Worth Waiting For, at last,pigeons on the barley stubble

[lakeside1000]

I spoke to the farmer at the weekend and he said, cutting the barley on Monday, so Tuesday afternoon swung by the farm to check, sure enough it was all cut and bailed and they were collecting the bales as I watched, so Wednesday, full kit in the van drove over there at 12 noon, it was nice to be able to drive up the field instead of dragging all my gear, dropped off the full kit and hid the van in some trees, set up the full monty, flappers, magnet,floaters and almost 30 decoys,set up the hide in a nearby ditch under a nice shady bush.

Within minutes they were swooping in straight up the middle of the kill area, and I was well on form, they were dropping like flies and I couldn't believe my luck, they just kept coming,

I quickly lost count , so kept picking up and replacing plastic for the real thing, by 4.30 I looked in my cartridge bag and couldn't believe it, down to the last 8 , and no spares in the van, just the 410 and a few cartridges, so about 4.45, out of shells, I nipped back to the van, pulled out the 410 hush and what few cartridges I had, back in the hide and the birds were beginning to thin out, had a few shots but never seem able to hit them with the 410, finally a young bird came in at about 15 yards, and it took the full force dead centre, at last I've had a kill with the 410, but what a day, the weather was perfect, 37 picked up with a couple lost over the hedge in a beet field,a vast improvement on the last dozen or so outings with just 4's and 5's to show for hours in the hide.

I will be there again over the weekend and this time I will have plenty of cartridges, look out pigeons.

 

Edited August 15, 2013 by lakeside1000

[JDog]

Good stuff. You have waited a long time for a decent bag like that. I imagine that you really enjoyed your day.

[motty]

Well done!

 

How did you run out of cartridges? You should have took at least 250.

[Perrycallow70]

You should always carry a fresh slab, worst thing is running out of shells! I'm out Saturday on fresh cut barley!

[karpman]

Spot on mate well done!

 

Karpman

[lakeside1000]

The last few times out I've only fired less than a dozen cartridges, so when I checked my bag on the way out yesterday I had about 60, on past outings average that would have been plenty, but in future I will keep a slab in the van , you just never know,

[kitchrat]

Zero interest in cut barley round here, make the most of your luck! BUT - schoolboy error!!