Dr D Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 It's nearly that time of year. Took the gun out yesterday and gave it the the once over. Anyone in N Ireland been out at the pigeons yet? I havent seen any posts. I tend not to shoot them on standing stuff unless I'm asked. However, I have a few fields of winter stuff that are near ready for cutting, so not long to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted July 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 So. By the lack of response, it would appear no is the answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapid rich Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Shot over standing winter barley yesterday and this morning, crows are flattening parts of it. Shot 35 crows yesterday , only 6 crows and 2 pigeon this morning. Probably be cut in weeks time and looking forward to some good stubble shooting then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Haven't been out once. Shot a lot of rabbits during the week, but haven't seen many pigeons. I'm off for a few days in a couple of weeks, so will probably do a bit of shooting then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I'll hopefully get out in August. Can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagantino Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Got the Berretta semi out last Thursday. A field of uncut barley but badly flattened down by wind and rain. Under the trees is completely flat so it must be run-off from the rain and the wind. This field had areas of thick grass growing up through the barley. I kept an eye on this field and could see lots of bird activity. Walked it on Wednesday and decided to set up on Thursday. As I was setting up I became aware of a whooshing noise, looked up to see a huge flock of wood pigeon above me, so there's lots of birds about. I had to put the decoys on flattened areas and had no luck for at least an hour, though lots of wood pigeons were flyingin smaller groups. Very frustrating to watch the birds land on the wires and settle into another part of the field. First birds killed at 11:00 or so, but the decoy pattern wasn't producing settling birds but what it did produce was birds flying into the trees above me to have a look. I had the best days sport shooting the birds coming into the tree above me. One thing I was not happy about, was the birds,shot clean, but falling into the barley still standing. I could not retrieve about 4 birds. Finished at 2:30 and picked up 23 wood pigeon, no feral and no crows. And I lost me glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted July 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Just back from having a scout. Came across a field with three strong flight lines and approx 600 or 700 hundred on the stubble. Slight problem is that it is strictly no shooting. So off I went for my annual pilgrimage to the landowner to try my luck. after the pleasantries I received the same answer. "I dont like the shooting." Everything year they hit that field. Now Im sitting in the house wishing next weekend would hurry up, because three fields down the road from that one will be cut. With any luck they will head for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I'll hopefully get out in August. Can't wait! Aye I'll second that, its been a while since ive been out with the shotgun so me thinks a wee trip down to hallow farm might be in order. Shot a couple of magpies and crows with a friends air rifle the other day. Can't wait to the season starts for the ducks and geese!! Roll on August and September! !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted July 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 (edited) Your bound to have stubbles down your way strangford now, the winter barley is two weeks earlier than last year. Id check my fields now if were you. Also its been great breeding year, there are loads about the place. Edited July 26, 2014 by Dr D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I was out today. On 3 occasions I went to fields I had been watching to find other shooters there. Anyway like I said last year I would never set up beside them as I hated it when some other tool did that last year. Ended up in a field of laid barley for a couple of hours & shot 13 pigeons & 2 crows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 Your bound to have stubbles down your way strangford now, the winter barley is two weeks earlier than last year. Id check my fields now if were you. Also its been great breeding year, there are loads about the place. Aye there quite a few cut barley fields around but all of the stuff thats been cut has been shot to the max already there loads of late barley in this year so it will be end of august before some of it is cut, also waiting for a couple of big rape fields to be cut thats when I will do some pigeon shooting. There is quite a few pigeons around this year I have the shooting rights to a large wood and its chock a block with pigeons. Many pigeons down your way DR.D and out of interest down you shoot for any estates as im doing quite a bit of beating in this coming season and have been given the shooting of vermin on a syndicate which is rather large. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted July 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Quite a few about here strangford. I dont shoot any estates. When I did the vermin shoots were never that successful. Plenty of birds but it only takes one idiot to start shooting high and its ruined. Also you need wind. Lots of it! Ollie. I agree. This is the silly season for pigeons. The birds are young and daft and every idiot with a gun is out. I watched a boy yesterday in a field just cut. He was at least a hundred yards off the flightline, which was obvious. So, the birds werent committing. Instead of moving he started blasting away at the 100yarders. Too many Digweed videos im afraid! Not helped by the fact that he couldnt shoot for toffee. Roll on the winter I say when they are either off to a pheasant peg or in the house in case they get wet. Im not a big fan of august and september, although I like getting out after the break. Smaller bags in the winter, but the sport is in my view at its best in a cold december day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 😂😂😂 well said dr, although in the winter I'll be rough shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted July 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Here. I just went out for a noisy at field round the corner that was cut this week and seen a pure white woodpigeon. I never seen one like that before. Totally white except for the dark bar along its tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Here. I just went out for a noisy at field round the corner that was cut this week and seen a pure white woodpigeon. I never seen one like that before. Totally white except for the dark bar along its tail. Interesting Dr.d who make a good ornament if it was stuffed go shoot it I would Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagantino Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Got out again today on stubble barley. Loads of wood pigeon about ......very wary though. I set up in a field with some houses nearby so I was real careful about muzzle direction. The hide poles are the best way to control this. Steady birds all day but not an intense day. I picked up 35 woodies by 3:30 cos I had shot my last cartridge! I used a half choke with GB 6's. I think I could squeeze one more day out of this field...lots of guys shoot this field because it's near Belfast and Lisburn. I've never witnessed any silly behaviour when I'm out, but I'm sure I took impossible shots when I was young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Is anyone doing any wildfowling this coming season on Strangford lough or else where? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggthepool05 Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 35 woodies is good going up this end same as yourself I shoot round Lisburn and Iam from Belfast a lot people shooting same fields so pigeon are very wary. And yes strangford I will be shooting strangford this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggysreels Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 I dont actually live in N Ireland, but l enjoy reading your posts ... good shooting fellas ..atb hoggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 35 woodies is good going up this end same as yourself I shoot round Lisburn and Iam from Belfast a lot people shooting same fields so pigeon are very wary. And yes strangford I will be shooting strangford this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 I shot a flight line yesterday on a standing wheat field. No flat areas to decoy. Shot 20 altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Was off work this afternoon. Headed out to a field that was cut last week. Set up at 2.30 finished at 6ish. I picked up 67. This is my first day out, so not a bad start. I will stick a photo up later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 35 woodies is good going up this end same as yourself I shoot round Lisburn and Iam from Belfast a lot people shooting same fields so pigeon are very wary. And yes strangford I will be shooting strangford this year I qouted this post earlier and it appears the text has not worked so I will try again. Are you a member of one of the clubs or did you get a private permit to shoot the shore? Also did you shoot the lough last season it was pretty poor down the lower part of the lough last year very few birds around? Weldone Dr.D is most of your shooting down near Banbridge directions as you always seem to have lots of pigeons unlike round here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted August 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 Here you go. Not a great photo, because I took it from my phone. Strangford, as we discussed before, I shoot all over the place including your neck of the woods. This field only had a dozen birds on it when I arrived. But I knew they were using it late afternoon. There are plenty of birds about. You just need to watch for them in the air, not on the ground. I know lots of people who are looking for fields with hundreds of birds on them. But sometimes pigeons dont work like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 I went to a field yesterday with my mate, it was laid wheat. We got set-up for about 12.30pm & packed up at 6ish. We picked 60 pigeons but we shot about 85 total. We also shot about 40+corvids including 8 grey crows. The birds were still going into the field when we left. Some great shooting was had as a lot of the birds were flighting elsewhere. I hate not picking 20+ birds but we managed to drop a lot on the laid patches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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