fiddler's elbow

[dad]

another hard weekend, my hide has been up and down more times than a fiddler's elbow this week end. it started with a text from a farmer thursday afternoon cuttin rape now ( 20 miles away) text back be over tomorrow. arrived 10 ish friday 1 strip around 1 field only farmer said it was too dry and last nights storm now too wet. another text would have been handy. quick drive back to local farm 200 down on barley stubble quickly set up rotary and 12 shells 6 for 6 in first half hour looking good easy birds no wind then tractor turns up to turn the straw so packed up, still only 4.30 i spotted a line of birds crossing over our wood to some one elses cut barley so set up under that 3 for 12 in an hour the saw the bailer start on that field. packed up again just as they started cutting our first field of rape about 5.30 so i walked along side of combine and shot 5 rabbits but soon got fed up with the dust and went home. as i drove out of the village saturday to look at yesturdays cut rape i noticed they were cutting the last 2 very small fields which meant they must have worked well into the night and finished all 3 fields at main farm, got to the farm 2oclock and one of the fields that normally produces a good day had about 400 down on it and taking no notice of the car as we drove round, we could have shot out of the window with air rifles. we decided that they could have only just found it and decided to leave them on it and have a full day sunday.

we looked at the small fields on the way out saw nothing got to the main farm 10ish not a bird in sight thought we might be a bit early so set up to wait, packed up 12.30 and went for lunch had another look at small fields on way home, nothing to be seen, had lunch with nothing else to do went out again 2pm looked at small fields nothing went to main farm again about 200 down so set up hastily rotory and shells 3 birds and 6 shots later at 5.30 i packed up again on the way back we looked at the small field again about 150 down on it its now 5.45 a quick decision needed work monday and risk waiting a week or set up again. 12 shells an 2 floaters later 17 for 27 and packed up at 7.15 so if penelope is reading i advise dont take the time off

[Paul223]

Wowzers, to much to read in one breath!

[maxwell]

I'm worn out !

[7daysinaweek]

good read, certainly up and down as the preverbial draws!

 

well done on your efforts.

 

atb

7diaw

[dead eye alan]

At least you did not give up well done mate, take my hat of to you.

[Penelope]

Dad, I've read it, but taking the time off anyway. I'll have a look on Thursday over the disked fields to see if they are being used, and where they are with the combining. My GF has taken Friday off, so we will just doing something together. She's just bought a road bike, so we may get out for a ride.

[dad]

Dad, I've read it, but taking the time off anyway. I'll have a look on Thursday over the disked fields to see if they are being used, and where they are with the combining. My GF has taken Friday off, so we will just doing something together. She's just bought a road bike, so we may get out for a ride.

 

hi penelope. i think i am a bit like you if i take time off i never get it quite right. my shooting buddy phoned last night and said there were pigeons everywere on all our rape fields and i cant get there till saturday a bit too late i think. still i am retireing end of august so problem solved for next year.

[marsh man]

 

i am retireing end of august so problem solved for next year.

 

dad Good luck on your retirement and I am sure you will enjoy it .

 

With all this dry weather we have had over the last week we now have most of the winter barley in which must run in to several hundred acres and up to now they haven't started on the rape , with new fields opening up every day the pigeons at the moment are spoilt for choice , come to that , so are we with most of the stubble fields holding a few pigeons but the days of letting them build up is now a thing of the past.

 

Most of the farms and the estate I go on don't want the straw so they either give it away or sell it to the straw contractors who do nothing else this time of the year apart from bailing and carting straw , so there is only a small amount of time when you can put a hide up against a bale in the middle of the field before the load all and the tractors and trailers come on and cart them away .

 

One of the advantages of being retired is being able to go whenever the conditions are right, as no doubt you will be finding that out before to long and make sure you enjoy it , I know I do .

[dad]

dad Good luck on your retirement and I am sure you will enjoy it .

 

thanks for that marsh man. i should have retired at 65 but carried on for another 5 i regret it now i cant do what i could 5 years ago, when you are middle age it makes no differance but at the top end it does. my shooting buddy cant wait either he has been chasing them all week he goes on the rape they go on barley stubble or other rape field they are all visible in a big block. 3 fields close by combined monday ploughed wednesday.