Blackpowder Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 So far this spring on the first of our Assoc Charity Pigeon Shoots pigeons have been scarce. Our second shoot on 13th Feb on an estate well known for its pigeon shooting saw an abysmal 48 in the bag. This estate has mainly large blocks of softwoods interspaced with decidious trees all of mature nature and not the easiest place to shoot. The 13th co-encided with pretty windless day which meant that pigeon could mainly drop into the centre of sitka spruce plantations virtually unmolested. Even so here there are usually birds flighting around from 3pm until 5 but not so on this occasion. Pigeon were in a word scarce. What a difference a week and a few miles makes for the shoot on the 20th Feb. It was apparent driving there that there was a mass of birds about thanks in no small measure to at least one un cut bean field adjacent to the estate venue. Fingers were crossed to draw a good roost wood but alas my draw gave one of the most difficult on the place. A wood of mature scots pine with an abundance of elder undergrowth on a very steep riverside bank makes it one of the most difficult places to pick shot birds ever seen. Stand at the top and as sure as anything you will spend a lot of time and energy running up and down this bank to retrieve dead and wounded birds. Stand on the ride seven eights of the way down then the birds topping the bank and trees are at extreme range. Albeit anything shot should land at your feet but it takes a better than average shot to achieve this. Three pm and two of us are at the woodside. I take the down stream section and decide to have a spy out around the margins to see if any flight lines are established. With a strong west wind I would have thought that birds would have sought the river valley and its shelter rather than face the wind. Ten minutes spying tells me this is not the case. There is a steady trickle of pigeons coming across the field on a broad front the width of the wood. Not that there is a flight line, if it is its 200 yards broad. Decision time I opt for a sheltered corner in a natural hide on the wood edge and hope that I shall be under and in range of at least some of the birds. There are birds in view approaching the wood from the start, and eventually one comes within range to be missed handsomely with both barrels. The next pays the price and falls wounded in the field. Like the next three oncoming birds it is downed with a broken right wing so methinks time for some examination of gun mounting and fit. All shot birds are placed out as decoys on the winter grain. it does seem to draw some birds closer, one dropping in to the dead birds and another actually landing. Its been pretty slow on the whole but plenty of gun fire from all around suggests that members are having plenty shooting. I pick up 7 for 20 shots which pleases me, my fellow Gun has four but several lost in the tangle of elder within the wood. Time to book in and there are plenty double figure bags, some into 20s and 30s. One member struggles in with 45 making him equal to my own record on the largest bag trophy which has stood since the milenium year. The count is 289 when we leave with at least one Gun to book in. So its happy days all round and especially as a couple of our new members have enjoyed good shooting on their first Charity Shoot Outing. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Very interesting, well done. Which charity benefits from your day out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Which charity benefits from your day out? We shoot five different estates in Berwickshire and Northumberland throughout February , March and early April. Some we visit twice in these weeks. Landlords are asked in rotation to nominate a charity of their choice to share the proceeds from the sale of pigeons. We have helped various cancer charities, air ambulance, search and rescue dogs, local churches in other words whatever the chosen landlords wishes to support. The assoc. is The Tweed Valley Wildfowlers Assoc which has a membership area limit of 20 miles radius of Berwick on Tweed, or I think by discretion of the committee this can be extended a little. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Superb, what a great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Always good to see shooters doing something for good causes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Well done , an interesting concept . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Well done , an interesting concept . It was already well established when I joined the assoc back in 1975. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 An excellent report and a good score for difficult birds. I suspect that I know some of the woods included in this shoot and I have probably shot in them myself. I bet you were on the banks of the Whitadder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 An excellent report and a good score for difficult birds. I suspect that I know some of the woods included in this shoot and I have probably shot in them myself. I bet you were on the banks of the Whitadder. The Tweed JDog I suspect the reason that there are so many about is the un cut beain field you mentioned last year. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 The Tweed JDog I suspect the reason that there are so many about is the un cut beain field you mentioned last year. Blackpowder Did you go and check that field out BP? My pest controlling pal hasn't stopped talking about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 Did you go and check that field out BP? My pest controlling pal hasn't stopped talking about it! No not had a chance yet but seem to have a clear day or two coming up so must go and spy. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Well fourth Charity Shoot on Saturday 27th Feb back at the same Estate(their choice) as last week when the bag was 308. What a difference a wind makes, last week a nice steady breeze from somewhere between W and SW, great stuff we know to stand back to the wind for the best results. This week its dead calm. Plenty pigeons about, we see them as we drive to the meeting place. Hopes are high for a good draw and a decent roost wood. I mutter a few bless yous when I see mine a narrow strip on a moderate bank leading down to the river, not really a roost wood but can be a flight line. Its pretty dense with few clearings and I known my lack of expertise will not lead to a good bag here. My travelling companion, a very good pigeon shot draws the wood which returned the highest score of 45 last week. Well I am humiliated the pigeon zip past at tree top height and they are gone before they register, never mind get the gun up. There are plenty pigeon passing high at times but a distinct lack of shooting compared to last week. Book in time ONE pigeon , how many shots ? Well err 16 maybe 17, OUCH! It is soon apparent that no big bags are being recorded, my friend books in 4 and reports the pigeon just dropping from on high into the thickest part of the woods. Final score is 69 for the entire membership, just goes to show how unpredictable roost shooting can be. Well perhaps better the next time. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 A good honest report. That sort of ratio can easily be 'achieved'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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