Paddy Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 Shooting on Sunday morning about 8am I shot my first. I dispatched the bird, laid it out in the landing position and returned to the hide. As I returned I heard wing beats and a bird landing on the dry pea stalks. I grabbed my gun and popped my head over the hide. There, about 25 yards from me was a buzzard trying to grab the pigeon I had just shot! Needless to say I put the gun down and shooed him off! He perched in a local tree and sat and watched for a while. I noticed that there were a number of patches of feathers in the field where I am now presuming the bird had made a few kills earlier! Have any of you had similar experiences? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazza Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 I've had Buzzard's circling the pattern on a number of occasions, also I've had Sparrowhawks swoop through. I can also remember,watching Charlie........watching ME!!..........not for long though!.......lol.... :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdowns hunter Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 I once shot a Hare and laid it out until I walked around the fields When I came back the crows had taken a good chunk out of it. I have also had Kestrels hovering over my decoys We dont have buzzards where I live -Not that ive seen anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigie Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 Heard of a story where someone out decoying and after putting out his shot birds, and pigeons coming in well, all of a sudden they started to come in and shy away quickly. This happened for a while before he decided to investigate and found that something had paid a visit and bitten one of his birds head off. Hence the shying away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 I,ve had hawks hit real pigeon decoys, that I have set out on cradles. Also lots of swooping over the layout, trying to make them fly up. I suppose. I had a rat try to drag one away once, when I was shooting over stubble. No buzzards round here either, unless you,re spelling that wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NGhost Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 Had a dog run off with a flexicoy on sunday, walker and dog ran away when a big guy in camo jumps out of hide and shouts "b***er off" waving a splendid bennelli at him. Wiped the slobber off (god that shines in the sun) once the dog droped it, and replaced in patern, no harm done. Do have the smaller raptors hitting the dead birds never the plastic ones! so i expect the pigeons can also tell the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave15 Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 LoL I have trobble with Red Kites!! Dam things theres hundreds were I am half of them are not even taged. I was laying in the grass after a rabbit with the airgun once when sudenly a Great big red kite swoped out of no were and took a baby one. Dad dident belive it as they only take dead stuff but kids at school have seen them take mice. I dont leave the gun in the hide Unless im speaking to some one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everygoodnamewastaken Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 I got the fright of my life when a buzzard or something came zooming into the decoys and cracked its claws into one, It looked puzzled then i shooed it off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deako Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 next time you're out lamping, and you see a barn owl working the fields, kill the light and give him a small mouse call....they come every time and twice I've had my hat knocked off!....they look fantastic as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazza Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 Speaking of owls...........we were leaning on a gate watching a wood,just before dark the other night..........& a Tawny Owl landed on the gate,not 2ft away from us.........he stayed there until one of us moved.Then twisted his head around,looked at us,& silently flew off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdowns hunter Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 I was once geese shooting in Scotland and went out for ducks one night. It was very still and freezing A barn owl flew over the pond and its wing touched my head I thought those things were supposed to have good eyesight ?? I guess it was looking on the ground and not where it was going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 While sitting in my hide one day, I was amazed to find that I had been joined by a weasel. I spilled my coffee as I jumped up. He ran away up the hedge, until I could get a cartridge in....... I think he was interested in the pigeons the dog had retrieved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columbus Posted October 6, 2002 Report Share Posted October 6, 2002 This year i have been plagued by one female sparrow hawk who has got the knack of taking woodies, she flies allong the hedgerow on the outer side of the field and at the last minute flips over the hedge and piles into any woodies that are close to the hedge.A couple of times this year i have been watching a field with about 60 to 80 birds on it and she has flipped over the hedge and sent every bird away .I have not seen her catch anything but the piles of feathers stand testomony to her prowess.Another day i was decoying a field and some of the birds were dropping over the hedge to my left,if they were wounded i would give them another barrel to finish them off.During a quiet spell i heard squeaking comming from the hedge on my left ,just then i saw a family of stoats working up the hedgerow,tried to get a shot but the hedge was to thick they were there one minute gone the next when it came to picking up one bird that had dropped about a foot from the hedge had gone with a trail of feathers leading into the hedge.Now i know that bird was stone dead and it did't get up and walk its self ,so the only explenation i can give is that the stoats had it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted October 7, 2002 Report Share Posted October 7, 2002 Out on bean stubble last year,just set up in hedge backing on to a railway line,when 4 horse riders parked up in the middle of my deacs.I left the hide to ask what the hell they were doing and they explained they were flushing the railway line to get any foxes out prior to a hunt coming through.They then whistled in their dogs and 3 came bursting through gaps in the hedge.The fourth came through the gap behind my hide and appeared with my unopened pack of sandwiches in his mouth,which he devoured to the amusement of the riders.As it turned out I had a great days shooting,picking up about 70 but I was bloody hungry by the time I got home. :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.