Clodhopper

The cartridges I lent him were some I bought as emergency stock after I had run out. I got them from the local tractor shop and they cost me an arm and a leg. JDog was Jess than impressed with them as, if I remember correctly he hardly touched feather with them.

And he does look very daft.

JDog is certainly full of tricks. As I arrived he was complaining of a bad back. Taking pity on the silly old ****** I volunteered to carry the kit the 300 yards to the hide positions. 100 of which were up an rather steep incline. When finished I carried the kit and 40 of the birds back. JDog carried the other 4. He may be many things but he is not daft.Me on the other hand 🤔 Those birds South of Birmingham will be having an easy time of it whilst you are facially naked. Come the new year and a bit of regrowth they will have to watch out.

This morning saw JDog and I tucked in a hedgerow next a newly drilled wheat crop. I say drilled, it was infact broad cast and pulled in with harrows in the very short window of dry weather which, I believe, was between midday and 5 pm on Thursday. Anyway the birds had found this field in good numbers, upwards 1000 pigeons were floating about but with not a breathe of wind they just seemed to drift around, settle, feed and repeat. No line to speak of. We thought we would give it an hour as it was better than decorating at home for me and whatever JDog normally does on a Sunday morning. The pattern was 9 plastics and 2 dead birds on a magnet. In the first hour we shot 4 birds. It was not looking too good. Then around 10.30 a trickle started to come from a distant wood. They arrived as little dots way up in the sky and closed their wings to plummet into the pattern. Judging how far beneath to shoot was quite tricky and we both missed birds that were not that far away but seemed to speeding towards the ground. Normal service was soon resumed, we got to grips with them and over the course of the next hour we added a further 40 birds to the bag. As we both had to be elsewhere ( not to mention both running out of shells) we packed up shortly after 11.30 having had a very enjoyable couple of hours.

It seems like you did pretty well. As JDog stated, we have plenty of birds in this area but their behaviour makes them very tricky to get to grips with. Great report, thanks for posting.

Dogs well and truly knackered. Just got in from a little evening flight. Dog performed to a much higher standard than his human.

This week my wife and I have been looking after a friends dog whilst they are away. This dog lives in the city and although well exercised does not often get the chance to get his feet wet. This mornings tide peaked just before dawn, this also fell a couple of days after a full moon which would bring in woodcock. So off I went in the pre dawn darkness to give the dogs a run and take in the sights of the foreshore. As we ventured through the dunes the dogs disturbed a woodcock that rose and was silhouetted against the lightening sky. It only flew a short distance and dropped back down into the sea buckthorn, no doubt tired from its journey across the North Sea. Onto the foreshore and the little dog was beside himself with excitement as I think he had never seen such a wide open space to gallop. We walked along for a mile or so in the ankle deep water with both my dog and our new companion having a great time. He was no longer the pristine white colour he arrived at out house in! We saw numerous waders and large skeins of pinkfeet geese called out overhead. Not another soul was seen as another day started. I do not get out onto the foreshore as often as I should despite it being only a few miles from my house, it certainly is a magical place to be. The dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves with my little black cocker having another surprise later as I am going to flight a teal or two on a friends splash just inland a little.

And you have had secret liaisons in secluded gateways with all of the above.🤫

A new PCC would be very nice. One with an understanding of country sports would be perfect.

Shame about the fishing but it looks like the pigeon shooting is coming into its own. Hopefully many more reports to follow.

I did not notice any difference in flavour. I would imagine there is probably a slight difference when they have been feeding on a certain food source for a period of time as with most of our meat.

Tongue firmly in cheek.

We have the same in Lincolnshire. The Police Crime Commissioner has decided to make a name for himself and a stand against the tens of thousands of deaths caused each year by legally held firearms. I am now deemed fit to hold firearms by a Doctor I have never met, at a surgery I have not been to for around ten years but at least we are all safe from the gun wielding maniacs🤔.

As always, a nice account of your days out. It appears to be a very good year for Hawthorn berries in my part of the world. Not shot any pigeons on them yet but will be looking over the next week or two for an opportunity.

Excellent write up even though the result was not what you had hoped for.