adzyvilla

I don't mind any of them. But then, mum did always say I was a food dustbin.

No new report to post, as the pigeons had other ideas today. Conditions good, plenty of fresh drill around me, lots of birds about and even a few buddies out in other woods. All I saw in the end were up with the angels. After a few shots at these skyscrapers, with nothing to show, I decided a nice cup of tea was in order so I packed up and headed for home. I was out for nearly 2 hours all told so I gave it a good go, the shooting gods just weren't smiling on me. Still, nice to be out amongst nature, spring has truly arrived so my thoughts turn to the decoys. That's it for flighting/roosting this year for me.

We put thick vinyl down in our dog room. The pup had it ripped up in about 2 days. My advice would be floor tiles if you can stretch to it, easy to keep clean.

I suppose I am lucky to be able to spend this time with my dad, he won't always be there so I'll make the most of it. Nearly 30 years now I've been his shooting companion, although way back then all I got to do was be quiet and still and watch it all happen. I'll never forget the first time he let me take a shot with his air rifle at a rabbit. I missed, but the feeling never left me and cemented my place in the shooting fraternity forever. Thanks dad.

I will be in discussion with the keeper during the week to see who else is out (if anyone) next weekend. Some years we have roost shot through until April, literally standing under trees coming into full leaf in our shirtsleeves, and the birds never dried up. Other years, we've knocked it on the head after a couple of weeks, having barely fired a shot. Funny how it goes. If everyone has had enough, I'll dust off the decoys in a few weekends and see what's about.

I love deerhunter stuff, can be got very cheap from places like SGC and ebay on sale. I think they are excellent value for money. I have had several coats over the years and a smock (which is now my go to beating coat). Seem to get 4 or 5 years out of them before any major problems (usually rips or zips breaking), but they do get a hammering during the season.

With East anglia firmly in the grip of storm Jorge, ideal conditions for roost shooting on this Saturday afternoon and a slab of fiocci pl 30 to try out, I loaded up, collected the old man and decamped at our usual place. 30mph southerly winds meant that the birds would be flying slightly differently than usual, and broken cloud with brilliant sunshine and occasional brisk downpours was forecast, although in the end the rain was non existent. The damage of previous storms had not been added to in the intervening 7 days, so I took up my favourite position and settled in. It was a good 20 minutes before I even caught sight of a pigeon, as a solitary bird dropped in to a tree on the edge of the wood some 45 yards away, well out of range, but I was cheered by the sight of it. I opened my account a few minutes later as a wickedly fast group flew over, 4 shots resulted in one bird down, duly retrieved by winnie in no time at all. She really is becoming a dab hand at this shooting lark. It would be a long time before I saw a hittable bird again, although keen to put my new carts through their paces, I was popping off at anything that came close. A bit later bought down two for three shots in quick succession, with some fine shooting long, head on but very wide birds, far to my left. That was a conundrum for the dog, who has never had to chose from two retrieves in the field before, but after some initial prompting from me, she did some good work with a long retrieve that meant she had to leave the wood and go out onto the park. It was a long time before she had any more work to do though. The wind must have shifted enough to effect the flight path as I began to get ones and twos coming in straight driven. Could I hit any? No. God knows what I was doing but I must have missed 6 or 7 and at one point I could have sworn the dog had her head in her paws out of sheer embarrassment. I don't normally struggle with these birds and I was scratching my head to figure out why. A trip to the clay ground might be in order methinks. Anyway, back to the woods. I decided to give myself a break and moved position closer to the edge of the wood where birds were occasionally settling in. The shooting was dying off at this point as it approached 5 o clock and father had made his way up to my end to see if I'd had enough. I was pretty confident there was action ahead so I said I'd give it a little while before packing in. He took up position some way behind me facing away and had a couple of shots while I waited for my chance. It came eventually, and I managed to take one more to make 4 in total as i caught it coming in to land in classic roost style. There it ended, and we called it a day. Dad didn't get anything for his 7 shots. I had a total of 28 in the end, although probably only a dozen or so at actual hittable birds. Might not be able to make it next week, but things may change. I think the cartridges were OK. I need more time with them. They killed well when I connected, and the gun cycled them well, so hopefully it will be the beginning of a new partnership.

Have you ever thought that a membership organisation ought to reflect the views of its members? Or should they just take our £70 a year and ignore us? Perhaps if a phasing out of lead shot wasn't supported by the majority and there was no concensus of scientific opinion as to whether the environmental concerns are valid, they shouldn't have pushed for it. Insinuating as you are that being wedded to the status quo is some sort of negative or backwards isn't very helpful. There is a huge amount of knowledge and experience in the membership of an organisation like basc, maybe we should have had a say? Probably wouldn't have worked out any worse. Certainly a lot of opportunity for antis to exploit weakness in the current mess.

That is service. Nice to hear that sort of thing still happens. Good outcome I'd say, top marks for fabarm.

More eloquently put than I ever could. Bravo.

And if BASC et al were only going to support a ban on lead if the science supported such measures, it makes you wonder if they aren't straight about this, what else are they lying about. If there is evidence, publish it and make the case, if not then why believe a word our so called organisations say? If there are other reasons, then why not be open about it with the membership before kneejerking something as big as this.

So, no startling new piece of evidence to support the demise of lead shot then. This is not a scientific decision, it is purely political. Maybe it is for our best interests in the long run, but I can't help thinking it would have been nice for the people who fund these organisations to have been consulted about it first.

I think this has been coming for a while. The amount of pro steel articles in all the magazines, on line, the relentless promotion of steel shot by the organisations leaves me in no doubt. I do wonder why they have chosen to go for this now, with a shooting man (George eustace) in the hot seat at defra and a traditionally pro shooting Conservative government in for the next five years. Maybe they know something we don't? I know there is a Europe wide push to ban lead shot, and similar moves in the states, so that is the way things are going, but the timing of such a move will have a deeper significance, if as the rumours are true all the organisations are behind this. The conspiracy theorist in me has often thought that BASC policy has been off the rails for a while and they had been infiltrated by shady types intent on ruining them from the inside any way they can, but if all of the orgs are in on this, that can't be right.

2 years almost to the day between mine. Like you I was offered the second dog at relatively short notice. As they are half sisters with excellent pedigree and the price was right I agreed. On balance I probably shouldn't have got them so close in age, but I'm glad I did as she is a little smasher. The two of them get on well, I think it has been the making of my older dog, as she's really matured in the 7 months they have been together, and the youngest is coming along very nicely in her basics. I will probably get another in 5 or 6 years as the rolling replacement, but that's a long way off yet.

Very entertaining report, I was almost there with you! Good result too, nice to get a half decent bag in the wood.

Thanks OB. I'm mentally composing my ramblings whilst still out in the thick of it, so it's just a matter of typing it all out when I get home. Just glad people are enjoying it.

I usually forget something. Today it was my game bag. Lucky I didn't shoot more really! My wife wouldn't have a clue, she'd probably bring me some ink cartridges. You're a lucky man.

After last week's (literal) blow out, the weather gods decreed that this Saturday afternoon, I would go shooting. A more manageable 20-25mph south easterly, with sporadic squally showers, and assurances from my once again present father that the birds were about. Bravely fighting off a rear guard action by the cold (definately not corona virus) that had kept me off work 4 or the last 5 days, I was glad of the chance to get out a blow away the cobwebs. Driving up to the wood just after 3, a good 500+ pigeons lifted off the remains of the long maize cover strip and momentarily darkened the sky above us, a good omen perhaps? We quickly made our way to our favoured spots at opposite ends of the 30 acre dogleg that straddles the river, well in flood now. The damage wreaked the previous weekend was worse than I when I beat a hasty retreat, and I spotted at least 20 newly fallen trees, mostly within 10 yards either side of the river. My ambush point was a little different than when I left it. A tall poplar had fallen into its neighbour which had broken off half way down the trunk and the remains of both now lay in front of me, a glaring hole in the tree canopy. I wondered how this might effect things for the rest of the afternoon. 8 shots in a hectic 2 minutes saw my bag total standing at an astonishing 0, I laboured in vain at high and fast birds riding the gusts and getting the better of me over and again. Wasteful shooting with absolutely no class, I had a quiet word with myself and refocused. The numbers we disturbed on arrival seemed to have disappeared, replaced by ones and twos flying in no real discernable pattern. I kept my cool to take two in two shots, restoring my faith in my ability, and ably retrieved by my faithful hound. The birds were sporadic, and I couldn't hear much action around me, so I assumed everyone else was experiencing the same problems. The wind kept up a good show, and there were creaks and cracks aplenty as the pines swayed this way and that, threatening to topple at any minute. The sun was still shining in a watery fashion as a flurry of activity bought me two more birds for three shots, both of which caught me unawares coming in from behind me and looking to settle in the ivy clad trees at the edge of the wood some 50 yards ahead of me. I took them through the trees to my left, snap shooting at it's best. I wasted a further three cartridges as the birds swirled and jinked high above me. I finally heard my dad take a couple of shots, closer behind me than I expected, so I turned to have a look if he was making his way towards me. A solitary bird got up from its hidden resting place as my footstep snapped a twig, and I connected well enough to send It tumbling and the dog leapt into action. Father reported very little action at his end and suggested we call it a day as he was frustrated with his luck. I had a fumble in my pocket and counting 5 shells left, and 3 in the gun I suggested we give it 5 more minutes. I shouldn't have bothered as we didn't see anything else. I think from the birds eye view, things looked very different in the wood and the wary pigeons were treating it with some suspicion. I will give things another go next week, but I'm hoping this blasted wind hasn't changed my old faithful shooting spot for the worse. We were first back to the yard, and deposited the meagre haul for the keeper to take down to the game dealer later, and made our way home. 5 birds for around 15 shots, a frustrating afternoon, but I'd rather be there than anywhere else.

At 2:25pm, with my weatherstation showing a wind speed of 25.7mph in a SSW bearing and gusts up to force 7 (32-38mph) also known as a 'moderate gale', I flipped a coin to see whether it was too dangerous to go out this afternoon. The dog was having none of it and dragged me to the back door, decision made it was on. I would be going solo today, father under house arrest due to a change in direction of the petticoat government, I felt the heavy burden of expectation on my shoulders to keep up the good work we had been undertaking in recent weeks. Under strict instructions to stay out of the neighbouring wood as the boss man was out and about and he wanted the prime spot. Fair enough I thought, hopefully he will keep the birds on the go and put a few more my way. I arrived shortly before 3, and made my way gingerly through the newly fallen trees and branches to my usual spot. With the trusty auto loaded up I turned my eyes skywards and waited for my first shot. It didn't take long before I emptied my 3 shots into a flock of 8-10 pigeons flying with the wind, the cartridge contents discharging hopelessly behind the birds which more resembled pigeon shaped missiles than actual pigeons. Whilst the roar around me grew ever louder, the trees performed acrobatic feats and strained their roots to breaking point, I wondered what I was doing standing in this rain saturated wood. Time to pack up, barely 10 minutes after arriving. It was madness to stay, although on my walk back to the car I could hear braver souls than me still having a few shots. A quick text to let the keeper know I'd had enough, I made my way home with my tail between my legs, dodging wind blown debris in the road. To add insult to injury, the Mrs had gone shopping, leaving me locked out, sitting on the driveway with nothing but the radio and a Phillips road map for entertainment. She's just come back now, I think I need a cuppa. Thoughts turn to next week and hopes of better weather.

True, but he's still pulling strings even now.

I have no problem with cummings having an influence over government policy. Its standard practice for MPs to have advisors who keep them abreast of public opinion. There's also nothing I as a voter can do about it until 2024. I also couldn't do anything about Peter mandelson or Alistair Campbell being unelected, unaccountable policy makers and they did far more harm to the UK, and around the world (in my opinion) than anything cummings can do. Maybe you should stop worrying about things you can't control and concentrate on the things you can.

Brilliant aren't they. Who needs words?

She has a withering look. Almost like my actions have deeply offended her.

I thought I would make life difficult for myself this time round and go and buy a new gun this morning and immediately try it out on the pigeons this afternoon. With my new browning 725 Black gold loaded up, a pocket full of cartridges and dog in tow, father and I headed to our usual wood at just after 3 in bright sunshine and 15mph westerly winds. Earlier reconnaissance from my dear papa had assured me that the pigeons were numerous, making the most of a couple of nearby flailed maize strips and the field next door, a recently harvested beet field being grazed by sheep. I won't lie, it took me over 10 shots to register a hit with this new and unknown gun, but connect it eventually did, and what a shot, very high above the tree canopy and really moving in the wind, crossing from my right to left, and a pure snap shot. Action was pretty much constant, and I kept up a steady stream of single shots, but the birds were high and flighty, probably something to do with my ever increasing bald spot alerting them to my presence well before I even knew they were there (must remember my hat next time). I took another 8 pigeons and one jackdaw before packing in whilst the light was still there to try and pick a couple of pricked birds. The dog gets better every time I take her out, she's even started rolling her eyes when the gun goes bang but there's nothing for her to collect . But she made 3 excellent retrieves and there was little sign of the gun shyness that I feared had ended her career before it had begun. Father fired 7 shots, frugally returning 4 birds, with one runner tracked down, the total bag was 14 pigeons and one jackdaw. Meeting up at the gamekeepers House in the gathering dusk, it was a similar story from my fellow shooters, difficult conditions on the flightlines, but one brave should had managed a respectable 40, decoying a maize strip, so at least the game dealer had a worthwhile visit. Love the new gun, she handles well and returned a not too shabby 4 to 1 ratio. I will be going back to the trusty semi next week though.

Haven't had a TV licence since I moved out of my parents house 14 years ago. So easy to do, nice and legal. Refuse to finance the British brainwashing corporation and they will never get a penny out of me. The sooner its defunded and forced to rely on its 'output' the better.