groach1234 Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) Well as some of you lot may remember i have found a pond with duck on it on our farm and have been feeding it for a week. A few duck are coming onto it now but i shall leave it another week before shooting it so from what i understand flight times are dawn and dusk is this right? and also do they come to or from the pond in the morning? im thinking they spend the day on the pond and night off it but really i don't have a clue but im heading to the gun shop tomorrow to pick up some cartridges to get ready. I'm thinking of getting some of the new Eley Bismuth vip ones, are these good ones to be getting after all they are a bit steep so are they the right ones to get? thanks all for any help George Edited October 20, 2009 by groach1234 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRS Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Well as some of you lot may remember i have found a pond with duck on it on our farm and have been feeding it for a week. A few duck are coming onto it now but i shall leave it another week before shooting it so from what i understand flight times are dawn and dusk is this right? and also do they come to or from the pond in the morning? im thinking they spend the day on the pond and night off it but really i don't have a clue but im heading to the gun shop tomorrow to pick up some cartridges to get ready. I'm thinking of getting some of the new Eley Bismuth vip ones, are these good ones to be getting after all they are a bit steep so are they the right ones to get? thanks all for any help George bismuth is **** in my oppinion and your better off paying a little bit more for ITM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie mac Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 I'm not a duck shooter so someone can correct me if im wrong,but i would say the ducks do not spend the day on the pond,but return at night,so your best bet is to get there for dusk and shoot them on the night flight,as for carts i dont know that mush about steel shot,hope that helps and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 It`s too variable, if it is well fed then the duck may laze about all day there or they may just drop in at last light. Either way with more duck coming in as they migrate you will have to just try an evening flight. Have you ever tried moonflighting ? Also how far from the sea are you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I would suggest leaving it for a couple more weeks, just keep feeding it and keeping an eye on the ducks coming in. My own pond last year would have lots of ducks on it from dusk and they would keep coming in after dark but if you went down early morning around dawn there wouldn't be any on there except maybe the odd teal. I would feed mine twice a week with about 25Kg of wheat everytime and shoot it once a fortnight. Unfortunately there is no water in ist at the moment due to a very dry summer but hopefully that is about to change. A good 4" of rain should do it. On the cartridge front, there is no point in paying out a fortune as most of your shots will be close range and I use Express Supreme Steel no. 4's they are plenty good enough out to 30 yards and I doubt you will get many distance birds as they will commit to the pond and drop in if you let them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 We shoot our pond always in the evening. If the birds are on it during the day then they are roosting. Push them off and get them used to coming in a night. Once the migrants are in your resident birds will then bring them along for the party. We shoot once a month from October. up until this year lead was still legal in NI. so I have no idea what is best to use. If you are close to the sea you might start pulling alot of teal. Tailings are good feed for them. also if any of the ground near the pond has flashes or puddles later in the year, feed them as well. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Have been feeding mine for just over a month now. Started with about 12 ducks at the start, counted 41 go there two nights ago. I feed a sack of barley once a week, and will shoot it for the first time after the clocks go back and will shoot them in the evening as they only come in at night to feed. And will use any old crappy steel cartridges; although I hate them as they dont pack enough punch. Many thanks Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 If you can't kill a duck with a 32gr cartridge over a flight pond then you missed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 lol, From memory of last years flighting I get alot of runners from using steel. Its similar to using diamond shot carts on pigeons I find, alot more runners. More than likely due to the pellets not fragmenting enough. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Mind you there will be no firing steel through that old rusty tyrelever you have just bought. I would use bismuth through that. And fairly light loads as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babka3487 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Steel is what I go for when shooting a flight pond - there's no way you shouldn't kill a duck with steel at the ranges you'll probably be shooting (missing aside of course!) Try shooting it at dusk as mentioned before. Where abouts are you from around York? My parents live in Poppleton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groach1234 Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Steel is what I go for when shooting a flight pond - there's no way you shouldn't kill a duck with steel at the ranges you'll probably be shooting (missing aside of course!) Try shooting it at dusk as mentioned before. Where abouts are you from around York? My parents live in Poppleton Only about 5 mins from Poppleton towards Harrogate. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babka3487 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Small world! Did you get some carts today? If so what did ou go for in the end?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clueless1 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Only flighted ducks once, and Im sure that people will correct me if I'm wrong but this is what we were told. Get there at least 1/2 an hour before the ducks start arriving at night, get well hidded. The ducks will fly over the pond before cirling back to land. Let them do this "recce" and get them as they are actually coming in to go to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groach1234 Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Small world! Did you get some carts today? If so what did ou go for in the end?? Went to York guns and got 2 boxes of steel Lyalvale 32 gram 4's George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babka3487 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Those'll do the job - good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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