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Pigeon "bags".


Cranfield
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They must have had hot barrels by the end of the day, and a mass of empty cartridges around them, i can’t imagine shooting that many in one day. The most i have ever shot in a day is just a mere 30 for 80 shots, by myself, which by my standards is quite good, but i am hoping to shoot well into the hundreds this year. :unsure:

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Folks.

 

There was a similar session near to our shoot. I myself was not impressed with the method.

 

It is one thing to have excellent field craft, but another to "feed" a field. How can this be sport when you see a trailer of grain being scattered next to a wood?

How many other people do this?

 

No wonder pigeon numbers are dwindling when they are getting a clobbering like this.

 

Not impressed.

:<

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I have just read in "talk from the field" about a bag of 750 over 7 hours with 3 guns.

 

There was a similar bag near to our shoot.

 

Maybe the field craft was excellent, however, it is a matter of fact that this day was achieved through "feeding" the field. Does tipping grain on a field substitute good field craft? I think not.

 

I friend of mine was at this shoot and walked out after 2 hours. He was simply not enjoying it. He said he may as well have been on a clay shoot.

 

My grandfather used to pay people to shoot pigeon on his land, now we have to pay the farmer in most cases.

 

Personally, I would be happy with 30+ through good field craft, and good shooting. Not pure carnage. People like this are ruining the name of pigeon shooting, and disrupting the natural balance.

 

People may disagree, but It upsets me when people "cheat" to achieve stupidly high numbers of bags. I repsect people who have experience and use all traditional methods.

 

Sorry for the rant.

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You have answered a suspision that a friend and I have held for some years. Baiting a field may get you into the so called record books, but its hardly sporting.

 

I could have shot thousands of pigeon over the years if I had invested in a bag or two of wheat or barley. I shall watch reports in shooting mags in future and shall write to enquire as to the tactics used and as to who was the adjudicator.

 

webber

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Quite right Mike and probably the most immotive post for some time.

 

I couldnt agree more...

 

This is not what pest control or indeed pigeon shooting is about..

 

I have had a few 100 plus bags over 25 years of pigeon shooting and many of 30 to 50 range..

 

But I have never enjoyed a day more than when I had to use my accumulated knowledge to decoy a bag or 10 or 15 to the gun...

 

I appreciate and respect that There are Pigeon shooting organisations now springing up up and down the country, providing sport to paying customers and good luck to them....

 

But when the sport starts becoming a commercial enterprise at the expense of the population of pigeon it ceases to become a sport.

 

Soon we will end up like the Spanish and French and Italians and bang away at any thing that looks as if it could fly..

 

A sad day indeed...

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Surely its a case of, "different strokes for different folks".

 

The chap who walks round with his dog and is lucky to bag a pheasant.

Then there are some people who belong to game shooting syndicates, that are "walk and beat", with barely a double figure amount of birds being shot.

Others buy 1000+ bird days.

 

An average pigeon shooter gets lots of blank, or small bag days and can only dream of 100 birds.

Others are luckier in the time they can spend and the area they shoot.

Then you have the pigeon shooters who can only shoot a few times a year.

They want "big bag" days and are prepared to pay for them.

 

I don,t think anyone is necessarily right or wrong, with their approach to shooting.

Just accept that what some people enjoy doing, others don,t.

 

I wouldn,t be interested in feeding a field to encourage pigeons, but I have fed ponds for ducks and I have fed woodlands for pheasants.

Guilty, or not Guilty. :unsure:

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playing devils advocate, what is the difference between baiting a field for pigeons and feeding a duck pond or for that matter a drive?

Digweed lives no where near Ely, he is in Kent. When ever i have met him he has always been a nice guy, and behaved as a great ambassador for the sport. The Simpson clan live nearish to Ely

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As a person with no axe to grind about the numbers of pigeon shot. Having read most of the posts on this thread,it seems its just sour grapes from the people who have not had the oppertunity to shoot large numbers of pigeon. Personaly i would not like to do it, but if someone does, all the power too them, they are welcome to it. To put it in perspective for the whingers, Columba Polumbus =pest. I mean do you stop poisoning rats cos its not sporting. Most of these exercises are carried out with one thing in mind and thats, pest control/crop protection.

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Fair Comment and I myself have fed ponds, however not to over shoot, but to offer good sport and to put a nice meal on the table.

 

I guess I am not for turning everything into commercial benefit. Besides, a thousand bird day is simply "manufactured" and can be "re stocked" year after year, also can the game keeper get rid of 1000+ birds a week or are they simply turned into fox bait?

 

You are right, people do enjoy diffferent types of shooting. However with most of my shooting consisting of good company, walking the countryside and taking in 20+ birds with all kinds of different challenging shots, I cannot justify to myself standing at a peg to shoot 100+ birds, leaving them at the shoot, and the wife coming home from the supermarket with a pre packed pheasant/duck fed on factory food!,

 

Are these people doing it for the "image" "status" or for "sport"?

 

My views may be naive, but shooting has been in my family for generations, and like a great deal of things in this world, once it has been made commercial, the history, traddition and values seem to be lost.

 

I hope this doesn't offend, but it isn't often you can have this discussion without an anti shouting the odds..

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Cranfield

 

I think that the difference is this.

 

When you have fed your pheasants and flight ponds over a long period, you have done so to sustain a population with a view to providing a shootable surplus.

 

Baiting a field for a week or two and then shooting anything that is legal and flies is hardly shooting and conservation.

 

I could only condone baiting if the farmer had a desire to oblitorate the pigeon from his area for reason of extreme crop protection. Lets not forget that we shoot pigeon under an open general license on the grounds of crop protection. I dont think that its a license to exterminate the species.

 

Sorry cranners, but I cant find you guilty.

 

webber

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I totally agree with you mike I think I would rather use field craft to shoot half a dozen pigeons rather than bait a field to shoot 100 (thats my opinion). But I also think that cranners makes a valid point about different strokes for different folks.

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It is not a case of being jealous, but could you justify it? I have had plenty of opportuntiy to shoot pigeon, and plenty of them, thank you kindly. ( you do when they are destroying your crops)

 

I just care about the sport, and everything that surrounds it. If all people care about is "bag numbers" then our sport is heading for self distruct.

 

Feed all the fields you want, then when the pigeons are gone, don't complain.

 

The reason I have jumped on the band wagon is simply because I am hearing more and more people feeding fields.

 

Chase the bags - pay the price.

 

I May be out of order and against the majority.

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Correct, different strokes for different folks, however where does it end?

 

I am just worried... with all the media about fox hunting etc - people who do not understand our sport will exploit any unconventional methods. We must have the discipline and responsibility to look after our sport.

 

Because no ****** else will!

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