JDog

Lucky man, not only for the shooting and the place you live but for the relationship you have with your son and his obvious enjoyment of your sport together.

Red badger, somewhat gruesome but at least it's colouration can be seen.

Won't you need the handset which is tuned into the collar?

I see from the January edition of the 'Shooting Gazette' that the shooting show is to be held at Stoneleigh over the weekend of 9th and 10th February. This might be a good opportunity for those of us who live not too far away to meet up and discuss how bad we are at shooting pigeons. We could also try to cajole Pigeon Controller to put in a guest appearance to explain why he is so good at the same thing.

I have pictures of two red and white badgers, both road kills. Neither have the slightest bit of black on them.

Fantastic pictures. I have never seen a waxwing I would very much like to.

I wondered if you might shoot those fields but as they were not identified in any of your videos or posts I was not quite sure. If anyone could get the best out of the pigeon shooting there I know that it will be you chaps. I am sorry if the publicity I may have given to this matter has adversely affected your shooting.

I could be wrong but I have always understood that Xmas day was the one day of the year when it is illegal to carry a gun even for vermin shooting.

A very fine piece of art work.... and now for your border terrier!

What model is this?

This has been a strange year for pigeon shooting with pigeon numbers down in some areas and up in others and some crops attacked more than usual and others less so. The lack of acorns and beech mast this winter is noticeable resulting I am sure in better shooting over winter oil seed rape. The great disappointment for me was the lack of interest in peas. Last year I had 600 from drilling to harvesting on one farm. This year I barely shot 100 over the same period. The bonus this year was the amount of stubble left down and I have been shooting stubble from July until now. My last day on stubble will be boxing day. Clover was also an attractant. Unless I have a very good day on Boxing Day I will not quite make 2000 in the bag in this calendar year. Every day out was enjoyable except one in August when I got myself and my kit very wet indeed and shot very few.

It seems to me that if you miss with your first shot you fire the second shot very quickly whilst still on the same (and possibly wrong) line meaning that a second miss is almost inevitable.

I travelled North three days ago and saw a lot of pigeons on what I call the Coventry Southern by-pass near the airport. They appeared to be feeding on failed or unharvested linseed. Today when I came back I saw several hundred in the air in the same place. They may have been disturbed by a shot I don't know. For anyone living locally this could represent a very good opportunity to shoot a decent number of pigeons provided that the land is not already taken by others.

Very good to read your last post of the year. As a relative newcomer to the forum it was good to pick up on your informative posts. Keep up the good work and please continue to share your experiences with us lesser mortals.

In the year 2000 I climbed a willow tree alongside a brook near Cirencester to see what fish I could spy. At the bottom of the pollarded branches in the treee a mallard duck was sitting on eggs. She showed no fear of me - she wouldn't as she was stone dead with a single bite mark behind her head. When I got down the tree I looked inside some of the holes in the gnarled trunk and I could see a stock dove upside down. I reached in as far as my arm would go and was suddenly bitten. I pulled my arm out as quickly as I could and was soon face to face with a mink with it's teeth still in my finger. The creature did soon let go thankfully and I was left with a very torn and bloody finger. I am looking at the scar as I write this. Cirencester hospital was only a few minutes away and I went there for a tetanus jab which proved to be almost as painful as the bite.

And you deserved every one of them: a. For moving your set up b. For slogging through the mud c. For being brave enough to put your hide away from the hedge close to the field edge.

Brave boy, well done him. I hope that it works out well for you as a family and that there are no repercussions.

That looks like the perfect result of a rough shoot with friends.

Geese and ducks are wildfowl, not game and are not meant to be hung more than a day or two. If they are hung for too long the bacteria break down in their bodies can turn toxic.

I had 20 steel spikes made for putting dead birds on. They are about 15'' long and they are strong enough to be pushed through a birds body and into it's head with enough left over to stick into the ground. Birds set up on these spikes are generally 'head up' and only when all of the spikes are used do I put freshly shot birds into the 'head down' feeding position.

We've had a bit of a laugh at your expense bigadam I hope you don't mind and I hope that your digestive system gets back to normal soon.

I have previously posted that I am not the greatest exponent of winter rape shooting. It has normally been ..'one bang and they are gone...'. This year appears to be slightly different. There is absolutely no beech mast, nor acorns and the hawthorn berries have been eaten up by pigeons, blackbirds and fieldfares. It would seem that the pigeons have little alternative to rape in this area at least. Last Saturday supplied pefect conditions for winter shooting with a strong wind, overcast conditions and a flock of 300 to 400 pigeons feeding hard on a rape field. I took a chance to set up between two woods on a flight line and hoped that the wind would keep the birds moving. Between 11 and 12:30 I shot 37 pigeons which was good for me, especially as they were not easy floating aound as they were on the wind. After I had packed up when the flight dried up I went to the other side of the farm and saw 500 to 600 pigeons sitting up in a long belt of trees and dropping down onto the adjacent rape field. Those birds will receive my attention next weekend - if they are still there.

Excellent read and good shooting.

I would imagine that the pattern is repeated in most arable crop growing areas of the country and it is entirely due to the wet ground. Some of my farmer friends tell me now that if the wet weather continues they may not be able to sow spring cereals. That would be an exceptional circumstance

Some good advice given already but I can add wear a tie, be polite, and do not brag about the number of birds you have shot even if asked - just say...'I had a very nice drive thank you'. Always thank the beaters before they disappear and write a thank you letter to the host and to the person who invited you. And be safe!!!!!!!!!!!