First decent bag on rape

[pete1dart]

First time out this year for pigeons and it turned out to be a great one. I didn't take any decoys or gear, just gun and cartridges. The plan was to travel light and just walk around trying to find a decent spot. From beating and shooting on this farm during the pheasant season, I hadn't seen a single bird on the rape or any cover crops. This all changed today.

 

I parked the car and decided to walk straight to a maize cover, it's got an old straw barn and 4 or 5 big oaks at the end of it. I got half way across the field when around 100 pigeons lifted from the maize. In previous years when this happens they normally don't come back. They all flew to the 1 decent sized wood that we have on this farm, so I decided to walk up there.

 

The wood is around 100 yards wide and around 200 yards long, so it's not the biggest but it does hold pigeons well. On both sides this year is rape. I decided to stand in one of my favorite spots, give it 30 mins and if nothing happened I would just strool onto the next spot where any pigeons were.

 

I was well sheltered from the wind as it was coming from behind me but now and again a real big gust would get up and throw the trees around a bit. After a couple of minutes the first bird was in the bag. Then I missed a few and then managed a few more. They were coming into the trees but like rockets on the wind.

 

I decided to put my shot birds out onto the rape and just see what happened. A few birds were interested, not really properly decoying but coming close enough for a look for me to get a shot at them before they could get into the trees. I decided that I would keep adding to the pattern in the rape but go back to my original spot. I could still see the decoys from where I was standing but thought I would get more back in the wood.

 

Around 12 the pigeons pored into the wood, the ones that I could hit were stuffed with beech and acorns but a few were starting to come into the decoys. And I was getting some good shooting. For the last hour I stood back in the wood again, and they just kept coming from all directions. And coming against the wind , with the wind and with the wind side ways.

 

Now the wind when I was in the wood was blowing from behind me, when I was in the field it was coming from the right. No wonder the pigeons were coming in from everywhere and not really turning into the wind like normal. I think they were more confused than me! I can only put it down to the wind swerling when it came over the wood.

 

I think I was shooting behind a lot today, not really judging the speed of the birds on the wind. But my instincts were trying to kick in as I was expecting the birds to be slowing down but they were travelling at the same speed as the wind was coming from 2 different directions? (If that makes sence)?

 

I finished the day with 47 pigeons and a rook. Packed up at 3 as it went dead at around 2.30. Had around 100 shots today and was getting a bit frustrated at times, but over all it was a very enjoyable day. The best day I have had on rape in winter.

 

Pete

[JDog]

A very good day I would say.

[Paul taylor]

Sounds like a great day well done in a decent bag.