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Hello all, I have a friendly family farm on the outskirts of Leicester, for the last year or so I have been renting out our shepherds hut to pigeon shooters. If anyone is interested then let me know. The concept is flexible, but what works well is for the shooters to arrive in the afternoon before the shoot day, so I can show you around the farm and point out some good spots. We can then use the quad to stash the decoying equipment into the hedge next to the chosen spot. Then after a couple of pints in the dog and gun you get a good nights sleep in the shepherds hut, get up ridiculously early, and wander over to your spot, and try your luck. I will be around, but the idea is I largely give you the lay of the land and leave you to it. The hut has a double bed and a camp bed, so it easily sleeps two. I think I can stick my neck out and say that everyone who has been has had a great time, if anyone on here has been it would be great to hear from you. I have all the decoy equipment if you need to borrow it. You just need to bring your gun, license and insurance. the price is £50 per person for a night in the hut and a days shooting. Check out my website www.thepigeonhut.com it is very new, and a work in progress, but it will give you an idea. Many thanks Will

Hi, Quite new to Decoying and have read the books watched videos and read lots of posts on here. Been out half a dozen times this year, best bag 16, and a couple of single figures. Anyway my questions is I watch for flight lines etc, set up and then the sky goes totally cold turkey, no pigeons what so ever! Am i missing a trick would love to have a day of over 50, I have a magnet good hide skills etc, just dont see lots of movement. Ideas please??

Firstly please excuse the length of this post, but it is important I cover everything I want to say. I have been a member on this forum for some time, though I have had a sabbatical for the last 12 months give or take. During my last stint on here, I met many great members in person, I butted heads occasionally in posts and I spoke my mind where appropriate. I left the forum due to circumstances which I will detail below, but I wanted to throw myself upon the members here to assist me in my return to shooting. So, why did I leave..? I left as my personal circumstances meant I could not shoot anywhere near as regularly as I liked, I also required money of which I had invested heavily in shooting paraphernalia. You see, my wife is a serving Police Officer in W Yorks and moved from 9-5 day shifts, Mon-Fri to full blown shift pattern as part of the Ops Support Unit. This resulted & still does to a degree in my limited availability to shoot. We have a son who enjoys his sport and so it meant that I was the “responsible” parent for taking him to the events. I am a Sales Manager and I travel extensively as some on here know. I have delivered things, collected things and tried to help fellow members where I can. Well now I want to get back out there shooting!! I previously shot with a couple or three members on here, but I don’t want to get directly in contact with them asking to shoot as there partner again. This after 12 months absence I felt would just be rude and inappropriate. So as I don’t get the “get yourself out & find your own permission” statements, I want to make it clear I have not sat on my **** and not expected the world to do it for me. Over the last 2 years, I created a database of over 250 farms within 90 minutes’ drive of Wakefield where I live. I wrote to them all every 3 months either with a letter or flyer enclosing a business card. In addition I have approached over 35 farms locally in person to seek permission & finally I was a member of NPCC for a year. I should point out that as far as I am aware I didn’t contact any farms I had visited with other members, I made a specific point of weeding those out. The total result of many £££’s being spent was nothing other than a few days on NPCC land. My contact with farmers was that of either “sorry already got people”, “not right now” or “nah, do it myself”. So it is not as if I have sat back and not tried. My last letter to a select 75 farmers even offered a financial incentive, although only mediocre, it was a genuine offer. Sorry to those that object to paying farmers, but I really wanted to get something of my own to shoot on. I have continued to search the adverts in magazines and internet for small syndicates but again to no avail. I am currently in the process of rebuilding my kit, and this will take me a little while. So, here I am now; what am I looking for? Well I’m hoping someone will give me the opportunity to go out with them from time to time, not looking to acquire anyone’s permission either; that is just not me. I can’t shoot every week and I can only shoot weekends or evenings, but I am prepared to supply the cartridges of whoever takes me out and assist them where I can. Not saying I will give you the most expensive shells out there, but they won’t be the bottom of the range either. My shooting skills are average at best, I do my best and I shall be continuing to practice on clays over the coming months. I am a BASC member and I had my lessons at Park Lodge. I regard myself as enthusiastic and keen. So there you go, a bit of self-flagellation and honesty. So if anyone wants to invite me in the coming months, please PM me. Those that are unable to, not a problem and I wish you the best. In the meantime I will continue to seek out my own opportunities. Thank you all for taking time to read this post. :good:

When I go roost shooting this February, I want to increase my normal bag. I was wondering if any of you experts out there use decoys or something similar when in the woods themselves. ANY advice welcome...