Catamong Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 I had a unique occurrence today, was decoying over rape, set up at 9.30 after walking the birds off the field, didn't bother with any deeks, only a rotary and flapper with dead birds. They came in pretty steady on a very cool north easterly wind, I soon had 20 on the clicker. Around 11.30am I had a group of 5 or 6 birds come in to the deeks, I took the first one about a foot off the ground, killed it cleanly with one shot from my semi auto Benelli, the other birds quickly turned downwind and headed off towards safety. When they were about 200 yards away I noticed one of them fold up in mid flight and drop like a stone to the ground. I couldn't work it out, that bird was nowhere near the one I shot, probably 20 or 30 feet above it at the moment I fired the gun, so I was completely baffled by what had happened...? I thought it could have hit some power lines running across the field, but he was well above those. I was using 7.5's in Steel shot so I thought it could be a freak ricochet, but that would have been incredible, so I went over to the other side of the field a bit later, found the bird, stone dead, but with no obvious signs of injury. When I picked it up, it was clearly underweight, and it had a big growth on its top beak that was probably preventing it from feeding properly. I reckon that bird suffered a heart attack whilst exerting itself trying to keep up with the others..?? Any thoughts..? I packed up at 1.00pm with 49 on the clicker, that one made a round 50..! Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Did you pluck the bird and examine the body for any signs of injury etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) A heart attack is possible but a pellet injury is more likely. Having said that PC saw 172 pigeons die in the same way today. I did see a video recently of two chaps in the USA watching a Grizzly bear which ran across them and just died. Edited March 19, 2016 by JDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggysreels Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Was there ST elevation ? .. what was the results of the trop T test ?... best keeping an open mind .. R.l.P. Mr Woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 I witnessed a pigeon having what I assume was a heart attack in a warehouse some years ago. One of the workers threw some wrapping tape at it and missed by a few feet. Seconds later the pigeon fell into a shopping trolley below. It was stone dead before it hit the trolley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 I read one in the sixties in the Shooting times, a bloke driving a tractor made a backfire as a bunch of woodies flew over & one fell out dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Heard of a beater pointing his stick and saying "BANG" and a pheasant dropped dead. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 [quote name="Catamong" post="3026526" timestamp="1458420805" stone dead, but with no obvious signs of injury. When I picked it up, it was clearly underweight, and it had a big growth on its top beak I reckon that bird suffered a heart attack whilst exerting itself trying to keep up with the others Cat. I had a similar thing some years ago. A small group came in and I took out two. The rest flew off and then another fell some way out. I didn't think that I had shot It because it was nowhere near the ones that I had shot. But it was another one in the bag. When I eventually picked it up there was no apparent shot injury but I left it for Charlie because it was in a right state with lumps and growths All over it. I did it a favour by shooting it. It could be that they are hanging on to life and the shock just pushes them over the edge. I will have to have a read up on pigeon disease's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 ive seen that happen to a pigeon...it just fell dead out of a tree in my garden after having it off with a female pigeon...and ive seen it happen to a pheasant when ive been walking the dogs...just flew up infront of me and died 40 yds away just dropped dead in mid flight !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 ive seen that happen to a pigeon...it just fell dead out of a tree in my garden after having it off with a female pigeon...and ive seen it happen to a pheasant when ive been walking the dogs...just flew up infront of me and died 40 yds away just dropped dead in mid flight !! Nice way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted March 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Interesting comments, it's obviously not an uncommon occurrence..? Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 A lot of my pigeons die of laughter after having seen me shoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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