Pleasure and pain

[NatureBoy]

Last weekend first time i hadn't been out this year. Came off ladder at work injuring my shoulder and neck. So decided to give shooting a miss as there not much about anyway.

So needing my fix headed out 11oc today and done tour of farms. Very few woodies about. all crops well forward nothing been laid by the storms, But determined to have a go and test my shoulder thought my best chance on such a humid day would be on (a afternoon) field of knocked rape surrounded by trees near a wood. As i entered the field a 20 birds lifted off the field and out of trees. watched for a while and odd birds returned and crossed the field. as the crop was poor the farmer had topped a wide strip round the margins. So even tho there was stand water in places i was able to drive to most likely position under a regular flight line. Set up hide on the edge of low branches under the only ash tree in a long line of very tall poplars with the increasing wind coming from the right. Looked like birds had been feeding on the weeds exposed by the topping. Hoping to pick most i shot kept everything no further out than the first tram line. Magnet well up wind to the right with breasted birds. Same on 2 floaters down wind and flapper and angel where i wanted birds to land. 12 flocked shells in random open patches. As i was setting up magnet i herd a strange noise in the rape. I looked up to see the rape parting and something hidden is rapidly charging towards me. Seconds later a hare sped past within a few feet followed by one of the farmers dogs. hare runs off. Startled dog skids to holt. Barks at me a while before running off down tram line.

In hide and just loaded maxus with lyvale express special pigeon and 1/4 choke about 1oc as imeditaly the first bird comes in. Only it's a stock dove. It floats in and around the pattern for a while ( if only woodies done that).Get the first woodie 5 minutes later as it bombs Straight in from behind. I get 4 more in the next 10 minutes before it goes quiet. Odd birds come over the trees from behind but they are spooky and i can't get on em quick enough. So i move the magnet further out to about 45yrds. This helps for a while with birds suddenly curling into the pattern from behind. but by 3,30 i have 13 birds and it goes very quiet. I decide to stick it out as i expect things to get better later. It's just nice to be out and i am being entertained by hares, skylarks,kestrels, buzzards, a couple of roe deer and a little owl trying to catch dragonfly's under the trees. The wind picks up and as things cool down a few more birds move and show an interest. Some decoying great others crosser s and many better than my shooting at mo. I pack up with a sore shoulder about 7oc picking 24 birds (4 young ones) loosing 4 in crop for 70 carts. Don't think my maxus like the lyvale pigeon carts but my 525 loves em. Pleasure was well worth a bit of pain! NB

[pigeon controller]

Interesting report and well written, it's not always about numbers. I hope the shoulder lets you get back to normal shooting soon. What with you and JDog we may need an allowance made for numbers shot????

[NatureBoy]

Interesting report and well written, it's not always about numbers. I hope the shoulder lets you get back to normal shooting soon. What with you and JDog we may need an allowance made for numbers shot? ???

Thanks PC! Your pics and bags impressive! It's not about big numbers for me.But i would like to do the ton one day. Whenever i thought it going to be my day it's been scuppered by weather, farm activity, other shooters or other folk. Best day was 58 picked (in the rain) over fresh cut rape. Had plenty of 30's n 40's. Sure my day will come tho! Seems hard work making any bag at times as so many shooters my way. Feel a lot of the time i am trying to shoot shot at spooky birds. Didn't expect much at all yesterday and i should of had more. A field to keep an eye on if they don't spray the weed off.

Heard of a lot of BIG bags shot locally recently! Group of lads getting 500+ and 400+ bags in a day over peas. And others getting 100+ bags over spring rape. Do you and others think big hits like that in a local area affect bird numbers/movement in an area this time of year when they don't move about so much or do you think other birds fill the void???

If you have a surplus allowance your way please send em to Suffolk or the wolds! Lol! NB

[pigeon controller]

I think if you have a good bag on one crop over a week you can get them replaced by new birds . That is if they do not find a better crop the graze in the locality. We have a block of six fields of peas and so far they have not bothered with them preferring one thirty acre field.