F150

Real birds, real birds, real birds!

Hi Many thanks for all of your advice - most appreciated! Kind regards F150

Hi I am thinking of applying for a firearms certifcate so that I can kill rabbits and vermin on my land, as I cannot get close enough with my shotgun (60 to 70 yards). Can anyone advised me which rifle would be suitable for the purpose of killing rabbits and vermin? Many thanks F150

Nice one pepe! Glad to see you are slottering the corvids. Kind regards F150

Many thanks KHB, much appreciated! F150

You dont need communication - just listen to who is firing the most shots and then move!

Can anyone tell me what make of decoy Peter Theobald uses? I think they are some sort of rubber or flexible deek. Many thanks F150

My brother in law is a medic and worked in Tikrit for an american company. He did this for nearly 6 months until his escort to Baghdad airport came under fire from insurgents. Unfortunately, the two front armoured cars were knocked out killing two american soldiers. He realised that his family came first before money since no body armour and side-arm would save him from any fanatical insurgent. I beg you to consider your job offer wisely. Kind regards F150

My dad was in the RAF and served as a Senior Aircraftsman. He enjoyed every minute of his service. I am sure, pavman, your lad will enjoy just as well and a career that will point him the right direction in life. I would have loved to join the RAF but my eyesight let me down, instead a I have boring life as an heating engineer - should have been an electrician instead! F150

Yep, you're right Pavman. The Mrs will be the first to go!

Always take your gun with you when picking birds. The number of times when I left the hide and go to pick a bird (particularly headshots) it suddenly springs and flys. Apart from that, on red letter days, I had to join my lab to retrieve birds. On several occasions I have actually laid down in or next to my deeks as I did not have time to get back to the hide and shot birds landing adjacent to me. Great! F150

The woodie solely uses his tail feathers as an airbrake, rudder (and what a fantastic rudder it is!), and balancing. I would fail to see how the tail feathers would act as warning system to other woodies. The only warning system I have seen on a woodie is that outstreched neck and frozen stance. This posture really does grab the attention of other birds. On a different note, I was on a pea field on Tuesday and a bird caught me by surprise. He was stood in the middle of my pattern and then began to dust himself. I watched him in awe for about a minute when he realised that no one else in the pattern had the energy to move! I simply watched him take to the sky and could not raise my barrells - (soft side coming out). Fantastic! F150

Hi My last bitch died last year (out of 3 labs I had) and I sadly miss them all. I am now looking for a new labrador pup from a litter within the Lincolnshire area, preferably from the Drakeshead line. Please contact me if you can fill this empty space in my heart! Many thanks F150

4 fields together suggests large acreage. Try and get under the birds flightline otherwise they will be having dinner and you wont be!

Good going plexer! Its a great feeling seeing two birds drop to two shots - well done!

My reaction to the shots/kill ratio is stomach churning. I am a keen woody shooter with over over 30 years experience and I respect my sport - the woodpigeon. The number of dying birds in the fields and woods must have been astronomical. I am so sorry, I don’t want to condemn the shooters in anyway but I feel the agent had a duty to intervene. Piebob, you talk nonsense - conservation and shooting go hand in hand. Annihilation has no meaning in our sport!

Get out of the truck!

About 20 years ago, my friend was decoying over beans in a deep dyke. His gun was laid on the side of the dyke as he sent his lab for down bird in the wood behind him. As his dog leapt up the bank, it caught the trigger guard in its pad and set off both barrells of his gun. Luckily both master and dog were not injured, though he did dispose of his old baikal for one with a working safety! :thumbs:

The only good times I have over 'winter wheat' is when the previous years crop in that field was beans. Because combines are pretty useless in picking every bean from the plant, the rest drop to the floor of the field. Once the woodies find them, days can be just as good as spring drilling!

Those of us who have been lucky enough to 'suffer' red letter days know that when these days arrive, all hell breaks loose. You only put your dog out for runners, as it does not matter how your dead birds land on the field - birds just come regardless. I have even been out in the pattern trying to pick runners and shot birds whilst picking up. The most I have ever shot in a day is 207 and only stopped after running out of cartridges. This was in a bale hide over peas on the hottest day in 2002 - which nearly enough killed me but thankfully I have an understanding farmer who allows me to use my quad to transport gear and birds. There was not a breath of wind and the birds were dropping like bullets from the heavens into the pattern. The following day was just as hectic, finishing the day with 183 but the day was less warm with bad thunderstorms. What amazes me, usually I find whenever rain or storms turn up, bird activity seems to stop until the rain has passed, yet this day visibility in the storm must have been down to about 80 yards, but they kept coming!

Its amazing what Foney Tony and his Cronies will do for a vote! :<

Hi PD Your out on the dreaded scourge - rape! Wait for the birds to 'de-bunch' in the next few weeks and get ready for that 'spring drilling' feeling. Whippppeeeee!!! Hi neil Good going mate, looking forward to this afternoon - its blowing a B!!

I use a small tin of Humbrol enamel matt black spray paint to cover the whole of my unit and touch up it when needed. In the field it blends in perfectly - come drilling or laid barley, with no shine!

Out this afternoon and caught birds flighting home. Wind made it fantastic. Caught most birds side sliding hedgerow out of the wind and had to give them 9 foot lead! 33 birds for 47 shots. Very pleased with 10 right and lefts. Most had bulging crops of rape. 2 crows found the barrels as well. Anyone else been out today?

Get a 2 million candlepower lamp and blind the ****. I find the intense light of the lamp holds them long enough for a shot.