AJL

I travel to Widnes each week where one of our plants is. There is a regular steady flightline past my office and I am sat watching a good 100birds in a couple of laid patches of corn. The rape stubble had hundreds in last week or two. Seems no one shoots it. If you are in the area of postcode WA8 8NS (just off the A562) , take a look. Apologies if someone does shoot this area but there are so many birds and I have never heard a shot go off. Sadly I cant get at them with work otherwise I would be there now!!! Sniping with the .22 out of my office window would frowned upon! Someone get at them! Alastair

Same round here. I have 3 fields to shoot over just drilled with barley. Went for a couple of hours at the weekend. They were circling while we set up the decoys then straight in when we got in the hide. Got 13 but had took the youngster with me whos only 10. He shot 3 so he was well happy but we could have had another 10 (assuming I would have hit them!). Farmer rang to say the other field was blue all day today (usually means 3 birds!!) so Thursday is going to be a day off to go see how blue blue really is...hopefully thee will still be some about! Rape pretty much deserted, some on clover.

My young un Alex is sat here next to me as I type this. He started at 8 and got his SGC at 8, the clay ground preferred he had one and were keen that he did a basic safety tuition before shooting on the ground. Makes a lot of sense. They also said that the younger they start the more you can drill the safety aspect into them which is not a bad point. Anyway, he started on .410, now has 20g. Shot his first pigeon last year and rabbits. Got his first flighting duck a few weeks ago and tonight we went roosting when he got his first one. I have spent money buying guns to cut down to fit. I dont mind doing this as long as he wants to go. If he doesnt then he doesnt go and we do something else. As someone said they all mature at different ages, if they want to go and can handle it safely then fine, let them go for it. Alastair

Set up opposite sides of laid barley in field about 300yds across. It was soon apparent that the birds favoured my mates side and after a quick call from him and 15 mins just in case I wandered round his side and took turns shooting. End result 107 birds. I left my decoys out and we saw maybe 10 land in them while we sat on other side. Its been said on here before you have to be where the birds want to be - thats some of the best info beginners like me need to heed....so a great day allround and a lesson experienced with a practical demo! So, went out on a recce tonight and didnt see a bird! Quite pleased really as we are off to the gamefair Saturday.

There were 2 x 3 shot pump action 410s in Northallerton Shooting Supplies this week. Dunno if this would do? One has been cut down stock for a nipper to use.. Alastair

Still on Rape in bits here. Mind, hundreds on clover field about 100yds from the newly drilled barley field (month behind last year) despite a lot of grain on the surface. Guess they prefer clover to barley seed? Only the odd one came - and didnt leave.

Got a field going into Kale end of the month which the farmer is anxious will need plenty of protection. Is Kale up the list of favourites for pigeon if they find it? Thanks

I was down there as well a few weeks ago and again last week, you are right I have never seen so many pigeons and there are a good number round our way. Also hares, never seen so many. Used to the odd few in a field round here but there must have been 30-40 in one field we walked through...amazing!

Shooting on a farm last night with only one pigeon in the bag thought I would stand under a clump of trees half a mile from the farm and wait for something coming in to roost. I heard a rustling in the bushes coming my way and assumed it was a rabbit. Having learnt on the clays that I have more time than I think to take aim and shoot I waited to be certain. Good job too as the farmers wee Jack Russell popped out wagging its tail....could have been a very different end. Lesson for me as a relative newcomer - ask question first, shoot later.

Well, spent another day yesterday on a now week old drilled corn field. Farmer reckoned 300 on first thing in the morning. Set up with decoys plus 3 dead from previous 2 days. 5 mins in and the first one came in. Shot him and added to pattern then nothing for the rest of the day right through till 7.30 other than 4 ferals which came in right into the pattern. I think maybe the woodies have cleaned off what was on the top then made off elsewhere. Question is will they eat the new shoots of corn or not bother with it at all. Think I'll wait for a call from the farmer rather than sit there all day for nowt again! Alastair

Yes I also saw one yesterday eating grain from a pheasant feeder.

Just been up to a newly sown corn field with clover and grass under sown. a reasonable number of birds about but just sitting in the trees. The only pair that came down for a look left minus one of their number but everything else just dropped into the trees from a great height and sat tight. I was there a good few hours and left with only the one. Is it likely that its the weather? Still trying to get to grips with the habits of these birds! The lone duck filled himself with the corn before departing!

I was told that they go round in 4 hour cycles so once you work out when they started you can work the pattern. I dont know if this is right or not and equally its not much help if they dont all start at the same time!! Anyone else heard this?

Only one more to add today = 1230

Thanks Cranfield Just come back in after a couple more hours I had spare which I filled with sitting in the hide again. The birds are still not coming in and I swear they know how far a gun can shoot!. Having said that I missed a few which I should have shot late on coming into roost, the picture looked as big as a bin lid but I still have the habit of stopping swinging and missing behind. Anyway, the sniper in me picked one out of a tree some distance away. Took him by surprise but not as much it surprised me. Thought about eating it but I think I'll freeze it and use as a decoy next week (or tomorrow). Just good to be out in the open air! Alastair