[Cricket on Channel 4]

I know its India and your expected to face extreme spin but surely these type of pitches don't help anyone ? India included in that.

England would be torn apart for producing a green seamer back home and then you get this when you tour out there, just doesn't feel right to me.

[Cricket on Channel 4]

4 minutes ago, Smokersmith said:

And what's wrong with Root's bowling?

The ball to Sundar any front line offy would of been proud of ! I like Root as an option he lets it rip !

[Cricket on Channel 4]

To be fair I think Pope will be a key player in that England middle order for years to come, he just seems to have hit a bit of wall. 
 

India is always a tough place to tour and two tests ago they looked like world beaters, it will come back around but I think is the reality check they may well have needed. 
 

They won the toss which was key but couldn’t put it to any use and fell apart, the wicket of Kohli is huge but sadly I think the writing is already on the wall after a day but we’ll all tune in tomorrow I’m sure. 

[Cricket on Channel 4]

Leach's fielding on the boundary pretty much summed up our day, terrible viewing !

Also the stumping review did anyone think the third umpire was very quick to give the decision ? Two quick replays and he's not out.

On a positive Kohli has just gone and Pope must be rather chuffed with that.

[Labrador Litters]

36 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

Of corse not. Pal of mine had a litter up here in Scotland, Ayrshire. Is that too far?

Don't get me wrong it's a fair way up for us but not impossible, also slightly concerned about travelling up at the moment with the lockdown in place.

I'm after a fowling dog as you may remember from my previous posts and I'm looking for a dog in either black or red and my friend who is also interested but he is after a black dog.

What puppies does he have available in the litter ?

 

[Labrador Litters]

3 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

Where do you live?

Don't judge me but I'm down in Essex however I don't mind travelling for the right dog.

[I've got a problem with wind....]

Great write up here mate ! and well worth taking the gun with you again on such a day whilst working on the house.

All the Best !

[Labrador Litters]

Morning All, 

Unfortunately the breeder who I was looking to purchase my Labrador from has missed the bitches season so therefore I am back to square one and I was wondering if anyone would be able to recommend any breeder or potential litters they know of coming up for working labs ?

I understand you may not want to put too much info on the topic due to the recent spate of dog napping's however please feel free to message me if you feel more comfortable.

Thanks Again !

 

[This morning's sunrise.]

Well worth that early alarm, can’t beat the sounds of countryside and it’s inhabitants stirring early morning ! 

[New to Labradors !]

5 hours ago, Dave at kelton said:

My dogs are essentially trained as retrievers, picking up or wildfowling. So all the basics are the same , sit stay heel come, but they aren’t taught to hunt up game as a springer is. I concentrate on steadiness and patience. So I expect them to lie down for the length of a drive and just wait. On the shore they are taught to be patient and wait for a couple of hours on occasion. After that it is really just the longer range retrieving that is added. All sounds simple but isn’t.

And yes any time spent with Davey is a pleasure. More likely to tell you of all his mishaps and problems than gloat about his achievements. A nicer and more modest man you could not possibly meet.

Thanks for this mate, my whole reasoning behind going down the lab route is my shooting has turned towards inland goose shooting and wildfowling out on the marsh and I believe you'd be hard pressed to beat a lab for either of these, as I've heard numerous times you want the right tool for the right job.

I'll keep this all in mind when the time rolls round to bring the dog home and look to put it in to practice, thanks again for the advice.

3 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

The Drakeshead Way DVD’s are supposed to be very good 👍🏻

Thank you for the heads up I'll keep my eyes peeled for them !

[New to Labradors !]

Thank you both and I can imagine that's quite a treat working your dogs alongside his.

I'll happily work from the same techniques as I did for the Springer as I say I'm pretty knew to the working dogs and to be honest wasn't sure if it was a complete chalk & cheese approach between the two breeds.

Would you think that is best for me to do then ? Just leave the parts out that really only apply to a spaniel but my only worry is would I be missing certain things that would apply to labs ?

[New to Labradors !]

Hello All, 

 

I've finally taken the decision to increase numbers in my "kennels" from my one Springer to adding a Labrador (I was sold on a HWV but my shooting path has led me towards a Labrador). The bitch is due to be covered in the coming weeks so all being well we are looking at having the pup home June-July time.

As I mentioned I have a Springer already and this leads me on to my reason for posting, my springer was my first working dog  and when it come to training I worked from the David Lisett springer training box set and in all honesty is was a great help for me being a novice and the dog has also ended up at a very good standard. 

Based on this I was wondering would anyone have any recommendations for a similar DVD/series for training a working labrador ? Or any advice in general for helping me out with my next working dog chapter ?

 

Thanks everyone !

[Wildfowling Tips]

1 hour ago, Smokersmith said:

It can be hard to learn the ways of the fowl .. and they remain elusive for many with much more experience than you!

The way I learned was to keep going out at different times, in different places .. noting what you saw and looking for patterns and trends (including tide, moon etc)

Ended up running out of shells when I eventually got lucky, and not looked back since really. 

Good advice thanks for getting back to me and I’ll give it a try. If I’m honest even on the unsuccessful trips it’s still been enjoyable being out there hearing & seeing everything come alive in the mornings but here’s to hoping to some profitable trips in the near future. 

52 minutes ago, ninjaferret said:

BUY SOME DECOYS FROM ME THEN AT LEAST YOU CAN SHOOT THEM IF NOTHING ELSE SHOWS LOL

Sounds like a plan haha, what decoys in particular do you have ? 

50 minutes ago, dipper said:

Never done much wildfowling myself.Buti picked up a old book by Ian Pitman.called(And clouds flying) it’s all about how the moon and tides affect different species of wildfowl.Worth getting a copy.

Thank you for your reply, I’ll keep my eye Out and see if I can find a copy. 

[Wildfowling Tips]

2 hours ago, 6.5x55SE said:

What are you try to shoot Geese - Duck ???? what part of the country you from ???? as much information you give PW members I'm sure we can give you some general advice

I’m from Essex and shooting over the Crouch.
On this particular marsh it’s duck mainly wigeon, teal & mallard we haven’t seen any legal goose as of yet only Brent.

[Wildfowling Tips]

I`m on again for some more advice if possible please.

I`ve recently been out twice accompanying a friend (who`s also inexperienced) on their permission trying my hand at wildfowling. We`ve sat in the same spot both times trying to conceal ourselves and waiting for the birds to come in however we haven`t seen anything even remotely close enough to take a shot at.

Both times we met at 06:00hrs in the pitch black and made our way across the marsh out to the spot, one morning a sheet of fog surrounded the marsh after a clear start and just this last Saturday it was a still calm day with fair weather again, no fog this time. Are there any particular rules of thumb to Wildfowling I should try to work with to ensure we have more of a chance to one see and also shoot at our quarry ? time of day, weather, wind direction etc ? 

I look forward to hearing from you, thanks again.

 

[Wirehaired Vizsla]

On 10/12/2019 at 13:27, Mice! said:

 

Cracking dogs Nev, Diesel looks shredded, a very well built dog, I also like Vizslas.

I've got a cracking book at home, I'll take a pic when I'm back.

Thanks Mice, that will be really handy !

On 10/12/2019 at 14:41, Walker570 said:

Apologies for the delay but all of my dogs where multi purpose.  Would sit at a peg if asked, would go pigeon flighting, duck flighting, stalking, rough shooting or just enjoy a good walk.

They do need excersise, I think as much if not more than a spaniel.     THE book any viszsla owner should have is   THE HUNGARIAN VIZSLA   by Gay Gottlieb  this book covers everyhting about the breed.   

Thanks again for getting back to me and I`ll have a look out for the book, great to hear they are capable in pretty much all areas and I must say again what stunning dogs !

[Vent Pecking in Hens]

Hello Again 

On a slightly different note from the shooting world, I’ve recently had some issues with my small flock of hens and was after some sound advice.

I had a flock of three until I discovered blood on the eggs last Sunday and after investigating I saw one of the hens had been pecked away at her vent, leading to them pecking further round to the top of her leg so a golf ball size open wound had appeared down to the bone. The wound was too far gone and I took the decision to be cruel to be kind and tap her on the head. 
When I got home this evening I found again blood again on the eggs and when I checked them again another hen had been pecked at her vent and blood had been drawn. After inspecting the wound on this bird it seemed to be the same as the last and the outcome was inevitable. 

This leads me on to my remaining hen and what to do with her and to why this happened. Once a hen seems to have a taste for blood as she does, do they ever snap out of it ? As I wouldn’t want to introduce new chickens only for this to occur again. Also what can cause a hen to start this behaviour ? As the three have lived happily in their pen together for the last 5 months and I’m a little lost as to what has gone wrong in the last week or two. 

Any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated. 

[Wirehaired Vizsla]

Thank you for your response, I appreciate it.

 I had read about the issues with kennelling them and also how they don`t react well to a telling off. I`m glad you mentioned the Vizsla society and I`ll definitely have a look in to that.  As with my spaniel I done my research and studied training methods prior to him coming home and I believe that put me in good stead. Do you know of any Vizsla training books or DVD`s I could purchase to get a head start ? 

I`ve always been told don`t by a dog on appearance, base it on what you`d actually need out of the dog. So this leads me on to my next question, my main forms of shooting are a days in the pigeon hide, followed by rough shooting & the odd flight pond due the game & wildfowl seasons. In your experience would you believe a Vizsla be capable in all three forms ? 

By the way what a pair stunning dogs (apologies if they are the same dog), I`m not sure there`s ever been a more regal breed however I`m maybe being bias as I`m part obsessed with them at present.

[Wirehaired Vizsla]

Hello, 

I`m after some advice again please, I recently had a weekend`s rough shooting and our host had a pair HWV that we shot over and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the dogs work and got it in to my head that they would be the breed I would look to work next.

I`ve had my spaniel now for two years and he`s a brilliant dog that does all I need of him however I understand there will be major differences in training & handling a pointer compared to a spaniel and I just wondered if anyone could share their own experiences with Vizsla`s and any inside tips on them, if I was to go ahead in the future.

Thank You !

[Starting Out Decoying Pigeons]

On 28/03/2019 at 14:32, martinj said:

My thoughts are that a whirly CAN help, my bags have gone up since I bought one just over a year ago, however they don't work all the time, you might find that those birds were on a fixed course and may have ignored your setup anyway. As for flappers? I haven't got one so can't comment although I would expect them to increase your chances.

 

17 hours ago, lakeside1000 said:

The basic rule is try it ,if it doesn't work it doesn't mean its wrong as another day it will work well, but you can fine tune as you shoot, take time to watch the birds reactions as they approach , if you have birds flaring away at the last minute, then something looks unnatural and needs changing, but not always the decoy's, it could be a movement in the hide, a flash of reflected light from glasses or flask etc, a dog moving, almost anything will spook them,

As to birds flying past without looking twice at the decoys, thats something I find at this time of the year is very common, as the main flocks break up and birds start to pair off for breeding they seem to become preoccupied either by other groups of birds or going back and forth to a favourite feeding area, my son and I shot one of our regular spots today, even with 20+ dead birds out they still just flew over, we tried a flapper, floaters, lofters but nothing would pull them in, we had a few who came over close enough to get off a shot but the main bag today was crows who are very active at the moment, they were much easier to decoy in. I would much rather shoot pigeon but when they are playing hard to get a few crows make a reasonable option.

So dont worry too much about birds passing by , once we get into summer laid areas in standing crops or when we get into harvest time and shoot the stubble fields it all changes, you should find decoying in stubble with flappers or a magnet will get a very different response from most birds , they can become obsessed with finding a crop full of seed as they compete with other birds for any seed available.

Thank you both for the advice, I`ll certainly keep persisting and trying different things to get the results and I`ll keep you posted on my progress.

Shoot Well Gents !

[Starting Out Decoying Pigeons]

On 19/03/2019 at 21:45, lakeside1000 said:

Well done for getting out and having a go,  this time of the year is always a bit difficult, unless you are on a regular feeding spot like a bald patch in the rape, or newly seeded ground, 

There is so much for them to go after, tree buds, emerging crops, fresh rape growth and so on, whats more they are now thinking about mating and are looking for a mate so what I call 'fly past's' are very common, 

Once the larger flocks have broken up they will be easier to decoy, flying around in small bunches they are always on the lookout for other groups, but its no done deal.

Best times for larger numbers are winter rape before it has been sprayed, any new drilling's especially where seed is spilt on top, any pea and bean fields either at drilling, young shoots emerging or immediately after harvest, and for me the absolute best is stubble field shooting, rape, barley and wheat will draw good numbers as soon as the combines are off and its the warmest time of the year, so long sessions are a pleasure.

Getting out in the hide is ideal for watching the birds , getting to know their ways, and practising decoy patterns, testing different shapes and trying out equipment like floaters, flappers,magnets, lofters etc.but keep it simple and real, when birds are feeding hard they will come in to just a few dead birds on cradles.

I am shooting a new drilling area on one of my perms at the moment with just 3 lofters in a sitty tree, and 12 dead birds on cradles which I scatter over a very large area, no pattern, just heads into wind , birds are coming straight in and landing between decoys anywhere from 20 yards out to 50 yards but with a decent cartridge through a 1/2 choke they are all good targets. average bag for 3 or 4 hours is only 25 or so but it is good sport and better than sitting at home. best of luck, 😁

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

Leading on from my last post we were out again on Sunday which was a lovely day, the sun was out and there was a slight breeze. We set up again with ten-twelve 1/2 shell decoys and so the birds would be landing in to the wind. We had a relatively steady flow of birds all day none in great numbers just coming in, in ones & twos and I was relatively pleased with the set up and results based on the equipment we had and the poor shooting that took place.

My next question would be is there a major benefit for having a whirly & or flapper in the pattern ? As many birds just seemed to fly over the field out of range taking no notice of our pattern, I wondered would the additional movement catch their eye and draw more attention for our benefit.

Your thoughts please.

[Starting Out Decoying Pigeons]

Me and a friend decided last Saturday was going to be our first attempt this year in the hide and we had some seriously strong winds in the South East of the country so we thought all the better for it. We had finally unloaded the car and set everything up by 10:30ish, the hide was set up backed up in to a tree line over looking a relatively freshly drilled field and so the birds would be landing in to the wind just in front of us, the decoys in an roughly placed L shape to offer some sort of a landing spot in the pattern for the pigeons.

And we were off, the day started well with a Pigeon committing beautifully and a fair shot be taken to have our first bird in the bag. Two more then came in which unfortunately were not taken due to a safety catch not being flicked up for the first and a miss on the second bird. Based on this we thought we`d be in for a good day however the birds then turned out to be very few and far between and although we managed to add another pigeon for a snack that evening we were restricted to watching the birds we did see have a good look and then decide it wasn`t for them before getting in to range or taking shots at bird just on the edge of our range who weren`t fully committed.

Never the less it was an enjoyable day in the field albeit a tough one, however it left me and my friend who are both relatively new to shooting a little bemused as to why the birds just didn`t want to seem to commit fully to the pattern after early success. I understand that there are a number of reasons why this could be however if anyone could shed some light on why they think this might be and what we could possibly do to enhance our chances next time out (this Sunday).

[Starting Out Decoying Pigeons]

Help Please !

I`m still relatively new to the shooting world and have been lucky enough to enjoy some driven & walked up days however I`m very keen to get involved with decoying Pigeons.

I`ve had a couple of amateur days in the hide where we haven`t surpassed double figures (due to lack of pigeons decoying and also poor shooting) however this hasn`t dampened the spirits. I`ve got the decoys, poles, net and most importantly permission however I`m looking for a bit of general knowledge/advice as to how I can improve my chances to have a more productive day in the field.

Any advice is appreciated so please feel free, fire away.