!!.

[Spring Drillings- Already!!]

speaking to some farmers around here lots are telling me that they are thinking about not growing OSR as a lot of the chemicals sprays they would have used have been band,also the way the payments of subsidies are made,this year a lot of peas are going to be grown that will push the prices down.so its looking likely that spring & winter barley may be on the cards cheers

 

I think you may have something there. For the first time in 20 years we are having peas drilled on some of our land. Never shot over them before but heard that you can get some good sport.

[found this one]

A fine spectacle until ten guns popped up.

+2

[Season summary - hits and misses 2014 / 15]

Great video, great music and what a great thing to keep to look back on when you are too old to go out shooting!

[Spring Drillings- Already!!]

Well done great result, we've had some drilling in our area last week but the ground is so wet the birds will not land on as the soil is loose and clings to the feet.

 

I was surprised they came in so well as the fields were really wet after it rained all day yesterday. Each time I went out to set up a bird my boots were like divers boots by they time I got back to the hide!