halfbee Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 My best buddy invited me for a morning on the pigeons as early as last Monday, a farmer about 10 miles away had rung to say that we needed to check out some drilling he had done last weekend. Wives etc. reorganised activities on our behalf to Saturday afternoon rather than a whole day (how kind) so we set off with 2 sets of Deeks and nets in my buddy's swb defender at midday. Looking down from the top of the field we could see a fair bit of seed on the surface but no birds feeding, there was a gang of abound 30 birds flitting about a big oak at the far end of the field but they definitely didn't look interested in the drillings. After about 15 mins of a scanning with binos we drove to the next drillings. Nowt there either, a pigeon free zone, so we chipped off to a long, thin spinney to see if there were any birds in and out of roost. As I walking quietly into the spinney I spied a magpie dropping into a sitty tree so I took the opportunity to drop it, Yay, the first magpie I have ever shot with a shotgun. We stayed in the spinney for an hour or so with nothing else to shoot, no pigeons what so ever and the sound of crows were a long way away. So we bailed, back to the fields nearest to home, nothing more than a few wide hedges and a regular flight line out of town. I jumped out of the Landrover on one side of a nice wide double hedge, and my buddy and his Springer drove on so they could walk the other side of the hedge. From experience we knew there were maybe a few truly wild pheasants in the hedge that the dog could flush, just so long as the dog didn't dash off too far from the guns... Only 10 Yards up the hedge a Woodcock broke my side of the hedge quartering away and jinked across the field towards to a perpendicular hedge. My first barrel, 1/4 choke was a clear miss, my half choke, top barrel felt good but the bird carried on, disappointed, the first Woodcock I've ever pointed a gun at and I missed with both barrels. But... Just as the bird reached the far hedge it stuttered and fell out of the air, Wow I felt good, confident of my first ever Woodcock. I marked the spot, reloaded with cheapo 29g Gamebore No6 and carried on up the hedge. 10 seconds later, 2 hen pheasants broke my side of the hedge about 30 yards up, the first one is a relatively easy shot even for my inexperienced aim, and it drops stone dead, my first pheasant of the season YAY. The second gets the second barrel, its legs drop but it glides from 40 feet up towards the hedge behind me, I mark the spot the hen gets to the hedge so we can get the dog to work in minute. My buddy pushes through the hedge to go looking for my woodcock, although the dog is interested there's nothing to be found where I've marked the kill, my excitement wains, my mate is unconvinced that I've even seen a Woodcock, let alone dropped one. And yet, 80 yards past I've marked the bird, the Spaniel crawls out of the hedge with my Woodcock YAY, first ever Woodcock. We head off to search for the second hen Pheasant, the first was easily picked by the dog. I'm absolutely confident where it is but 15 minutes of looking we don't find it, maybe it's legs weren't down, maybe I didn't hit it with the second barrel. Driving down the farm track on the way home I spot the hen in the middle of the track, 50 yards from where I marked it YAY first ever left and right pheasants. To summarise, 5 shells, 4 birds, 1st magpie, 1st woodcock, 1st left and right pheasant. Best day of the year! I had the Woodcock for dinner on a Potato Rosti, it's like tasty Pigeon, very good. Pheasants hanging in the shed to be prepped by my daughter in a couple of days. Magpie in the hedge for the foxes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Sounds like you had a great day out, thanks for posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Richo Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Brilliant a day to remember well done I also got my first woodcock on Saturday it's an excellent feeling what a magnificent bird they are. Thanks for sharing and a good write up hope you have more days like it. Atb Sean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filzee Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Great stuff mate well done too you. I got my first woodcock 12 years ago and havn't shot another one since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Brilliant write up. I have 2 woodcock and a cock pheasant hanging in the shed for dinner this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikk Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Great read Guts cooked with the woodcock or did you remove them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfbee Posted November 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Guts in but I couldn't face spreading them on toast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 I've shot 3 woodcock and seen 5 ever but next time I'll give them away as it's nothing great . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 26, 2013 Report Share Posted November 26, 2013 I've shot 3 woodcock and seen 5 ever but next time I'll give them away as it's nothing great . You mustn't be cooking them correctly. I normally roast them for 10 minutes in the oven and leave to rest a few minutes. This make them medium with a bit of pink and they are very tasty. Especially the legs, I could eat a tone of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikk Posted November 26, 2013 Report Share Posted November 26, 2013 I've shot 3 woodcock and seen 5 ever but next time I'll give them away as it's nothing great . I'm not trying to be an a*s but why shoot them if you don't want to eat them? Guts in but I couldn't face spreading them on toast... I really want to cook it like the French do with the guts etc although it's not a particularly nice thought. I found some good recipes on youtube iirc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted November 26, 2013 Report Share Posted November 26, 2013 I'm not trying to be an a*s but why shoot them if you don't want to eat them? iirc. I havent since . I have a list of people that want one so theirs never waste I'm not trying to be an a*s but why shoot them if you don't want to eat them? iirc. I havent since . I have a list of people that want one so theirs never waste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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