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Almost didn't go!


JDog
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The weather forecast was poor and I was undecided about going decoying this afternoon. However I made a late decision to put my kit and dogs in the car and risk the elements.

 

The farm I went to has good numbers of pigeon normally but I had not been for a recce for some weeks. The farmer was out in the fields on his tractor and when I spoke to him he told me that he had seen very few pigeons on the farm since harvest. As we were speaking, and looking over his shoulder, I noticed a flight line along the field he had been working in and I must confess to being distracted by the pigeons whilst we continued to chat.

 

An old barley stubble seemed to be the preferred destination and in windy conditions, with the wind at my back, I set up on a single hawthorn bush with a rotary close in and two arcs of decoys, a mixture of real birds and flock-coated shells. Birds arrived within minutes from all angles and came boldly into the pattern. Shooting was incessant and in the first hour I shot 44. After another half an hour I ran out of shells and I went back to the car for replacements only to find that in my haste to get out I had forgotten to put a slab in the car! The flight was continuing but it was too far to return home for more cartridges so I asked the farmer if he had any. He readily returned home and came back with what I can only describe as a motley assortment, amongst which were Alphamax 4, 36 gramme goose shot, 28 gramme 9's and 26 gramme 71/2 clay cartridges and some dubious shells with no name on them. After picking out some 71/2 clay shells I tried them on the next birds to arrive but with mixed results so I decided to call it a day just before the rain arrived.

 

The final bag was 80 pigeons and 2 carrion crows. This was easily the most exciting session I have had for a year or two.

 

 

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Wow there's some seriously nice dinners on the floor there mate

Do you eat the breast meat or not ?

 

At this time of the year I do eat young pigeon at least once per week. They are too valuable in my opinion just to take the breats off so I pluck and gut them and roast them covered in bacon for twenty five minutes. The rest go to the game dealer for which I get a derisory sum.

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