Sprinter Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Went out today at the behest of a local farmer to discourage the "Thousands" of pigeon that were treating the bottom of one of his rape fields like a dive in restaurant. Set up in the gloom of pre-dawn in a awkward place with the wind right in my face. Object of the exercise being to shoot at lease half of the "thousands" while trying to keep my balance in a hide up to my knees in freshly spent shells while wondering if any local cartridge companys do same day deliveries on 10,000 case pallets to awkward locations. Well that was the plan, we can all dream cant we? By the time i had set up my fingers were burning like hell and this wasn't helped by the frigid wind blowing straight into the hide. Well after an hour of seeing precisely the square root of naff all the situation improved no end when a mate showed up with a bacon sandwich. TOP BLOKE I tucked into the sarnie and left him in charge to beat off the hordes as best he could armed only with 30g of 6s a pop. After a while the inevitable happened, some gulliable idiot pigeon dived straight into the pattern from right over the hide, BLAM BLAM F-it! B***s, oh deary me i think you missed it That turned out to be that for the next 2 hours and he got bored and shuffled off to do a recce to see where the blue hoards were dining today. He hadn't even got to the car and i downed one, about ten mins later another fell followed immediately by a feral. Then a high jackdaw was semi plucked and went down in a wood some distance away squarking angrily. In the distance i heard pigeon rockets going up so i guessed contact with the masses had been made. After a while my jonah turned up again, he'd fired two rockets over a couple of fields but the only result was the flock scooted off in the opposite direction never to be seen again. After an hour or so he gave up and left me to fight the good fight alone again. Then it started snowing Brrrrrrrr. I tell you it got a wee tad nippy. I was sheltering best i could behind a blackthorn bush in the side of the hide about half the width of me shivering when out the corner of my eye i see a black labrador run in and pinch one of my dead birds. What the f, i aint having that and set off in hot pursuit - that was a hard earnt bird you know. Slithering down the bank behind the hide i see another "mate" doubled up ******* himself with laughter, he'd spotted the rotary and then me huddled up shivering while walking the dog and saw the opportunity for a cheeky training retrieve. We chatted for half an hour or so but saw nothing else so he carried on with his walk. I was becomming a little down hearted by now and starting to wish i'd got my self a nice warm office job, still it warmed me up a little daydreaming or was it hallucinating about short skirts. Anyway i was obviously too far gone as i let two into and out of the pattern without a salute and it started sleeting. Another dropped in and although he left most of his feathers behind he made good his escape or so i thought, but he dropped stone dead just short of the wood 200 yards away. The walk did me good and i could feel my fingers again, sadly my feet were too far gone and just hurt like hell. By now i was thinking of packing in and typically just as the decision was made i felled a lovely left and right which got me all interested again and signed on for another fruitless hour. 5 and a feral in the bag for 6 hours endurance shooting. Still i have a few real ones to deek with tomorrow so it wasn't a total waste of time, i just hope the Rugby pigeons are a little more obliging tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besty57 Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 well done for persaveering mate. alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 ..........................................and at that point you realised that finger knitting infront of the fire, might make an testing alternative to shooting blueies......lol You're a better man than me!!!!! barmy summer evenings on swathed rape take some beating !!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackthorn Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 sprinter that was a ******* good read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclemicky Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Sprinter ........ you said thousands mate , what happend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildtrax Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 very good write up on your frustrating day out, jus hope my day out tomorrow turns out better but i fear it wont. am taking my son out with me (14) years old and if pigeons do there usual dissapearing act after 2 shots hes gona be going spare with boredom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubby Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 (edited) great write up mate, we must both suffer from the same dillussions, weather its rabbits or pidgeon, I always expect 100's last weekends ferreting saw us come home with only 3 rabbits I treated myself to a BOSTON handwarmer at xmas, best bit of kit to buy, but the one day I thought It would'ent be needed, as my hands would be kept warm by the barrel, saw me hundled in the hide, identical to your description above Edited February 16, 2010 by stubby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danddo Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 Today's weather was definately better for you and was good to meet you, sounded like you were having a few shots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 great read sprinter if all your right ups are like that a cant wait till your next trip out never mind my next trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Rape is THE most frustrating crop to shoot over IMHO, top marks for sticking it out. You just never know if it will come good. Get yourself some Hunter Balmoral Neoprene wellies. Top piece of advice to me from a mate and cold feet are a thing of the past. I have also just bought myself a Jack Pyke 3-1 hunter jacket........top peice of kit and oh so toasty! Great read Sprinter....we have all been there ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbz Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 What a crackin' read! You should write books! Tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richg Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I always used to suffer cold feet untill i invested in a pair of neoprene lined wellies, BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT, never had cold feet from that day to this. Worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
here iam Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I always used to suffer cold feet untill i invested in a pair of neoprene lined wellies, BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT, never had cold feet from that day to this. Worth every penny. Neoprene wellies only £15 AT yorkshire Trading company formley woolies in Brighouse up here in North lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprinter Posted February 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 I always used to suffer cold feet untill i invested in a pair of neoprene lined wellies, BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT, never had cold feet from that day to this. Worth every penny. Neoprene wellies only £15 AT yorkshire Trading company formley woolies in Brighouse up here in North lol Neoprene wellies?, yes i was wearing them. Ok if you are walking about no bleeding use if you are sitting still or standing in a pigeon hide for 6 hours with frosty clay clung to them. I wish i hadn't cleaned and put away my meindls after the game season ended even then the cold would've leeched through eventually. I firmly believe any type of wellington is the spawn of the devil when pigeon shooting in the cold. Although this deep seated hatred may stem from when i was a wee lad and wore a pair of hand-me-down steel toecapped wellies........ now they were really bad for cold feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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