PestController Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Hi guys, Not posted for a while, thought I'd put my two penne'th in..... Did a 300 mile troll from my home in North Lincs to areas of North Yorkshire and back yesterday, I promised the missus a day out! I took in areas from Ripon through to Kirkby Moorside, Pickering, Malton, Thornton le Dale, Lastingham, Ebberston, Wykeham. Weather was cloudy and intermittent sun, very breezy and cool. No rain all day in Yorkshire until the run home to Lincs. at teatime. DOH! Did I see any birds?......nah, very few, certainly no great numbers. :( On average rape is 12-16 inches high in most places. Way too high even if they were going to hit it. For anybody waiting to do some pigeon shooting on rape, forget it, it's not happening from what I can see, not yet anyhow. My guess is we may get some shooting in at field edges or tramline edges IF the rape is not too high, its often lower in these areas, AND we get some frost quickly. Roll on frosts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Thats a nice ride out through some lovely countryside. I assume you found a nice place to take Mrs PC for lunch, to make up for all the pigeon spotting you were doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 PC, I don't think that frost sharpens their appetite as much as many people think. You've obviously got the same scenario in Yorks that we've got down South, a big crop of Acorns and Beechmast, and until they've all been scoffed up, the birds won't be on the rape in any numbers, it can get very cold, and they'll still be in the woods until late Jan / early Feb, if past years are anything to go by. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno 357 Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 You were looking in the wrong place PC Sent you PM Jonno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PestController Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 You were looking in the wrong place PC Sent you PM Jonno Thanks for the PM Jonno, that sounds encouraging.....interesting points you made about the beech mast, as did Catamong....we must have the bloody stuff to excess this autumn, the pigeons have hit the rape in some numbers in recent years well before now, glad you had a good session. Lets hope it improves for all, and soon. If you need any help PM me !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PestController Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Thats a nice ride out through some lovely countryside. I assume you found a nice place to take Mrs PC for lunch, to make up for all the pigeon spotting you were doing. Trust you to think of that one Cranfield, always the perfect gentleman, Lunch?? hell no, she makes us a PICNIC, she always does when we venture out in the car.... Am I spoiled or is that the norm?...... :( PC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 SPOILED !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invector Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 The only pigeons on my OSR are those under hedgerow oaks, which are gradually weaning themselves on to rape. I shot 17 yesterday, under three oaks trees, in the middle of a large grass field. I obviously couldn't put the pattern directly under the trees, where the pigeons were feeding, because they would be too close to the hide. I put 10 dead birds out, about 30 yards, on the sunny side, and they came for about an hour before leaving me. Probably for some more acorns? It was nice to get at 'em again though. I've been concentrating on the bunnies with the .17HMR. I shot one on Saturday and waited for others to come out. One rabbit rushed over to the dead body and jumped and skittered over it, then laid down on its side and pummelled the corpse with its hind legs. When it sat up,(not the dead one, silly) I shot it....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 I think most of us are still seeing the birds in the woodlands, but they must finish the beechmast sometime soon, although in our woods its still quite thick. One thing a good hard frost does, it knocks down the rape by a few inches. One rabbit rushed over to the dead body and jumped and skittered over it, then laid down on its side and pummelled the corpse with its hind legs. That could have been a reincarnation of Bruce Lee, what have you done ? :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invector Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Sorry Bruce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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