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A Cold Day Out


pigeon controller
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We could only shoot Saturday this week due to DB working, so I picked him up at 08.30 in a snow storm. We looked at each other blankly thinking should we be even thinking about going out in this, while the dog was thinking how did I get stuck with these plonkers.

So we drove out to one of our rape fields that we shot last week, on the way the snow had eased and we noticed a few birds leaving the warm town out into the country going our way. When we stopped there were about fifty sitting in the trees, they then played follow the leader one dropped in and they all proceded to follow. We now from expierience that these will lift in a flock and ****** off and return in a flock to the trees. So we carried on to another rape field which was devoid of birds. We then decided to drive to some more permission but not use the main roads but to zig zag through the lanes. Doing this we wanted to find new fields and birds, as we drove we saw birds flying the same way and came upon a rape field with three hundred birds down feeding, so we spooked them off and they just flew round and came in again. We drove up the lane and found two more rape fields with birds on them. The birds suddenly lifted as a quad drove round the field with two blokes on it they proceeded to set up a gas gun and drove off. We sorted out the farm and drove down to the house just as the quad came into the yard. DB approached the driver and was met with a load of " I don't want any of you idiot's driving over my farm recking the place, No you can't shoot the pigeons" I had to interject at this point as I could see that DB was not a happy bunny . I said we were sorry to disturb him but if he was happy to sacrifice his crop to the pigeons then we would leave. So we left. We then drove on to another of our farms to find about a hundred down on the rape and as it was getting on we decided to give it a go. We spoke to the farmer and he said there was no shoot this Saturday so help yourselves, we asked if we could go down on the edge of the wood at the side of the rape and he said yes all the game birds have been shot. We mentioned the other farmer and he said that he is anti any body being on his land and even has a go at walker on the footpaths. We set up at14.00 and the first thing that happened was the birds all went on a different flightline across the field to another farm. This farm will not allow shooting but they have gas guns that go off at about fifteen minute intervals which sent the birds straight back, we had about twenty birds when the keeper started the walk across the field to us so I left the hide to meet him . I went through the same script every year, who gave you permission, I've shot this land since 1989 and the keeper has been here four years . This is the first time we have shot this land this game season and he was saying that thats why we have caused the bird count to be low on the shoot days. I told him that I have not seen a head of birds on this farm for years and if he wanted me to attend a shoot day and talk to the shooters I was happy to do so. I respected the shoot and kept out of the woods but if the farmer says Crops Come First I attend a protect the crops. At that he left. We continued to shoot till 16.00 as the birds were decoying virtually into the dark. We picked up forty eight birds and with the north easterly wind were chilled to the bone.

 

 

 

 

 

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Percy Verance should be your PW nickname.

 

I am sure that you are expert in dealing with farmers, keepers and the like having done it for so may years but it must take the edge off your shooting to come across such attitudes.

 

The new estate which I have taken on necessitates that I contact the owner, the farm manager and the game keeper before I shoot. If the potential for pigeon shooting wasn't so good I may have decided that it was too much bother.

 

By the way what did your dog think at the end of the day?

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Percy Verance should be your PW nickname.

 

I am sure that you are expert in dealing with farmers, keepers and the like having done it for so may years but it must take the edge off your shooting to come across such attitudes.

 

The new estate which I have taken on necessitates that I contact the owner, the farm manager and the game keeper before I shoot. If the potential for pigeon shooting wasn't so good I may have decided that it was too much bother.

 

By the way what did your dog think at the end of the day?

 

The dog enjoyed the day by lying in the hide in the warmest spot out of the wind.

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