Pykie Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 We had the second of our trio of family rough shoots we hold every season. The weather has been nice and cold the past few days and the grass was crunchy with ice as we met for a cuppa at grandads. A quick recce had confirmed the pond had thankfully not frozen and I spied a nice few ducks swimming about. With about ten of us shooting and a few beaters, I organised a mini wild duck drive and it went to plan perfect. Around 30 duck erupted from the pond and flew over the guns, with five mallard, a cock teal and a surprise of a hen gadwall ending up in the bag - a definite first for us. We made our way to the start working the boundary hedges and spinnies and we finally found a few pheasants and a mile high rook that dropped stone dead. We were seeing good numbers of game and everyone was having a shot or two. A woodcock was taken from our wood drive along with some more pheasants, I managed to get a wiley cock bird that tried to break back. Next after a break of cheese and crackers and a sloe-gasm each, we did the river which are two streams that meet to a point where there is a large patch of reeds and wet ground where we put the bulk of the guns. And this is where the fun began. As soon as we started to beat the streams down snipe were flushing in wisps constantly, the air filled with the scrape of their calls. Each shot made more erupt from the grass and for about twenty minutes, we shot and shot as snipe and pheasant were flushed left right and centre. I pulled down two as did my brother, all nice high birds in fine shape. The guns at the front were having a whale of a time and when we met them at the end of the beat, most had only a few cartridges left. The dogs worked exceptionally well retrieving in the reeds and we worked back and forth to make sure everything was picked. None of us had ever seen so many snipe, guessing in the region of 200 had been seen. We next worked some abandoned vegetable fields and a few more snipe and another woodcock were shot, and yet again more pheasants. As I stood watching the shooting, a fox came scrambling in front of me along a hedge my friend was beating down. I waited for him to break cover across the gateway but the clever beast instead doubled back so neither of us could shoot in fear of hitting each other. One to get with the lamp! We went back tired and hungry but very happy for a late lunch and when vehicles and game bags were emptied, we discovered just what the tally was. 43 pheasants, 5 mallard, 2 woodcock, a teal, a gadwall, a rook, a woodpigeon and an impressive 29 snipe! It was a record day of 83 head for us and one I doubt we will repeat again. Not all pictured as we dropped some off to the farmers on the way back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misser Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 that is one cracking bag...well done.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Fabulous day out, well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simjakcal Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 excellent stuff and a good write up to....cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Fantastic day's shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiej Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Great write up & proper good bag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 That was a very fine day's shooting amongst family and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fielddweller Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Excellent day all round pykie,sounds like you had a ball. Atb Fielddweller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Brilliant days shooting Pykie ,,,,,,a huge haul of snipe , good shooting I suspect as they take some hitting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berettacocker Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Used to love mixed bag days, well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Cracking day. Thanks for sharing :-). U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy bingo Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 a very good day mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 what a wonderful day, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I have now had chance to peruse the picture of the bag again. It occurs to me that there are a number of birds in the bag which are not on the quarry list. Sorry to dampen the euphoria of your good day but identifying birds which are about to be shot is all important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I have now had chance to peruse the picture of the bag again. It occurs to me that there are a number of birds in the bag which are not on the quarry list. Sorry to dampen the euphoria of your good day but identifying birds which are about to be shot is all important. The reason I dont shoot snipe ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I assume jdog is referring to the 2 different species of snipe that are in the picture. Quarry identification is really important at all times but especially so when shooting snipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pykie Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I have now had chance to peruse the picture of the bag again. It occurs to me that there are a number of birds in the bag which are not on the quarry list. Sorry to dampen the euphoria of your good day but identifying birds which are about to be shot is all important. I was half expecting someone to question the bag, and I can assure you they are all common snipe if that was what was being queried. Due to the angle of the birds some may seem to have shorter beaks etc but all of my Guns know the flight patterns between the two types of snipe, the jack flushing later and straighter for a short distance without calling usually. I blow a whistle if I believe a jack is in the air to lessen the chance of a mistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Looks like a few Jacks are maybe in the bag.Would need to see the crown to be sure but they dont look like commons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurchers Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Very welldone mate good write up to atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Great day out. Personally,I prefer to see Snipe left alone. Just a personal view. Not having a pop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoot and be safe Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 They are difficult to tell apart, unless you have been told what the difference between them is, you will be shown after the shot has been taken. If you are out after snipe then you should do your homework regarding identification. I have been on two different shoots this season where 1 has been shot on both. I didn't see the one one the first shoot, but I was told about the flight patterns between the two after the drive was over. The second one was shot on a different shoot by someone else. It was my dog that flushed it and I did raise my gun to it. However I tempered what I had been told by the guns on the previous occasion and let it fly on. The gun further down the line saw it last minute and pulled the trigger. As soon as he saw it fold he knew what it was. Again the other guns were told how to identify the difference between the two. Mistakes are made and we all have to live by them. But lessons were learned. To this day I have never shot a snipe, mainly because I didn't know the difference. And they took off to soon. Looks like you had a grand day and if you are confident they are commons, well done on a grand day out with the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filzee Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 Looks like a great day. We have seen a lot of snipe this year coming out of our mustard and rape fields. Non have been harmed as of yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) Good day out and good shooting no doubt... With regards to Snipe generally..... just cant see the point personally, but each to his own. They are not difficult to tell apart in fact..jacks are smaller with markedly shorter bills, their flight is normally low and straight unlike a common which will always zig zag. Any one who shoots regularly should really be able to tell. Edited January 2, 2015 by Fisherman Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 I've only ever shot 1 snipe and that was a fluke. it was one of loads that got off of a field that had been flooded and then drained off to a muddy splodge. this one caught a pellet into the wing. Unlucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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