50 pigeons the hard way!

[aga man]

This pigeon shooting lark is so unpredictable at times. I had a call off a farmer during the week saying he had a lot of pigeons on one of his pea fields and could i take a look.

The field in question has no easy access and looking through the bino's at distance it was clear to see the pigeons were infact sitting on power lines and drooping into a field of standing barley on the boundary.

 

A good 3-400 birds were hitting the barley at 3pm yesterday and although we couldn't shoot the barley as it is not ours, i was confident we could kill a decent bag full on the peas in the next field.

The field is certainly not easy to get to and and given the number of birds here i was concerned about carrying a 100 birds back 300yds and also wondered i had enough cartridges.

 

I needn't have worried. As my shooting partner Tan and i arrived at the spot completlety knackered walking 300 yds uphill through wet mud, we was somewhat deflated. The large number of pigeons had gone Perhaps last night heavy rain had knocked some more barley down and the birds had found another diner

 

Regardless we had made the effort to heave our kit accross the muddy field and we wanted to show willing to the farmer.

After a bit of deliberation we set up at the top of the field. I set up around a telegraph pole facing the barley and tan built a hide facing the peas. The magnet was placed so that birds crossing the barley would see it and we had a spread of dead bird decoys on the peas.

 

The sport was disapointingly slow and during the 4 hours we stayed we endured heavy rain showers and thunder with lightning {not good when you are sitting under power lines!}

On top of that we had set up downwind of a landfill site which didn't smell very pleasant.

Getting the passing pigeons to decoy was difficult and we made the very best of a poor day and shot well killing some decnt rangey birds.

 

We finished with 51 on the clicker and picked up 47 as a few droped into the neighbours barley.

A very difficult but worthwhile session that tested our patience and physical abilty to the max.

 

I texted the farmer with our result and he was very happy.

Edited July 1, 2016 by aga man

[la bala]

It certainly looks wet and hard going, 300yds carrying your kit in the wet is no joke, well done lads.

[Guest stevo]

I would say you both still deserve a pat on the back for the effort involved and still manage a bag. Well done lads.

Edited July 1, 2016 by stevo

[motty]

Top marks for effort, and a tidy bag.

[fenboy]

Well done , the things we do for our sport , a happy farmer is always a good thing though.

[marsh man]

That big ole Black cloud don't look none to good aga man and you deserved the bag you got with the effort you put in . Well done on all accounts

[pigeon controller]

100% for effort and as you say that's what we do to satisfy the farmers request. Now is the time to ask permission on the barley, not to drop birds in it but if you can put some decoys in it and shoot the peas or better still a grass field if there is one. Well done for the hard earned birds.

Edited July 2, 2016 by pigeon controller

[maxwell]

An excellent effort, well done.

[yickdaz]

hard or easy its a good bag well done

[oowee]

A well deserved bag and happy farmer. Carrying the kit uphill sitting in the rain and slow shooting shows perseverance well done guys.