cloudwalker

A great video as usual.

No I dont think it could be the same fire. We were shooting on the North west edge of Nothampton. quite away from J15/ J15A.

Unfortunately the area is surrounded by a large Housing estate. The Police helicopter is usually out at least once a week and the fields used to be the favourite place to burn out nicked cars!

It really shocked us how quickly the fire spread. The wheat stubble just went up in a flash. Not something I want to repeat in the near future!

Out today shooting with a mate on some wheat stubble. The fields are massive but surrounded by big housing estates. Set up under a big tree in the middle of field. Absolute gale blowing off the hill. Pigeon all flighting 200 yards both above us and below us. Watching the flight line in the distance when I noticed some smoke rising. After 10 mins the smoke was alot thicker. Thought I had better phone the Fire brigade, dialled 999 and reported it. 15 mins later and I could hear the fire engines in the distance by which time the smoke had got much and was spreading. Called the fire brigade again and told them they would need more than one crew to put it out. Another 15 mins past and still no sign of the red engines. By this time i thought i would take a wander over towards where the smoke was coming from.I walked over the brow of the hill and stopped in my tracks. The field we were shooting on was on fire. The wind was whipping across the field and by now half the field was alight. flames leaping into the sky and the crackle of the stubble filling the air. It was now heading towards the Farm buildings Ran back to the hide and told my mate we had better get out here! We grabbed the dogs and guns and ran the quarter of a mile to our vehicles. Called the brigade again plus the game keeper and the farmer, Another 15 mins later and it was action stations 4 Fire engines turned up. The game keeper and his under keeper and the farmer in his tractor with a big bucket on the front. After about an hour they seem to have it under control.We walked back up the field to our hide. The fire had got to within 400 yards of us and just stopped short of the farm. We decided to carry on shooting but after about another hour I saw smoke rising again in the distance and we called the Brigade again. They came out again and finished the job off. Sitting there afterwards we realised how lucky we had been. If the wind had shifted 45 degrees we would have been toast!! We are certain that the fire was started on purpose as over the years It has been torched more than once. Although the shooting was pretty **** it is a day I wont forget for a long time!!!!

Had a lot of kit from them and always found them to be spot on

I am using 17amp batteries but the motor is worn out and is using a lot of current. I usually use the long arms with the barley arm extensions but this means the batteries are draining really quick and then not holding a decent charge after charging. Unfortunately I cant remember who supplied the original magnet. I have a feeling the 2 partners split up and then each set up their own pigeon shooting businesses. I thought they were Ford wiper motors but am not sure which model.

I have an original Pigeon magnet (4 bird version). I am looking to replace the motor as I get through 3 or 4 batteries per day out. Does anyone know what type of wiper motor I need? I want to be able to just bolt it on. Thanks.

It was a pleasant change to get a few. My best bag since October has been 20 and I've had many days when I haven't even got into double figures Checked the same fields out on Sunday but they are all covered in snow and there was not a woodie in sight. Hopefully they will be back when the snow thaws

Wasn't very optimistic as I set out this morning. The temperature read -7 Oc as I left home. Arrived at the field I was going to shoot and not a pigeon in sight. Decided to look at a couple of other fields and put 1000+ birds up as I drove across one field. Thought I would give it a go. Then came the tricky bit- trying to get hide poles, magnet and FUDs into the frozen ground. Eventually managed it after a lot of jumping up and down on the ground spikes! Although most of the pigeon were in one large flock, which moved to the farm next door we don't have permission to shoot on, there were still several small flocks crossing over the top of the field I set up on. Unfortunately they were also heading to the next farm but after I put out 2 magnets, 1 flapper and set up a pair of bouncers 100yards towards the flight line one or two did come to the decoys. In the end I picked up 42 Woodies for 78 shots. Not a huge bag but definitely the best day I have had on Rape so far this winter. Two of the birds picked were squabs with no neck markings so it just proves how woodies are breeding throughout the year. Today just shows are unpredictable pigeon shooting can be. The days when you think you are on to a looser turn out to be good and the days when you think you are on to a winner turn out to be rubbish!

I still haven't seen any significant flocks around the county. Biggest flock about 200-300 birds.

I can't believe some of the posts on here. :( I also shoot on some shared ground and sadly I often find Pigeon stuffed down rabbit holes. Apart from the waste of good food, what sort of message is it giving Mr Joe Bloggs - Talk about fuel for the antis All the Pigeons and rabbits we shoot go to the game dealers. He is paying 35p per Pigeon and £1.00 a Rabbit. Some of you guys must have money to burn if you are leaving £50 worth of meat in the field. Even if you haven't got a game dealer near you, buy a cheap chest freezer. In most of the Shooting press there are adverts from Game dealers offering to collect game from your house. The only birds I leave in the field are the 3 off my magnet and flapper and only after they have been frozen and thawed at least 3 times. Even then I leave them out in the field. This way the Buzzards soon clear them up and hopefully this stops them taking other game.

Though most Pigeon still seem to be feeding on Ivy berries, finally found 2 fields with about 200-300 feeding on Rape. Hopefully a promising start to 2012. Have been out several times over Christmas and the few we have shot had completely empty crops also many thin birds (Game dealer only paid us 1/2 price for these. No idea what they have been feeding on but whatever it was couldn't have been that good for them.

I have been driving around most parts of Northants and I haven't seen a single Pigeon on Rape anywhere. Where abouts in Northants has your mate seen all these Pigeon

I wish they would start to hammer the rape around here. Checked all our permissions in both Northants and Beds and not a pigeon in sight

Great tip with the Carp sack. I also use a fishing brolly and found it to work really well. I throw a piece of netting over the top to break It works very well when there is no back drop behind you. I have even used it in the middle of a open field.

I am hoping you are right about the frosts knocking it back. I think we will need some hard frosts over a period of time to slow it down a bit. Not that any are forecast in the near future. So much for the heavy snow everyone was talking about for October

In over 25 years of Pigeon shooting I have never seen the rape so tall and well established at this time of the year. All the fields I look at seem to be a solid mass with very few bare patches. Even the tram lines are growing over. What I'm wondering is whether the pigeon will actually be able to land and feed on it this year, especially if we don't get any snow. Any thoughts?

Back again in the same spot. Arrived at 9.00am but barely saw a Pigeon till 2.00pm. Packed up at 6.00 and picked up 42 Woodies and a Crow. Next time I wont bother getting there till dinner. Most of the birds shot were returning to the town and just dropping in on our fields for a final snack.

Look in the Shooting Times etc. There are usually adverts from Gamedealers looking for game and they will collect from your home. Get yourself a freezer and fill it and then give the dealer a call.

Haven't you heard of man gets- they're the latest bird pullers Sorry about the typo. Out again today. The double magnet didn't work - not a pigeon in sight. Try again on Monday. CW

We have really been struggling on the Rape stubble. Not a Pigeon feeding on it anywhere despite being a couple of good flightlines being close on one area we shoot. All cut really high (another thread I think?). Couldn't find any Pigeon on any other ground we shoot over so decided to have another look at the one place I saw some Pigeon flighting,even though I knew the fields had been spread with sewage and disced. I nearly crashed the Jeep when arrived at 4.00pm. The fields were blue with Woodies! Went out yesterday with great expectations. Put my mate (76 years young) in the best spot and I set up near by. He was blazing away from the start being under the flightline. I was not doing so well. Birds were flying behind me and the other side of the field. Tried everything. Magnet,flappers,bouncers,dead birds and all combinations of the above, nothing would come near. Called the old boy up on the 2 way radio and he had about 30 Woodies in the bag for my 10. One final plan, I had enough batteries, I would try 2 Magnets. What a difference undecoyable birds suddenly became suicidal 4 birds within 1 minute. Stayed until 6.00pm birds still piling in even when standing dismantling hide. Finished up with 54 Woodies and 2 crows and the old boy had 2 less Pigeon than me. Both of us shot about 95 cartridges. Cracking day for both despite the stink! but I am so glad I kept trying different combinations.

I have one of the original pigeon magnets but the motor is worn out. I know a replacement motor is from a Ford but does anyone know what model, type etc? Cheers CW

Very impressed. Best day for weeks. My old shell decoys were past here use by date so I decided to replace the lot with FUD's.Easy to set up after the first few and the belt clip (Fudslinger) is excellent. They look incredibly realistic and was pulling the birds in from about 1/4 - 1/2 mile away. I can see there could be a problem when the Rape gets taller but having flappers/magnets does away with the lack of movement in the pattern which is another criticism which some people make about them. Although I have only used them the once, first impressions are extremely good - cant wait until next Saturday

I got 3 boxes for £69.98 delivered. Ordered them Wednesday, arrived Friday and shot 32 woodies on OSR on the Saturday