kitchrat

From mid October until the end of the year I was having a rare old time. Loads of rape to shoot over (100's of acres) and massive numbers of pigeons in the area, in lots of small/mid-sized flocks plus 1's and 2's and 3's. In general they would drop straight onto the crop and decoyed quite well, or at least came to have a close look. In spite of all my beating commitments I was shooting over 50 each week, on average. Then, after a swampy day of 25 in early Jan in the mud, the weather turned misty and cold and so did my barrels! The mid-sized flocks would not drop onto the crop anymore and would not decoy. They would go into trees or a wood and other flocks would join them, to form a mega-flock of several hundred. After some considerable time, a few would drop down (ignoring my pattern) and the rest would flock-string after them. Walking them off or firing a shot would send them all elsewhere to repeat the procedure and devastate the crop there. The layout of the fields of rape/farms with rape meant that I could often see them building up a mile away, whilst I watched an empty field. Very frustrating! Now, they have absolutely stripped most of the fields bare and many of the birds have moved on. Those that remain use the same tactics and are virtually unshootable. The farmers are saying "Now is the time the crop needs protection, when spring growth starts" but what do I do? If I had 25+ shooters spread about, the pigeons would go elsewhere (farmers happy) but none of the guns would get any decent shooting. The turnout for roost shooting has plummeted after a couple of windless nights. However, I'm hoping for some early spring drillings in about a month, Kitchrat will fight back!!

Brilliant bag! Glad you agree with my tactics "Playing the patient game however and only shooting at sensible birds". We are there to shoot pigeons, not just to shoot AT pigeons. Blasting away at speculative birds does nothing except scare them away, unless you are Mr Digweed, which I am not! Trying the same plan tomorrow! Cheers,

I put my "success" down to having a lot of restraint. I saw 100's that Mr Digweed could have shot, but I would have missed over 99% of them (not being very flexible now) and just scared them from returning to give me another chance. By only shooting at those which were just where I wanted them and I thought Kitchrat could hit, I got a decent result. (and a few casseroles!)

The 20-acre wood I'm lucky enough to be able to roost shoot still had a lot of visitors but in big flocks, coming quite fast downwind, way up above the already tall trees and very wary. Someone else had shot a nearby wood recently, so that didn't help. Anyway, by showing a lot of restraint and being ultra selective, I was able to let the flocks go round and return, lower and slower, into the wind, this time they were actually thinking about looking for a landing spot (but not landing). Letting most go by, there was usually a Tail-End Charlie or two, which were lower and if they were exactly where I wanted them to be, I felt gave me a reasonable chance of reaching them. I managed to reach 14 of them, using Pigeon Extreme, 34gm No 5 shot, with full choke and about 3 foot of lead. I only used a box of ammo, so was quite pleased!

Same here, just sit in the trees for hours, then drop for a mass feed.

Result!

Funny how things change in a few weeks, not long ago you posted: Now I can hardly buy a pigeon!

That's OK,then, carry on! Cheers, and all the breast!

I think very stubborn describes me better, I don't like to be beaten by birds with a brain the size of a pea. Anyway, what else does life hold now?

As long as it's only my legs!!

Yes, I must be bonkers! Still, I did get 25 odd.. ???????

Now he's dangerous!

Glad somebody gets the joke!

At least you get no BS from Kitchrat! OK, luck then...

Rick Onissance and I have watched this field for a while and always seen pigeons there, so I sorted out to go there today. Yesterday was a beating day, I usually take Rick and check on a few things on the way out but yesterday was so bad (wind and rain) that I left him at home. Mistake No 1!. So it was a nasty surprise to find today at 7.45am that the normal, best end of the field with the fine bunker in the field (best except for the 500-yards carry!) was under water, with most for the rest waterlogged. A few groups of birds were going right on by, towards the smaller, 2nd field, better drained but frequented by (trespassing) dog-walkers. There is usually a decent number of birds come from that direction so I headed over. Mistake No 2. Only 400 yards carry, downhill and still frozen, so not too bad. Found a nice ditch, only 3 inches of water, wind on back, sun on back and I can monitor the big field behind. Very few birds turned up so I keep looking behind (cue pigeon!) and suddenly up the far end there are loads of blue lights and police/fire/ambulance. A dog walker tells me the road is a sheet of ice and closed off both ends. So here I am, inside a police cordon, with a gun and several 100 rounds of ammo. I keep my head down! Lucky I'm not up that end, I wouldn't dare to fire a shot. The police action all calms down in a couple of hours but pigeons start to drop in up the top far end of the big field, next to a very busy (now open) road. Shots don't shift them. I pack all my stuff up and head about 150 yards towards the truck, them dump most if it and take the bare minimum, (mistake No 3??) only another 250yards downhill to a 2nd bunker, on the edge of the field but providing some sort of cover. I take just the magnet, a few plastic shells, an ammo belt plus a pocket of ammo. When I get there it's a nightmare, waterlogged field. (see picture, NB most of the green "crop" is not rape but charlock , funny how the pigeons don't seem to like it.) Not much cover but by kneeling beside the bunker I can keep reasonably out of sight. Trouble is, it's sun full on face and I can't see incomers until there are there, and then they can see me. They have not read the manual about coming upwind and whizz downwind and swirl about . However, I would rather have some difficult shooting than no "easy" shooting, so persist. I try standing behind the bunker, I can see incomers but lose sight of them until they have swirled. To add to my troubles, they are well flocked up and arrive in dozens, if not more. I hate scaring loads at once, my normal plan is to let most of them pass, as they don't usually decoy anyway, then see if any greedy ones turn back and get shot when the main group is not too near. The lead birds of this lot, however, dive straight in and swirl about, which confuses me no end. I have to shoot at them and with the swirling and the sun, sometimes get a "Left and Right" and some times a double miss. (hate it!). I start to get low on ammo, so drag myself up the field to my dump and bring back a couple of boxes. I build a bit of a hide from stuff that has come down the river, move the magnet down a little bit and think "The sun will soon be going round and out of play". (Mistake No 4?) At this point, of course, the supply of birds dwindles to a trickle. The sun has not yet moved far enough. I get a couple more shots then decide to quit. I pick up another 22, with a couple lost in the river. By now, the frost is coming out of the ground so it's a nightmare, uphill slog, glue on top, ice underneath. How I didn't have a heart attack, I'll never know! Maybe my dirt-bike career saved me. Try again tomorrow Kitchrat! Cheers!!

Can't go OVER the crops though!

This is what I need, straight over the crops to the hide location, back with the fallen, no problem!!

Sadly, I don't do Xmas.Please use this to buy yourself a drink - Cheers!! NB I am beating tomorrow then doing the 500-yard slog again on Tuesday, wish me luck!! Cheers and Happy New Year.

Exactly!

Not much fun on Dec 25th, my "Better Half" has a nasty attack of shingles and I had a nasty cold. Lots of misery! However, by yesterday, I had turned the corner, and went out with Rick, albeit with a head full of that well known, green, contact adhesive. I was shocked (embarrassed) by the number I saw on OSR on a farm I am supposed to protect so arrived there at 7.45 am this morning (still with the glued up head!) Lots of pigeons about, they semi decoyed but were also happy to swirl away on the wind. As ever, they often wanted other parts of the farm (150 acres of OSR) but shots put up would keep them moving. It wasn't a massively busy day or a slaughter but I picked up 55, with several lost way out in the crop, a number I am more than happy with! Storm tomorrow so next outing will be roost shooting with my Pigeon Watch pal on Thursday, in my most testing wood. Could be interesting, but he's younger than I am and quicker and more flexible , so might find it a breeze! All the breast for now and 2025!

Great news, I've found some red ones!! However, I do think 63gms No 1 shot may be a bit of overkill. (Get the little joke!!??), so I may stick with the Pigeon Extreme for the high birds. Cheers anyway!

Wow, that could be it!!

Good plan! They looked that high!

👍 But I need all the help (pellets) I can get. I was not serious about the goose stuff!

I have some 50gm No 3 shot from my goose hunting in Scotland. I'm told they are red (might be green, or brown) will they do? I was using near transparent Extreme Pigeon 34 gm No 5.