JDog Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 It was difficult to know when to go out today. I was awake at 04:00 as I am every 21st June and it was sunny and warming up by 6:00. Out of my bedroom window I could see and hear corvids on the move early but I saw no pigeons. Bed pull won the day and with the Daily Telegraph and breakfast in bed I stayed in until 10! An eccentric friend had been bullying me to take him out so we met in the pub at lunchtime. By the time my shandy arrived he was offering his glass for another pint. The field of peas I wanted to look at was a mile from the pub and I refused to let him have anymore if he was to be handling a shot gun. There were 60 birds on when we got there and having pushed them off we waited impatiently for them to return which they did within 20 minutes. We had a difference of opinion as to where to site the hide. My companion's sense of direction let him down and he wanted to set up looking into the sun. We set up looking away from the sun and with a decent hedge behind us. The flight lasted four hours during which time we both shot some decent birds and by the time we packed up, hot, tired and thirsty we had picked 109 pigeons. We shot roughly the same amount of birds and my companion brought off one of the most stupendous doubles I have ever seen. He can drink and shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Well done , there will be no ton bag for me on peas this year again as I expect most of them to be gone by this time next week and never done much good on vining pea stubble , not that I expect it to be left long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Nice day Dog sounds like fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Well shot JDog, you will sleep well tonight sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m greeny Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Cracking day and very good bag i just wish i could get out but been all work and no play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 A very nice bag. I am very jealous as I haven't been out today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 i went out today on picked peas shot 23 pigeons, came home and jummed in the pool and that was nice, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 i went out today on picked peas shot 23 pigeons, came home and jummed in the pool and that was nice, I'd rather not know what you get up to in the pool...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 JDog well done it sounds a great day out with some great weather , I have a mental picture of your friend taking impressive shots then taking a slug from his hip flask , did you have to stop at the pub on the way back home??. It's good to hear that you took your friend out and had an impressive day, keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Nice shooting Jdog , I went out on Friday evening after work with a mate for a couple of hrs on some peas , however with my jaw aching after having a tooth out on Tuesday I was quite happy sitting on the other side of the field watching him shoot and in-between just watching the world go by , he had some cracking shoots too . but like I say , well done on your foray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiffy Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 sounds a cracking day ( i had my best day ever in a hide yesterday and my bag was half that) had hoped top shoot over peas myself but the fields are still in flower not a pod in sight so hit the corvids on acut hay field instead out of curiosity, when the peas are in flower how long before their ready to shoot over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masmiffy Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 we got 400 acres of peas to shoot over (in one lump) its been useless to be honest far to much for them to go at. Get a couple of shots then they move could chase them all day for little reward! Shame but having just had a small heart attack and a visit to Papworth to have stents fitted cant say I am that worried about a few pigeons!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 we got 400 acres of peas to shoot over (in one lump) its been useless to be honest far to much for them to go at. Get a couple of shots then they move could chase them all day for little reward! Shame but having just had a small heart attack and a visit to Papworth to have stents fitted cant say I am that worried about a few pigeons!! Flipping hell are you alright, no amount of pigeons is worth your health id be taking it easy if I where u. Well done Jdog you always seem to come up with the goods thats a fantastic bag of pigeons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimmie Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 we got 400 acres of peas to shoot over (in one lump) its been useless to be honest far to much for them to go at. Get a couple of shots then they move could chase them all day for little reward! Shame but having just had a small heart attack and a visit to Papworth to have stents fitted cant say I am that worried about a few pigeons!! Put some rope bangers or plastic bags on sticks out to keep them moving. Might help, stop you having to chase them about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) sounds a cracking day ( i had my best day ever in a hide yesterday and my bag was half that) had hoped top shoot over peas myself but the fields are still in flower not a pod in sight so hit the corvids on acut hay field instead out of curiosity, when the peas are in flower how long before their ready to shoot over? Peas are ready to be shot over at any time from drilling to harvest. The best time is when there is the most pigeons on there. Edited June 22, 2014 by motty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Well done , there will be no ton bag for me on peas this year again as I expect most of them to be gone by this time next week and never done much good on vining pea stubble , not that I expect it to be left long. I am surprised at that. I've had a few tons on vining stubbles. In fact, one year the pigeons hardly touched a particular field until it had been cut. Then I had 100+ bags on there in consecutive weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 sounds a cracking day ( i had my best day ever in a hide yesterday and my bag was half that) had hoped top shoot over peas myself but the fields are still in flower not a pod in sight so hit the corvids on acut hay field instead out of curiosity, when the peas are in flower how long before their ready to shoot over? Motty beat me to it (as always). There has not been a pigeon on that field since I shot it five days after it was drilled until this week. I am not entirely sure whether they are eating the flowers or fresh growth at the top of the plant but they are not eating the pods. I shot a different field of peas last Friday. The peas there are backwards with not a single flower in sight yet the pigeons were on the crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Motty beat me to it (as always). There has not been a pigeon on that field since I shot it five days after it was drilled until this week. I am not entirely sure whether they are eating the flowers or fresh growth at the top of the plant but they are not eating the pods. I shot a different field of peas last Friday. The peas there are backwards with not a single flower in sight yet the pigeons were on the crop. I still think it's the time of year that matters most and not the growth stage of the peas, whether the pigeons will be on the peas or not. My best bag on peas was in June 2010. The peas were drilled in May and the plants were 2-3" tall. They decoyed superbly and the bag was 205. In other areas the pigeons have left fields alone until well into June. These fields just so happened to be in pod and also produced good bags. The pea field I visited on Thursday is showing the most amount of pigeons on it since it has been drilled. I wish it was drilled only last month, as I believe a big score could be had. Unfortunately, the peas are 3ft tall now where the pigeons want to be, so I think I will miss the potential bonanza. Shooting a fat-cropped pigeon on it's way into a tree, I then decided to check it's lunch. It was 90% full with nipped off pea pods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Motty, once again I defer to your superior knowledge and skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 we got 400 acres of peas to shoot over (in one lump) its been useless to be honest far to much for them to go at. Get a couple of shots then they move could chase them all day for little reward! Shame but having just had a small heart attack and a visit to Papworth to have stents fitted cant say I am that worried about a few pigeons!! Why can't you get some mates to cover the other fields that is what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Motty, once again I defer to your superior knowledge and skill. No, you get me wrong. I was not trying to sound like a know all, just sharing my observations. I apologise if I sounded like a ****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Sorry Motty it was not meant to be a telling off. I saw good sense in shooting a pigeon with a full crop and identifying it's crop contents. For my part I rarely see pigeons with parts of pea pod in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I am surprised at that. I've had a few tons on vining stubbles. In fact, one year the pigeons hardly touched a particular field until it had been cut. Then I had 100+ bags on there in consecutive weeks. I hope this year is different then , it does not help that the farmer is usually very keen to get the fields turned over . Personally I have always done much better on harvest pea stubble . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.