JDog Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Sergei Prokofiev has been a long time hero of mine. His composing is quite off the scale but exciting. Jack Charlton was another - a great centre half and a shooting man to boot. Gareth Edwards the same - possibly the best rugby player of all time and a great man for woodcock shooting. Today I have found another hero. Ridiculously this one is twelve years old and his name is William. William is the son of the farmer on whose land I have had some success of late shooting over spring rape. His father had told me that his son was keen on shooting and I agreed to take him out with me today. I turned up to find him all ready for action with decoys at the ready and a newly charged battery and a rotary, gun and cartridges. I wanted William to learn decoying on his own and I set him up in a field of spring rape with a good hide, rotary and decoys and I gave him the perameters of his shooting arc. Before I had left the field he had a bird down and even before I had set up three fields away I had heard him have 30 to 40 shots! I set up some distance away possibly an hour later after prevaricating on flight lines but I was soon in action. Amazingly this was in the same field and even the same hide position that I was in last weekend when a good bag was shot. The birds were very keen to get into the rape field and decoyed well for four hours. William joined me after that time saying that his flight line had dried up. He was impetuous as I could see birds still going into his position but anyway he joined me in my hide for a while. He told me that he had shot 60. This would have been good for anyone but a 12 year old boy on his first proper decoying session? Anyway after picking mine, which took a while I went to his hide position and between the dogs and I we picked exactly 60. The total bag for the day was 204 pigeons 3 carrion crows and a Jackdaw. This beats my previous best set only a week before on the same field by one bird. It was a great pleasure to be in the company of such a keen, knowledgeable and polite young man today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ91 Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 The future of our great sport, I hope their is many more his age like him! Well done to him! and you! A cracking bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 a good story with a happy ending. well done JDog the lad will remember today for the rest of his life he is lucky to have you as his mentor. a brilliant start for any young shooter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveyg Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Another full freezer.. William will remember today for a very long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 He told me that he had shot 60. This would have been good for anyone but a 12 year old boy on his first proper decoying session? that is exceptional to say the least and another great bag of pigeons jdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 What an amazing start for this young lad. I presume he had been shooting before as he was left to his own devices. I just wondered was this his best day, if measured in terms of numbers shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 What an amazing start for this young lad. I presume he had been shooting before as he was left to his own devices. I just wondered was this his best day, if measured in terms of numbers shot? The boy is an experienced clay shot. When I met him two weeks earlier I was impressed by his knowledge of guns and gun safety and his keenness to learn, otherwise I wouldn' have contemplated taking him. He had previously shot 10 walking round the farm one day but as he said today....'multiply my best by six'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karpman Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Cracking day sounds like a top lad too. I think farmers children have the tendency to be that little bit more mature in these matters anyway, they face things that can kill you as a matter of routine from a young age. Fair play to the boy and to you jdog well done. Karpman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Its always good to read that youngsters are getting out shooting and having success. Well done for the mentoring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotShot! Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Brilliant ! I remember my first day when I was 10. Will never forget !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldwanderer Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Good on yer for helping the lad out! (Looks like he didn't need much help though). I'd much rather see young chaps like William than the Chavs we see day to day, it's sad to see how it's become the norm for childhoods to be wasted in front of a screen of some description or on some street corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 (edited) Well done JDog , we took a farmers widow out for a day once and she shot a good number it turned out she was a champion Clay shooter before she was married forty years ago. On the down side she would go out every morning with her gun and it ruined the farm for decoying also she stopped crowing crops and went for hay for horses. William will be posting his own reports soon "Just William" Edited June 23, 2013 by pigeon controller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Well done JDog , we took a farmers widow out for a day once and she shot a good number it turned out she was a champion Clay shooter before she was married forty years ago. On the down side she would go out every morning with her gun and it ruined the farm for decoying also she stopped crowing crops and went for hay for horses. William will be posting his own reports soon "Just William" Good point, but the boy is under strict instructions not to wander round the farm shooting if he wants to come out decoying with me again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Well done to both of you! Just a point, ask him to hold the action open on that auto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon6ppc Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 good do that pal, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Well done to both of you! Just a point, ask him to hold the action open on that auto! I wasn't sure about him taking out that 'bazooka' or auto or whatever they are called as I do not understand them but he was happy to demonstrate the safety aspects of it before we went out. Do you mean that he should have pulled the side lever back to demonstrate that the gun was unloaded? If you do I will ensure that he does that in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 I wasn't sure about him taking out that 'bazooka' or auto or whatever they are called as I do not understand them but he was happy to demonstrate the safety aspects of it before we went out. Do you mean that he should have pulled the side lever back to demonstrate that the gun was unloaded? If you do I will ensure that he does that in the future. Yes the action should be held back on that Beretta when not in use! I hope you have many more successful outings with the lad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 The boy is an experienced clay shot. When I met him two weeks earlier I was impressed by his knowledge of guns and gun safety and his keenness to learn, otherwise I wouldn' have contemplated taking him. He had previously shot 10 walking round the farm one day but as he said today....'multiply my best by six'. I thought he must have at least done some clay shooting. As others have said its great that youngsters like him get the opportunity to get outside and appreciate the countryside and that you gave him the chance. As a teacher all I seem to hear these days is the kids talking about what DVD they've watched, who they tagged on Facebook or who they are about to text. I do worry we are breeding a nation of kids who are growing up in a virtual world.....he says tapping away on a keyboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the pigeon man Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Great shooting sounds like his going to be the next digweed Great shooting sounds like his going to be the next digweed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highbird70 Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 I wasn't sure about him taking out that 'bazooka' or auto or whatever they are called as I do not understand them but he was happy to demonstrate the safety aspects of it before we went out. Do you mean that he should have pulled the side lever back to demonstrate that the gun was unloaded? If you do I will ensure that he does that in the future. Yes the action should be held back on that Beretta when not in use! I hope you have many more successful outings with the lad! Gents, please don't take this comment as picking on you, Its just to clarify the point of how to go about with a semi-automatic shotgun, when in a rest position (not loaded) or walking (not hunting). I consider semi-automatic shotgun, safer that any other type of shotguns, when and if are handled properly. How to make safe a semi-automatic shotgun: The scope of this action, its to intentionally, mechanically jam the action and to make evident to others that the shotgun its safe. The action as to be stop open, this its done normally, via pressing the side button or pressing the loading slide. Once the action as been stop open, we can use 2 tools to demonstrate, others that the gun its safe. A spent or live cartridge, should be inserted in the action, red in colour if possible, brass end in the action, slowly releasing the action against the cartridge, or we can use the appropriate flag for semi-automatic shotguns red in colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 Which is why I have never shot one of those things in my life!!!!!!!!! Far too complicated for my limited brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highbird70 Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 Which is why I have never shot one of those things in my life!!!!!!!!! Far too complicated for my limited brain. Its looks like your phone its mentally challenging you Jdog...lol...answer the little black box that goes ring ring...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Well done on another good bag and for taking the boy out. Good stuff! Take no notice of people having a pop about how the boy is holding the auto in the photo. After all, he isn't wandering around a clay ground like it,he's posing for a photo! It's no different from me holding a closed o/u, which is how i would have it when i have a picture taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Bu Le Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Very well done William and good on yer JD top man. Re the comments on gun safety, I would evaluate every suggestion made by anyone. If it ticks the boxes use it, if not don't ....easy peasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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