Educating Essex Birds

[kitchrat]

As we all know, there seems to be a pigeon drought in many areas, especially where the OSR has been pulled up. I have been beating as much as I can to save up enough cash for a couple of paid game days and hopefully I will get some beaters days, as I feared that was the only shooting I would get this winter.

Then I found a field of rape and by watching it on my way to beaters duties, have seen the birds build in numbers and confidence. Today was "The Day", no shoot to go to so I was there at dawn.

Problems: road/houses in 1 direction, no wind to help, paddock with BIG BULL behind and illegal dog-walkers. I set up where it is safe to shoot but that's on top of a smelly ditch and so my right foot doesn't have good a footing. The birds want to land in the middle of the field but the magnet does the job and small groups of birds head in whilst I'm still building the hide on the ditch top. 3 groups and each time I get 1 when a double would have been possible if I was ready.

Then they start to really commit, from way up, folded wings, straight in at speed. BUT, as they get to the extreme of my "comfort zone", say 25-35 yards out, they tend to flare off, usually in front of the houses or road, OR they drop straight into the crop and are lost to sight, OR they panic and overshoot straight at me. All this happens at some considerable speed and throws me completely, not knowing what to expect so my confidence evaporates. I shoot too early, too late, too low etc.

I miss sitters, I double-miss "routine" kills and I get feathers out of loads of them. It's not clay shooting, a chip doesn't mean a kill.

However, I must be a "glass-half-empty" man because when I have a count up, I pick 54, plus 2 lost far out in the crop, 2 in the bramble/hawtorn hedge, 1 in the bull paddock. (not going in there), plus 1 I blew to bits (2nd barrel 3/4 choke at 10 yards or less) for 109 shots.

Not so bad bit I still know that 30-odd of the misses were poor shooting.

Never mind, my best day in winter rape for years!! Trouble is I have educated too many birds, will it work again in a week or so or have they taken notice of my fumbling efforts???

[pigeon controller]

We've had the same problem with birds flaring at the decoys and others coming so close you wince when you shoot and they end up oven ready. Sounds a great day, and good that you managed to get out and enjoyed it.

[Cranfield]

You did very well in the circumstances and lets hope the field keeps producing.

That could depend on what alternatives (rape fields) the birds have.

[JDog]

Most of us winter time rape shooters would be delighted with shooting that many at the moment.

[Wilksy II]

Reading this has given me new hope for Saturday, I've never shot that many on stubble! Good work Kitchrat!

[shootingmachine]

Great day for the rape hope you get a few more.

[aga man]

A great bag off the rape that Kitch, and a very good shot/kill ratio. Sounds like you did your homework and it paid off.

 

Well shot.

[yickdaz]

as said 54 is a very good bag on winter rape, I would think if you give the field a rest at least a week in between shooting it you will get another day or 3 on it

Edited December 15, 2016 by yickdaz

[kenholland]

I will do my round's this weekend weather look's ok, trouble is it's been so mild the rape has shot up so I will see if there are any thin patches , here's hoping .

[kippylawkid]

Sound like a brilliant effort to me. I'm off for a spell now and it's given me the spark to have a pop at a few rape fields that have a decent few visiting regularly.

[lakeside1000]

I have had a few days like this and recently have started setting up so the birds approach either left to right or right to left, several advantages to this, they rarely come straight at you, they don't have the hide in their eye line as they approach so rarely flare away,

It also gives you more time to swing into them either approaching or leaving , it generally gives you more time to pick your shot and you can set the decoys as close or as far away as you feel comfortable shooting at your favoured range.

3 weeks ago as an experiment I set up in the middle of a huge rape field with no cover, a large green fishing umbrella gave me protection from the wind, several nets over the top and in front, green to match the rape colour, I had a fair day, not so many birds in the air but what there was committed without hesitation to the pattern and several landed right in front of the hide among the decoys,I had a good field of vision apart from a small area directly behind me and had them coming in from all directions, this is not something I would do by choice but when conditions are difficult it works well.

I am not the best of shots but on a good day can get about 80% kills, then again on a bad day it can be as low as 50% but I never get annoyed by missing, I just try to figure out the problem and improve next time out.

[blasterjudd]

John your doing good we've got no rape at all 3 farms are pulled up so keep up the good work and send a few my way please as it's getting frustrating seeing no birds LOL......

Don't forget your Neighbours ......

 

Guess your going shooting with Keith on a 250 bird day with All that money your earning beating !!!!!

 

 

As we all know, there seems to be a pigeon drought in many areas, especially where the OSR has been pulled up. I have been beating as much as I can to save up enough cash for a couple of paid game days and hopefully I will get some beaters days, as I feared that was the only shooting I would get this winter.

Then I found a field of rape and by watching it on my way to beaters duties, have seen the birds build in numbers and confidence. Today was "The Day", no shoot to go to so I was there at dawn.

Problems: road/houses in 1 direction, no wind to help, paddock with BIG BULL behind and illegal dog-walkers. I set up where it is safe to shoot but that's on top of a smelly ditch and so my right foot doesn't have good a footing. The birds want to land in the middle of the field but the magnet does the job and small groups of birds head in whilst I'm still building the hide on the ditch top. 3 groups and each time I get 1 when a double would have been possible if I was ready.

Then they start to really commit, from way up, folded wings, straight in at speed. BUT, as they get to the extreme of my "comfort zone", say 25-35 yards out, they tend to flare off, usually in front of the houses or road, OR they drop straight into the crop and are lost to sight, OR they panic and overshoot straight at me. All this happens at some considerable speed and throws me completely, not knowing what to expect so my confidence evaporates. I shoot too early, too late, too low etc.

I miss sitters, I double-miss "routine" kills and I get feathers out of loads of them. It's not clay shooting, a chip doesn't mean a kill.

However, I must be a "glass-half-empty" man because when I have a count up, I pick 54, plus 2 lost far out in the crop, 2 in the bramble/hawtorn hedge, 1 in the bull paddock. (not going in there), plus 1 I blew to bits (2nd barrel 3/4 choke at 10 yards or less) for 109 shots.

Not so bad bit I still know that 30-odd of the misses were poor shooting.

Never mind, my best day in winter rape for years!! Trouble is I have educated too many birds, will it work again in a week or so or have they taken notice of my fumbling efforts???

Edited December 21, 2016 by blasterjudd

[getthegat]

Made me laugh at your great recollection of an "interesting" day and was very similar to my couple of hours last saturday. I've never shot winter short rape before and my new shoot also has a road and buildings to deal with, then just as I'd decided on the best spot, a load of fishermen turn up to fish a big pond right where I was about to set up. So after trudging for about 1/3 up hill with boots getting heavier by the step, I set up and had the beggars flying in from all directions, many landing in the middle of the field or in trees out of range. Those that did come in are challenging and I missed far too many. Two birds took all three shells in my semi to drop them. I'm partly blaming the fact that I've been shooting a Mossy moderated for months and going back to the Franchi probably needs another day or two to get use to it again. Hoping the missed birds didn't learn too much and it will be interesting to see what happens with the weather and how the shooting is effected.