Another ton up

[motty]

I've recently shot two 100+ bags on fresh rape stubbles. The two fields were only a few hundred yards apart. Yesterday i shot on another field in the same area ( possibly 1 mile from the other two) and i believe it is the last rape field in the area to be harvested. It was cut on monday and i knew there was a good chance of there being a few pigeons on it. I checked a couple of times and saw plenty of activity.

I managed to get yesterday off. I was set up in the middle of the field, using my desert camo net, 1 magnet and 20 flocked shells to start. It was my intention to add another magnet after i shot the first few. I was ready to kick off proceedings at around 10.30 am, confident that i'd shoot at least 50.

After the first hour my prediction had changed. I already had over 40 on the clicker. I didn't bother adding the other magnet, the birds were decoying so well.

I know there has been a few posts recently about pigeons wising up to the magnets, but this could certainly not have been said about the pigeons yesterday. I was set up inbetween two rows of pylons and it was great to see pigeons flying over the top wire and then swooping straight down into the decoys.

As the day wore on the action improved. Left and right after left and right were felled. I also got a couple of nice triples with the xtrema.

There are some who don't like the fact that some decoyers use 28gm 7 1/2 shot. I went armed mainly with that exact load (smi) and performed really well. I killed high birds and long crossers cleanly.

By 1.15pm i had reached the 100 mark. Now, if my last few outings were anything to go by, the action wouldn't last much longer. But yesterday it did. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was the last rape stubble around (all the others having been disced or ploughed in) or maybe i was just lucky.

The pigeon finally stopped coming in any great number, at about 15.30. They seemed to be settling on a wheat stubble, a couple of fields over. It took a little while to find all the birds, strewn about the field all around me.

I finished with 176 pigeons and a crow from 252 shots. A really enjoyable session and my third best bag of the year.

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

I too have been having some cracking bags 8 ton bags in 4 weeks for me.

 

But the thing that strikes me as strange is my 200 day bags have dropped off I would on average shoot 4 to 6 200 plus bags a year.

 

Keep at old boy Regards OTH

[anser2]

Quote "But the thing that strikes me as strange is my 200 day bags have dropped off ."

 

Do not forget you can only shoot them once, 800 birds is a lot to take out of a population that is mainly localised by breeding at this time of year.

Edited August 20, 2010 by anser2

[yickdaz]

I too have been having some cracking bags 8 ton bags in 4 weeks for me.

 

But the thing that strikes me as strange is my 200 day bags have dropped off I would on average shoot 4 to 6 200 plus bags a year.

 

Keep at old boy Regards OTH

not doing bad concidering earlier in the year you was posting were are all the pigeons;;and you think the harsh winter has killed them off;most members won;t shoot that many in a year let alone 4 weeks.

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

I agree I was one of the poster who was most vocal about the lack of pigeons and dont mind saying it would look like I was wrong .

But time will tell the only I will say despite some cracking bags compared to some on this forum I am still down on birds shot compared to last two years.

 

Eating humble pie OTH

[M ROBSON]

We've had a good summer so for with some nice bags coming on the rape stubbles now. In a normal summer we would have 10+ ton up bags but so far this year we've only had 5. Having said that the overall number of birds we have shot is around the norm with plenty of 50+ days coming in which is nice shooting by anyones standards.

 

We have had a lot of young birds right from the start of our summer season in July, more than normal.

 

We also have a hell of a lot of Rape already planted for the winter, more than I've seen before. One estate I shoot has already put in 370 acres.

 

Cheers,

Mark.