Hoges

No buds on the Beech in Oxfordshire yet. Just starting to show some signs. Plenty on clover and still at the Rape near me.

Well done you! No new drilling on my permission so have been trying to get them do decoy on the rape field they are using but cannot get them to come to my decoys. 0 birds last two times out! Guess I will have to thy contacting some other farmers! Hoges

So Indeed the fella in the hide kept them at bay for 3 hours. Fitting the plastic on a pole scared them off but as I returned to the car for the other end of the field, back they came! Meanwhile at the other end I sat ad waited. I fired a shot off in the direction of the 50 or so some 300 yards away nothing moved! Shot two! Several large flock flew overhead and ignored the Deeks the only ones that came near were some singletons. Then a kite floated along and everything cleared off! I need to borrow "the wife" ! I plan to give "Overall Man" a go next week!

OK placcy bags sounds good to me! Thanks.

Lovely to see a young lad enjoying himself. Reminds of being out shooting with my granddad 50 odd years ago. Thanks for cheering me up!

I have permission to shoot a field of rape, but the pigeons are feeding in a large flock near a nursery school. I was going to set some decoys at the other end of the field on a weak flight line. But I think I will need a not too scary scarer at the other end 400 yards away. What is best to use? Hoges

There seemed to be a reasonable flight line the day before but on the day only say 4 birds?

I was asked by a local farmer to shoot over some of his pea crop, So did a recce the day before limited choice of where to shoot from with roads on two side of a triangle of small fields. I set up next day near a tree they were sitting in the day before with a motley collection of decoys and two floaters in a light westerly, (no magnet is this my first mistake?) Only saw 4 birds all afternoon 2 at right angles over the top of me not enough time for a shot and only one came to the decoys. One shot all afternoon. I suspect the land is shot over quite a lot. Do I need a decent wind to make an outing worthwhile, and what about a magnet, should I get one? There was a small flock on one of the fields today 15 birds or so. They flew off as soon as I stopped the car 100 yards off. All advice welcome. Ta Hoges

Hi Pigeonpopper I have a collection of old 16bore sbs I like to use, but often use a Webly 12bore semi auto for pigeons.

Hi Chris, I am in Southmoor ( or Kingston Bagpuize if you think you are posh) where abouts doth ye dwell? Hoges

Recently retired and with more time on my hand to spend time in our countryside and getting back into the shooting I did as a lad. Trying to persuade local farmers I am worth a go is proving a bit of a challenge! But hey at least I have more time to fiddle with my gun collection All the best, Hoges