pigeon controller Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Following the normal Bank Holiday Format weve had roughly two weeks without rain then its the Bank Holiday and its Armageddon, but wait a minute Good Friday sunshine??. So we had received two calls in the week and turned up at the first venue to view the promised three hundred pigeons the farmer had seen on Wednesday , to see nothing , after scanning the three fields we could see some activity in the centre of the largest field but as it has a depression in the centre we could not count the numbers down. So as it has been dry we could drive the tram tracks and lifted approx two hundred birds who lifted in one entity and moved off. Due to the numbers we decided to set up in the corner of the field with the bright sun on our backs, ten on cradles , two on the magnet. First birds came straight in from our right followed by the next ten. it was now 11.00 and it just dried up . At this point the Keeper appeared and informed us it had been shot yesterday and they stayed all day for ten birds but they obviously spooked all of them. I phoned the farmer to inform him it would be a waste of time us staying and he replied that we were the only shooters on the ground other than the Keeper. I informed him that the Keeper had three other shooters on the land so they are spooking the birds and making it virtually impossible for us the reduce the flock. We drove around the area and found a flightline to the rape fields that was active, so we set up on the edge of the rape to decoy the birds who were not part of the resident flock. It was now 13.30 and we had a few high shots as they did not want to decoy. We shot till 17.15 and picked up one hundred and sixteen pigeons and one crow who ventured too close. Saturday watching the weather forcast we intended to have a few hours shooting and then the world would end . So we ventured to the second call in the week to another rape field that had a resident flock of two hundred birds but they are a tight flock and not splitting. We drove around the farm and the birds were playing follow the leader one down all down then lift off to another tree and repeat the process. We decide to leave the farm and look at some other rape fields before we decide the shooting venue for this weekend. We drove to two other farms no birds, as we passed the third farm it had a good head of birds flying around with a 4X4 parked in the field and a shooter setting up . We then realised that this weekend British Summer Time starts and this is the first "Butterfly Shooter "of the season. They only appear when the days get longer and the weather improves , no cold weather shooting, no corvid control, no crop protection in the vulnerable cold periods just appear to shoot the low patches before they get too tall . We met a farmer on the road and he quiped that it must be summer as Shooter AB has ventured out and he told us that he had asked him to shoot the crows last summer and he replied he was busy? So DB had to go out and do it while I was away. We decide to return to the first farm we had viewed and set up in the lea of a very warm conifer wood as the wind was starting to pick up and the rain was predicted to arrive at 14.00. We set out twelve fresh birds from the day before it was now 12.00 and we shot till 16.30 when the heavens opened an we were drowned so no field picture just the bedragled birds in the garage but it was a healthy pick up of one hundred and thirteen pigeons so worth getting wet for, as we drove out of the field the heavy rain had made the tracks very slippery which made it a memorable drive . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Yep. Pain this time of year, suddenly everyone wants to enjoy the countryside! All at the same time! Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Yes, I know how you feel about the "Butterfly Shooters", but if you think it's bad now, just wait until late July when the rape has been cut, all manner of herberts appear from nowhere to fill their boots, it's a pity you never see them in early January doing their bit to keep the Woodies off the rape that they can't wait to shoot once it's cut..? Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7daysinaweek Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 cracking read and pics as usual, yes happy days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 A fine achievement. I really don't know how you deal with these other shooters. 'Shot the day before' would put me off that farm for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 A good couple of days boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Top job PC, nice report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m greeny Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Well done your reports i always look forward too thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Oh good, I can put the light out now that I know you've had 200 again. 180 ish more than me. Impressive stuff again, he says yawning (through tiredness not boredom of your posts) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 well done PC............getting wet can really make it miserable sometimes...good end result tho' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNS Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 I take my hat off to you once again- the wind and rain here, just down from you, sure put me off ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingmachine Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 briliant bags again well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 (edited) A fine achievement. I really don't know how you deal with these other shooters. 'Shot the day before' would put me off that farm for good.They don't seem to do too badly even when shooters have shot fields the day before (never get that result when it happens to us, mores the pity).Remarkable weekends shooting once again PC Edited March 27, 2016 by Wilts#Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 What amazes me is nothing seems to deter you and your companion , I was out Friday , a lovely day for shooting apart from the bright sunshine in the afternoon but still got 33 ( best bag this year ) and yet yesterday it was dark skys , strong wind and the threat of rain and although I found some I couldn't convince myself it was worth getting wet for , and after all that it didn't rain till after 4 o clock . Now I am sure if that had been you , you would have carried on regardless without mumping about the weather and we would have been reading about another decoying session without a mention about the conditions . that's why your in a different league from people like myself . Well done , another excellent weekend from both of you yet again . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 What amazes me is nothing seems to deter you and your companion , I was out Friday , a lovely day for shooting apart from the bright sunshine in the afternoon but still got 33 ( best bag this year ) and yet yesterday it was dark skys , strong wind and the threat of rain and although I found some I couldn't convince myself it was worth getting wet for , and after all that it didn't rain till after 4 o clock . Now I am sure if that had been you , you would have carried on regardless without mumping about the weather and we would have been reading about another decoying session without a mention about the conditions . that's why your in a different league from people like myself . Well done , another excellent weekend from both of you yet again . We have in the past listened to the weather report and not gone out only to miss a good days shooting . We now go out in the rain and hope to find a sheltered part of a field to shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Sorry but it's downright unfair to imply every shooter should get out during winter or give up their passion altogether. I somehow doubt you'd oblige if you get health issues in later life. Lung and breathing issues affect a large proportion of older people, as does various degrees of arthritis and a few other ailments aggravated by cold damp air. Mobility is also to be considered. Enjoy your good health while you can chaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Sorry but it's downright unfair to imply every shooter should get out during winter or give up their passion altogether. I somehow doubt you'd oblige if you get health issues in later life. Lung and breathing issues affect a large proportion of older people, as does various degrees of arthritis and a few other ailments aggravated by cold damp air. Mobility is also to be considered. Enjoy your good health while you can chaps. I have the greatest respect of old age and health issues, the majority of our Butterfly Shooters are young or middle aged. I am of 1948 vintage and have various ailments which I suffer and just ignore as in my brain I'm eighteen , I shot a complete season in the past with a snapped cruciate ligerment before repair, on Saturday I carried eighty pigeon off the field and have paid for it in the last two days. My point was we have a number of shooters who are fit and well but can't be ***** to go out when it is difficult conditions, we often get accused of being cherry pickers but we inform the farmers we will only shoot when they have a problem or when requested. We have farms which have resident shooters who suffer with various ailments and drive to the hide position if they are on the field prior to us we move on these are not Butterfly Shooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 PC, try as I might I cannot make a word out of a------sd. You have a rare passion that is not easily explained to others. Keep it up until you cannot do it any longer I say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 More good bags. That is some lovely short rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 PC, try as I might I cannot make a word out of a------sd. It's Brumagem we tend to role our Rs?? You have a rare passion that is not easily explained to others. Keep it up until you cannot do it any longer I say. That's what I keep telling her????? More good bags. That is some lovely short rape. Yes it took hours with the Strimmer??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin.y Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 More good bags. That is some lovely short rape. Looks to me that its not just pigeons who have been feeding on this field, slugs have been busy to, as you can see they have cleared all of last years straw rows. It will look a picture when out in flower! but i doubt it will all flower at once. top work again PC. I still cannot believe how consistant you are , when reading your post i first though ohh here goes a 50 something, LOL as if.. well done again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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