Cranfield Posted November 7, 2002 Report Share Posted November 7, 2002 I went today, my farmer friend said that the pigeons had been on this rape field and I was there by 7.30am. Conditions were bitterly cold (good), strong NW wind (good), dry (good), clear blue skies with bright sunshine (kiss of death to the day). I fired a "scare shot" around 8.30am to see if there was anything alive lurking about (there wasn,t). I shot an unfortunate magpie about an hour later and that was it. I think I saw two pigeons crossing a wood about a mile away, but I was so cold and fed-up by then , I could have been having hallucinations. :0 The forecast for the next few days, is for heavy rain and winds. I will have a very good look and need to see quite a bit of activity, before I spend another day like today. :( Is anyone else finding birds to shoot ? If so, what are they "on" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdowns hunter Posted November 7, 2002 Report Share Posted November 7, 2002 I went out 2 weeks ago (you know the day when it wasnt raining) I never saw any pigeons only a couple of Magpies about 50 partriges and also 4 pheasants who were flying over the land next to mine. I decided to just try my new semi auto out as i had not fired one before and i accidently hit one of the pheasants Well I couldnt just leave it lying in the field so I took it home and ate it Very Nice too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted November 7, 2002 Report Share Posted November 7, 2002 Went for a drive round some of my local shooting grounds today as the weather here in Warwicks. was exactly the same.(according to the book,ideal shooting time) Ddn,t bother even getting the gun out of the motor as just as all my previous recent visits,the only pigeons I spotted were under the trees at the side of the roads or fields.Obviously still gorging themselves on acorns.Forecast for weekend is back to the wet stuff,so looking bleak again.Withdrawal symptoms really setting in now. :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number 1 Posted November 7, 2002 Report Share Posted November 7, 2002 well ive stopped shooting the pigeons now untill feb because of the games season. but the pigeons still dont seem to be on the rape only on the acorns and deep in the woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil Posted November 7, 2002 Report Share Posted November 7, 2002 Weather permitting I'm on the crows and rooks again this weekend,there seems to be thousands around at the moment.If the weathers bad then its a down the line shoot on saturday (shooting from undercover)and/or if its not bad weather a 50 bird sporting shoot in sunday morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil Posted November 9, 2002 Report Share Posted November 9, 2002 Had a las minute change of plan and went ferriting instead,we had 11 in about 3 hrs (until the ferrets got tired) so a good day . The rain came in early afternoon and its stil raining now :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2002 neil, do you bolt your rabbits to nets, or shoot them ? I kept ferrets and worked them with nets, for about 30 years. Great fun through the Winter months (if it stayed dry). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil Posted November 10, 2002 Report Share Posted November 10, 2002 We do both but yesterday we used the guns because the hedges were a bit "dirty" and we wernt sure how long the weather would hold up.I had two yesterday that i just picked up,not mixyed,they bolted and just sat tight,walked over and bobs your uncle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstopper Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Its been weird recently over the set aside fields one day was really quick and busy day, next was dead slow James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 :( Anyone been out this weekend and if so ,how did you do?We seem to be getting lots of daily posts on all sorts of subjects but not much feed back on the main subject.Does this mean that I am in the majority and that not many of us are getting much pigeon shooting at the moment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 25, 2002 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 I have been looking and keeping in touch with my shooting fields almost daily. The extremely wet and mild weather, is keeping pigeons in my area, in the woods and off the rape. The problem with going into the woods after them, is that they quickly move to an undisturbed wood, usually on land I can,t shoot. Driving out through Biggin Hill last Sunday, on the way to a clay shoot, we saw LOTS of pigeons , on the berries and acorns at the roadside. So the situation seems common throughout Kent. It would be interesting to hear if this is a general trend/problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 Cranfield,that is exactly what I am finding in Warwicks. :( Every time I go drive about ,the pigeons fly up from under oak trees at the side of the road.Will be glad when they have eaten them all and get down to the rape.(Hope not too many farmers read this.) A couple of good frosts instead of continual rain would be a big help as well. :grumpy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red_stag88 Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 i am going down to battle,nr hastings in sussex in a couple of weeks (a common misconception the battle of hastings wasnt actually at hastings but the rather well named battle!) to do some deer stalking, i actually do the pests such as rabbits, squirrles and others. Shooting pigeons out of a high seat with a .22 is quite fun, its great against squrrles, it rather pins them to the tree! my .22 is also silenced so you can get throught a whole feild of rabbits if the winds the right way, i will let everybody know what is happening down there pigeon wise. there is als a great "walk one stand one" Phesent shoot where the woodcock to phesent ratio is about 5:1, its brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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