Frustrating " Game"

[pigeon controller]

Started out at 11.00 on our normal run out of the city , no birds flighting so we went to look at the standing beans we have shot two weeks previously . the two fields had at least four hundred birds buzzing aroud , we phoned the farmer only to be told we could not shoot as the syndicate were shooting the ducks next week and they did not want them disturbed, we could shoot the wheat stubble close by but this had no birds down only birds crossing to the beans, so we moved on.We went to another farm with birds down on the wheat stubble to be told its too close to the release pens. We then passed through our grass area which is a section of land about five miles wide which has no crops planted only grass . It is a good area in the winter for acorns on the oaks but thats it . The next cereal farm can be very productive but it changed hands some years ago and we have not shot it since. We stopped to look at it and saw a good line crossing it to the last field to be cut so we knocked on the door and asked it we could have a day . The reply was yes as long as we shoot some of the crows which we agreed to do although we had no crow decoys with us. We could only shoot from the side of a small pond as the game birds were down the other edge. We set up with ten real birds on cradles and two on the magnet , the first three birds in flaired at the decoys so we took the magnet down and put two angels out the next bird came in and landed in the pattern so we knew it was OK. It was now 14.30 and we shot well but it was frustrating as passing high shots were landing in the pool behind us and with no dog they were lost birds we ended up with over a dozen floating in the water. We managed to shoot a few crows and jackdaws and packed up at 18.00 picking up one hundred and sixtynine pigeons and ten crows and jackdaws. We phoned the owner and told him the tally and he was well chuffed and he had checked our story with the previous owner and said we can shoot he pigeons and crows any time , RESULT.

 

Today we set out at 10.00 and had a drive around looking but as before very little bird movement , we looked at two farms for the wheat stubble but no real numbers or birds joining so we moved on . We picked up a flightline over a Government Establishment which is a definatly no shooting area and we managed to pick it up on the other sideand it went to a pea stubble field that they were ploughing it had approx two hundred birds down so we phoned the farmer and he said we could only shoot from the far edge as the ducks were on the pond in the middle , now the pond was the best place to shoot ,out of the sun and with the wind off your back . The far edge had the sun setting behind us and the wind from the side. To give us the edge we flagged off the the pond area with ten flags and this moved the birds down towards our intended hide position. Now the sun was very bright and with our set up of tenfresh birds from the day before with two on the magnet which we placed in the middle of the pattern which atracted the birds but as they aproached the pattern they jinxed as thet lost height and this made for difficult shooting . We had set up at 12.00 and finished at 18.00 and picked up one hundred and sixty six birds . had we been in the correct position on the field we should have had two hundred plus but it was a great day.

 

 

 

 

[aga man]

Despite the frustration, you managed to shoot bigger bags than many of us have managed this year!

 

Your excellent knowledge and observation skills, once again won the day.

 

Well shot PC and DB.

[Charlie_79]

Your consistency amazes me every weekend, another great couple of days

[FOXHUNTER1]

Brilliant result and perseverance as usual .

[JDog]

Flight lines are the key to pigeon shooting. You are just much better than the rest of us in waiting for the right one to shoot.

 

Presentation average.

[steveyg]

Have'nt been on for a while however nothing changes..another couple of cracking days,well done

[sitsinhedges]

I would like to be 'frustrated' like this once in a while

[Underdog]

Crackin' :-)

[maxwell]

Once again, very efficient and consistant, a standard most of us can only wish for, your knowledge is worthy of a book if only to pass on to future pigeon shooters,

 

Good shooting, Well done.

[pigeon controller]

Thanks for your comments , it's not that I'm anti game shooting but it is frustrating when they do shoot and say they could not have much sport because the birds are spooked by our shooting . When we walk the ground there are birds all over the place and the duck ponds are semi tame as you walk by they do not lift .

 

JDog the presentation was difficult on both days due to the terrain.

 

Sitsinhedges, I am aware that we are very fortunate to have birds in good numbers in our area but it is frustrating when you know you could shoot more and are restricted to where you can shoot and the farmer wants them shot when they are on the rape.

 

I am concious that my reports are very similar each week but that's what we do . Other Midland shooters must be as successful and keep quiet . I hope from my repetitive repors the massive may glean some snippet of our system that will enhance there shooting

[Scully]

Good shooting; fabulous result. The point about the 'no shooting near pens' and not disturbing the ducks is usually due to 'keepers or landowners not wanting complaints from other guns who are paying to shoot, either directly or indirectly.

Once the birds are out and about I doubt shooting will disturb them to the extent they don't return anyhow, but no one wants to risk complaints from people who have paid, or will pay to shoot. We aren't even allowed to lamp bunnies on some places during the game season.

[Dbw1shrops]

I'm for one am happy you post your bags each weekend and enjoy the write up you put into it,also there's always a couple of good pointers you put in to learn from well done PC and DB keep on posting them bags you must be cream crackered after bags like that every weekend I know if I have a 20 -30 bag I'm knackered when I get in and ready for a nice cold beverage carrying all that gear ain't great for sometimes a small reward but it's great getting out there in the hope of a decent size bag and one big learning curve, I have learnt a fair bit of this site from a lot of the posts and from yourself and spend more time watching now than I did before when I would rush to set up at the sight of a dozen or so pigeons lol but I don't think there's the numbers of birds on my perms that there used to be but still I've got to get out there at least once a week for my fix lol

 

Atvb Dave

[Mightymariner]

Always look forward to a PC report, I am never disappointed, even when his title suggests otherwise.

[motty]

ST does it again !

[rainman_l]

PC - I always look forward to reading your posts - don't think for a moment they are not informative for us lesser mortals as acting as encouragement for those starting out or those having a bad week.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post each week.

[marsh man]

Most of our upland farms or estates are connected to game shooting one way or the other , a lot of the smaller farms join there land up with the neighbours to form enough land for game shooting either walk and stand or driven .

 

I often wonder if the lack of shooting pigeons on keepered land this time of the year make a difference to the local population as it give the young ones a chance to build up there body weight without being chased about day after day. as an ex sample, I know where there are some Bean stubble fields where a very big bag would be on the cards if you, or anyone who knows what there doing decoyed it , alas that is never going to happen as there is a cover strip run down the length of the bean field so those pigeons can feed each day with no disturbance until it ploughed in or sprout out into leaf .

 

As far as your weekly reports go , they never cease to amaze me . I thought after many years of decoying I knew a little about what I was doing , that was until I followed your report about your one or two days decoying with your mate from week to week in different locations and on different crops .

 

Little snippets of information and a joy to read .............Long may it continue P C.

 

P S ...Could you produce a calendar for 2016 with your 12 best bags , one for each month ,and please use the ones with a smile on your face

[morty]

I remember when I was a kid and waiting every wk for my mag to come through the door . It was called The Victor , some war soldier type mag .

I couldn't wait to read it , and now every wk I look forward to reading your reports .

They give hope to people like me Mr average who doesn't know the bee all and end all about pigeon shooting , but we learn from people like u PC .

So keep posting for the majority , I for one will be looking forward to next wks report .

 

 

I went out yesterday and shot a flight line , one of 3 crossing a field . Thought I picked the right line , but no it was the wrong one .

Managed ten in all then the birds stopped coming , still had some good sport . But back to the drawing board . I didn't even know about flight lines till I read some of your reports .

Thanks for another great report PC .

 

MORTY

[m3vert]

As always a brilliant write up and a brilliant bag :-) Always good to read about your days shooting! Any chance of a photo at some point of your decoy set up?? Would be much appreciated. I have been successful recently but probably only because I had a rather handy pea field to shoot over, always find it a bit trickier on other fields so would be great to see how you guys are set up? Thanks in advance :-)

[pigeon controller]

As always a brilliant write up and a brilliant bag :-) Always good to read about your days shooting! Any chance of a photo at some point of your decoy set up?? Would be much appreciated. I have been successful recently but probably only because I had a rather handy pea field to shoot over, always find it a bit trickier on other fields so would be great to see how you guys are set up? Thanks in advance :-)

Thanks for the comments i have posted set ups previously can only find rape set up at present if it helps

[m3vert]

Thanks pigeon controller much appreciated

[pigeon controller]

As always a brilliant write up and a brilliant bag :-) Always good to read about your days shooting! Any chance of a photo at some point of your decoy set up?? Would be much appreciated. I have been successful recently but probably only because I had a rather handy pea field to shoot over, always find it a bit trickier on other fields so would be great to see how you guys are set up? Thanks in advance :-)

 

 

More Set Ups

 

 

 

 

 

[m3vert]

Brilliant pigeon controller thank you

I have a mate from on here picking me up a rotor at Midland show, is there a secret on the placing of the rotary? Looking at your photos with it in them it appears to be on the edge of the pattern, is that the case most of the time?? Sorry for all the questions but appreciate your help Thanks

[pigeon controller]

Brilliant pigeon controller thank you

I have a mate from on here picking me up a rotor at Midland show, is there a secret on the placing of the rotary? Looking at your photos with it in them it appears to be on the edge of the pattern, is that the case most of the time?? Sorry for all the questions but appreciate your help Thanks

I tend to place it at the back of the "U" towards the hide, but move it if the birds dont come in . As Ive reported before the first bird in see if it will land in the pattern if not its wrong and change it .

[motty]

I tend to place it at the back of the "U" towards the hide, but move it if the birds dont come in . As Ive reported before the first bird in see if it will land in the pattern if not its wrong and change it .

I don't often disagree with what you say, but I do on this occasion. I would not rely on the behaviour of a single pigeon as an indicator of whether a certain pattern may be right/wrong.

[pigeon controller]

I don't often disagree with what you say, but I do on this occasion. I would not rely on the behaviour of a single pigeon as an indicator of whether a certain pattern may be right/wrong.

Hi Motty, we only use this as an indicator to see if the pattern is ok if they reject it we change it . I have no problem if you disagree as you have to use a method that you feel comfortable with.