Wilts#Dave
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Posts posted by Wilts#Dave
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On 18/04/2024 at 09:50, old'un said:
Your be lucky to find a days shooting for 1 gun at the minute, never mind 4 or 5 guns, apart from that, the selling of pigeon shooting days does not stand easy with me.
It’s the single most irritating thing for any pigeon shooter to have a ‘guide’ operating in your area…..certainly not my cup of tea but money talks I guess, and there are a lot of lazy shooters out there who want to pay the money to just turn up and shoot as they do with pheasants etc.
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Lovely bag, I’m yet to go over the 100 mark this year. Always goes down as a good day when you do!
I know what you mean ref the fields, some fields will produce and others left untouched even in the same area.
Over the years you certainly learn where those fields that the pigeons like are, and I get excited when the right crops end up in said fields! -
Nice bit of shooting there, well done 👍🏼
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Nice one Jdog, spotting opportunities when pickings are slim is key.
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Have a look round for a Honda Civic with the 2.2 diesel engine…..bulletproof engines that go really well for what they are too, we run ours as a third vehicle now for the other half when we don’t all need to go out (3 kids) and it never goes wrong, always passes the mot and does 45-50mpg. My brother in law has had one from three years old and has barely spent any money on it!
Annoyingly she loves driving my double cab around now so it’s hard to prise her out of that, but saves a fortune on fuel 😂 -
Cracker that, wouldn’t have expected to shoot that number over an old onion field would you…..but then that’s what it’s all about, finding unlikely fields where the pigeons have been left alone to build up. Sounds a great afternoons sport!
I’m yet to bag over 100 this year, looking forward to getting the opportunity to do so! -
Go to a good local dealer and handle some guns in your price bracket, what fits one won’t fit another etc etc…..you’ll get recommendations mostly based on what people own themselves and get o with but might not suit you!
Personally don’t think you can go wrong with any of the entry level miroku/browning or beretta’s, will last a lifetime and still worth a few quid if you decide to move on.
I went in to buy a new Browning B525 many years ago and left with a new Beretta 682Golde…..they laid out a selection of guns and then offered me the Beretta just to see what I thought which fitted like a glove and handled beautifully over the Brownings for me personally, fell in love with it even though it was a lot more money at the time. Still use it today mostly on pigeons now and been bulletproof, great gun that’s never missed a beat! -
On 07/04/2024 at 17:20, marsh man said:
Here yer go Chris , this is mine , very comfortable with a padded back rest and it won't be the first time that my ole eyes have got heavy and started to doze off when a Pigeon decided to wake me up from the one eye I keep open , very light and strong , had this one several years and I think I bought it from a car boot for about four quid , the one I had before that I bought from Go Outdoors the camping shop . I prefer it to tilt forward rather than level so I sometimes put a stick under the back bottom rail and all sorted . MM
Exactly what we use, ideal and needs a backrest for me personally
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2 hours ago, Scully said:
Two quid per kilo our dealer pays for Roe. Have no idea if that’s good or bad but I’ve never shot anything because of its value. 🤷♂️
I’m the same, not bothered about the value of what I shoot but don’t feel comfortable shooting a heap of pigeons and having to chuck them away (I know there’s the age old debate of it being pest control so shouldn’t matter).
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It’s a real shame pigeons seem to be off the menu now, ever since Covid they seem to have hit rock bottom.
We had a local place for years who would come and get our frozen pigeons in bulk in a van as and when we needed them to and worked brilliantly…..not a money maker but that’s not what we do it for and made shooting any numbers stress free.
They closed down during Covid and it’s been a bit of a pain getting rid of large numbers ever since, I’ve managed but it’s all a bit of a pain and not as straightforward as it used to be.
I phoned every game dealer within an hour and a half and all were almost rude when I mentioned wood pigeons….a resounding ‘no’ was all I heard, so clearly they’ve no outlet for them?
Back in the day they used to cry out for them in any numbers, and as long as you didn’t mind taking them in it was always easy to offload large numbers of fresh or frozen birds, the more the merrier…..makes you think why isn’t pigeon on the menu as a cheaper option as clearly supply now outstrips demand.
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Cracking 👍🏼
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On 23/03/2024 at 12:14, TIGHTCHOKE said:
Well done.
Thanks 👍🏼
On 23/03/2024 at 12:27, Old Boggy said:A great report of your latest adventure out with an excellent bag.
That reconnaissance certainly paid off.
Never mind the possibility of a ton up day, just enjoy whatever sport is available.
Thanks for posting and sharing.
OB
Absolutely, quite happy with what I shot but often when you’re not expecting it!
On 23/03/2024 at 12:33, JDog said:A good outing.
I find it quite amazing that 'family days out' take in potential shooting opportunities. My wife spots it in seconds.
Thanks Jdog, how is the pigeon population where you are currently?
I agree it’s quite amazing how these days out can divert, my other half raises an eyebrow and gives me her usual ‘look’.On 23/03/2024 at 14:18, old'un said:yep, that's what we keep going out for, great when it all comes together like that, well done on a nice bag of pigeons, as you say there's a good chance you will get another day out of that field, good luck.
Never gets boring that’s for sure. If this persistent rain hadn’t come I would have likely given it another go, but at this rate the field will be under water!
On 23/03/2024 at 21:31, yickdaz said:Sounds pretty much like the winter's we are getting hardly anything I gave up looking start of Feb fed up of driving for hrs and not even setting up been fishing instead cracking bag well done I love the unexpected ones when they come along that is
Odd isn’t it. When the farmer’s initially all stopped growing rape the winter shooting died off naturally but when they started growing it again albeit in smaller acreages the pigeons have just never returned in the numbers we used to get, very frustrating as I used to look forward to some winter rape decoying.
This bag came completely out of the blue, as you say they’re the best days.
Fingers crossed some pigeons will be along for you shortly 👍🏼On 24/03/2024 at 11:13, pigeon controller said:Great report well done, fodder crops can be a good source of birds at the right time. Fodder turnips have served me well in the past.
Keep watching.
Absolutely PC, managed to miss this small block somehow. Hope you’re keeping well.
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On 22/03/2024 at 07:11, BobbyH said:
That could be it yeah, I was in a severe calorie deficit. But the brand of protein shake was thick and filling, not watery and tasteless, maybe that contributed towards hunger cravings?
I used to use the phd protein powder when I went to the gym (far too long ago now), but the full fat version and as you say they make such nice tasting thicker shakes than most. I used to look forward to drinking them 😂
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As seems usual for us in our area now, a lean winter chasing low numbers of pigeons on rape resulting in only one bag of 16 and another more recent bag of 3. A few nice evenings flighting through December/January and the rest of the time spending money on diesel driving around in hope of pigeons turning up!
Only last weekend on a family day out did I spot a few in some trees on a permission that never grows winter crops/rape so I’d not looked at. I went back for a closer look the following day to find pigeons feeding on what looked like a very sparse crop of rape, that I later found out was a fodder mix of all sorts with rape among it. There was a good number sitting up in the trees that I put out and eventually saw an odd one or two return. I glanced at it again for the next few days and seeing odd pigeons floating over each time decided it was worth a go, and shot it on the Thursday.
Due to access via locked gates and grass fields to cross it was a later start that intended but eventually Dad and I were in position and set up with just a rotary by 12.30 after disturbing a couple of hundred out of the trees on the way there. The first bird crossed the pattern some way out within a few minutes which I shot, and a large number of pigeons dispersed from all over and gave me the opportunity to shoot half a dozen pretty quickly which I set up on cradles.
For the next two hours I had some great sport with lots of flighting shots and plenty sweeping into the pattern. It slowed up a bit and the last half an hour picked up again until the cartridge bag was empty at 15:30. Deciding it wasn’t worth going back for any more shells we took some time sweeping the area for a pick up, which resulted in picking 83 pigeons (I had 88 on the clicker).
A wonderful few hours that offered every shot in the book, and as it always does when it comes unexpectedly left me realising just how much I love the ongoing chase to find those pigeons!
Had we been in position at 10:30 with more shells would have been well over the hundred mark but maybe there will be an opportunity for another go over the next couple of weeks, who knows.
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8 minutes ago, Sweet11-87 said:
the age old argument of 7.5s or 6s for pigeon is quickly getting answered for me, i cant believe ive now seen the day when well over 300 quid is a price worth shouting about for pigeon cartridges. couple more years and it will be 100 a slab
Shocking isn’t it! I remember my old man having a heart attack when they went over £200/thousand…..crazy how much they’ve managed to bump them up in recent years.
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Looks absolutely banging!!
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7 hours ago, wymberley said:
This may well not be the latest news as I've not been paying too much attention - unless there's a truly miraculous increase in pigeon numbers locally, I have no need to buy any more cartridges. However, it is good to see the number of 6&1/2 shot loads which are available as opposed to previously. There's one glaring omission in the case of Express but suspect that may just be a printing error.
What are all the 6&1/2 shot loads available out of interest? I used to use the eley pigeon back in the day that were 6&1/2 and brilliant but can’t say I’ve noticed many others?
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1 hour ago, marsh man said:
An excellent bag BB , not for the faint hearted if you had to lug that lot off a wet ole field and did the quad bike come into play , some of the rape around these parts are now coming into flower and at long last the tractors are now getting back on the fields . MM
I’m guessing he may not have had to carry too far, but as you say flying solo that’s a lot of work to do at the end of the session what with picking, carrying off then sorting out at the other end.
i’d happily take on such work if there were sufficient pigeons to shoot!
Whilst I’ve shot over 200 at other times of the year, winter rape is the one crop pigeons just never seem to hit in numbers here no matter how hard I look, I’ve never managed over 100 even.
Cracking bag, you always do well through the winter. -
‘Settle in settle down’. Iconic bullseye voice of Tony Green. RIP
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On 01/03/2024 at 07:57, Cosmicblue said:
We'd like to downsize - just the two of us (no kids, no one to choose our old people's home), aged mid 60s, nice 4 bed detached house nice area - we'd like a two bed bungalow with a double garage, we have been looking for years....like rocking horse droppings for rarity.
Funnily enough 2 bed bungalows don’t tend to get built alongside a double garage! Although you see plenty of bungalows sat on large plots so no reason you couldn’t find a bungalow with the room to build a double garage.
As it goes what you’re after would be my ideal requirements too if I were in your position (would hate to give up my double garage). -
I’d say there was more than just a few using his rape, cracking bag 👍🏼
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Came across as a genuinely nice guy, enjoyed watching his exploits on tv.
RIP Dave. -
Cracking stuff Jdog. Nothing like some flighting pigeons to get your eye in with a new gun!
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You certainly know how to find them Jdog. 27 in an hour and a half is plenty to carry back solo as you say, hard going across wet ground too!
It’s often a waiting game for the right weather isn’t it.
Nice day on the peas
in Talk From The Field
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If you’ve shot an area for a number of years it becomes very apparent, a lot of shooters won’t have this knowledge which can work in your favour.
I have some great shooting in an area that’s not too far from a town/housing. I think it’s because those areas can hold pigeons all year round feeding in parks and gardens etc, and have learnt where there may be a food source at certain times of the year.
Fingers crossed those fields provide you with plenty more shooting!