Decent bag on the rape..............

[Catamong]

Had planned on going clay shooting this Sunday as the drillings are now over and the birds normally retire to the woods for a bit, but I'd noticed quite a few birds flighting in and out of a field of rape all this week, to be honest I hadn't expected to see many on the rape this early because of the bumper crop of berries and acorns this year.

 

I checked a number of other fields during the week and there wasn't a bird on them, I spoke to the Farmer who was adamant they were eating the rape, not just going for the rubbish that grows up alongside at this time of year. He reckons it's a different strain of rape the birds are particularly fond of.

 

I did a final recce yesterday afternoon, and sure enough, they were still there, I had a look at the crop around the margins, and yes, you could see where the birds had been chewing it off.

 

I picked my hide position and was there by 7.30 this morning setting up.

 

I shot my first bird at 10 past 8, and they came in well, no spooking away from the magnet, most just closed their wings and dropped like a brick into the kill zone, a lovely sight.

 

Unfortunately the wind was from the North blowing from behind me, which meant I was looking straight into the sun, even with my dark "welding goggle" sunglasses I was getting blinded..!!

 

They came in steadily most of the morning, there were also quite a few ferals about, I don't shoot them, they're not worth the cost of a cartridge and they very often draw the woodies in to the pattern by constantly taking off and landing in the decoy pattern.

 

I had a little lull at about 11.00, then it picked up a bit, then fizzled out by 1pm, when I starting packing up.

 

Young Garyb had intended to come along but he'd been out at a YFC do last night and did the sensible thing by staying in bed, but he did turn up to help me clear up and to give Floyd the Spaniel a run around the field to pick up a couple of runners that I'd missed.

 

My final total was 94, very pleased with that over early season rape.

 

Anybody else shooting many over rape yet..??

 

Cat.

[soreshoulder]

i keep looking but they dont seem to be on it down our way, YET

[johnnyfox]

nice read and a good bag

[turbo33]

Excellent result Cat :good: , not a thing around here. Fields empty, nothing flighting in/over/out of the woods. Seen more in my garden

[dolphin]

[

brilliant bag again well done mate

atb dolphin

[magman]

Good day Cat

How high is your rape at the moment ?

[Catamong]

Good day Cat

How high is your rape at the moment ?

 

It was pretty tall, (ankle high) in the middle of the field, but struggling around the edges, which is just how the birds like it.

 

We've got a field on our game shoot where it's virtually knee high already.

 

Cat

[magman]

It was pretty tall, (ankle high) in the middle of the field, but struggling around the edges, which is just how the birds like it.

 

We've got a field on our game shoot where it's virtually knee high already.

 

Cat

 

Thanks Cat mine wouldn't cove me toe's at the moment

[Greenhunter]

It was pretty tall, (ankle high) in the middle of the field, but struggling around the edges, which is just how the birds like it.

 

We've got a field on our game shoot where it's virtually knee high already.

 

Cat

Drove passed a field today with the rape actually in flower

not seen any birds on any of the other fields tho.

 

 

 

GH

[proTOM1]

Nice bag

 

Had afew 30s and 40s early on ,then it went quite but got a few fields that are starting to show good numbers may try tomorrow depending on weather that is !

 

Few on game shoot are getting a good hammering but not much i can do about them which is a shame

[Catamong]

Drove passed a field today with the rape actually in flower

not seen any birds on any of the other fields tho.

 

 

 

GH

 

Hmm, I think you'll find that the yellow flowers you're seeing are in fact Charlock, a weed that grows alongside the rape plants.

 

A good cold snap will kill it off.

 

Cat.

[Cranfield]

Another nice result.

 

Nothing on the rape in my area yet, the birds are still in the woods and hedgerows.

 

I don't know if its as a result of the good wheat prices this year, but a lot of local farmers are growing second year wheat in the fields that under rotation would normally be rape.

There is certainly a lot less rape about than usual.

[garyb]

The rape is fairly well established round 'ere... Hard work for the dog as the birds were falling well below the leaf cover, on what was a wet and muddly field.

 

We did manage to pick all the strays in the end though.

 

Nice one Cat

 

GB.

[James Dixey]

A superb performance from obviously a very skilled decoyer!

 

Many farmers ask me why some of their Rape Fields are hit some years and others not.

 

I wonder if there is anything in what your farmer said about the type of Rape?

 

I would be very grateful if u cud let me have the name of that seed next time u speak to that farmer

 

James Dixey

**********************

Edited November 8, 2010 by Cranfield
Don't post email addy on the Forum, communicate via PM.

[garyb]

It was probably Excalibur

[kippylawkid]

Good effort.

Great bag on any crop, never mind the 4 letter word!

Nowt hitting the rape up in Northumberland yet.

Usually end of Nov before they do.

[Blackbart]

Good day Cat

How high is your rape at the moment ?

 

We have some on the land that is knee high and i had to get on the pajero roof the other night to shoot a fox cos i couldnt see him at ground hieght

 

Not as much rape about but what there is isnt getting the birds attracted yet.

[Cosd]

Another decent day for you Cat, good for you and nice write up.

 

Piccies though mate .....

[yickdaz]

Had planned on going clay shooting this Sunday as the drillings are now over and the birds normally retire to the woods for a bit, but I'd noticed quite a few birds flighting in and out of a field of rape all this week, to be honest I hadn't expected to see many on the rape this early because of the bumper crop of berries and acorns this year.

 

I checked a number of other fields during the week and there wasn't a bird on them, I spoke to the Farmer who was adamant they were eating the rape, not just going for the rubbish that grows up alongside at this time of year. He reckons it's a different strain of rape the birds are particularly fond of.

 

I did a final recce yesterday afternoon, and sure enough, they were still there, I had a look at the crop around the margins, and yes, you could see where the birds had been chewing it off.

 

I picked my hide position and was there by 7.30 this morning setting up.

 

I shot my first bird at 10 past 8, and they came in well, no spooking away from the magnet, most just closed their wings and dropped like a brick into the kill zone, a lovely sight.

 

Unfortunately the wind was from the North blowing from behind me, which meant I was looking straight into the sun, even with my dark "welding goggle" sunglasses I was getting blinded..!!

 

They came in steadily most of the morning, there were also quite a few ferals about, I don't shoot them, they're not worth the cost of a cartridge and they very often draw the woodies in to the pattern by constantly taking off and landing in the decoy pattern.

 

I had a little lull at about 11.00, then it picked up a bit, then fizzled out by 1pm, when I starting packing up.

 

Young Garyb had intended to come along but he'd been out at a YFC do last night and did the sensible thing by staying in bed, but he did turn up to help me clear up and to give Floyd the Spaniel a run around the field to pick up a couple of runners that I'd missed.

 

My final total was 94, very pleased with that over early season rape.

 

Anybody else shooting many over rape yet..??

 

Cat.

great bag on rape as most are saying not touching it round my area at the min..had a look at last years pigeon bags that i shot and first shoot over rape was 50 0n the 13th of december;so maybe the same this year when they go on it proper.

[TJ91]

Well done. sounds like a great day

 

a few starting to drop onto a couple of small rape fields on my permission, but no numbers worth chasing

[proTOM1]

Another nice result.

 

Nothing on the rape in my area yet, the birds are still in the woods and hedgerows.

 

I don't know if its as a result of the good wheat prices this year, but a lot of local farmers are growing second year wheat in the fields that under rotation would normally be rape.

There is certainly a lot less rape about than usual.

 

 

Think the farmers round me have gone the other way and are growing more rape than ever in the hope that it makes good money with the rest of the country growing more wheat than rape !

 

I shot 16 this morning on rape but gave in to the rain and it has not stopped all day . Have a few fields getting birds on so will try again later in the week

[the old gypsy]

out last week wed and it was slow but they are coming back onto the rape .a lot still in the woods .but they are in small flocks and moving at the first sound of the gun. i believe the feeding in the woods is still good. Any we shot had berrys and a little rape. all bags for nov are down on last year . its been very quiet. ps i think you have something with the kind of rape that they feed on . jim

[gwb]

Went out last week.A bit foggy and wet.

 

pigeons all in the treeline and woods behind us and along the phone lines, but not coming into the decoys over rape.

 

the only thing that came down was a small flock of ferals well away from the pattern

 

thinking of leaving it until early december

[Mightymariner]

Had 18 on some rape in the Lincs Wolds last week, hard going though, birds weren't too committed to it. Saw a couple of hundred or more on some rape between Lincoln and Louth this morning though.