JDog Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) If anyone can be relied on to give an accurate assessment of a likely pigeon shooting opportunity it is Aga man. He said there would be a lot of pigeons but that it would be tricky working them out and indeed that was the case today on the Yorkshire Wolds. We met at 9:30 after I had breakfasted at a Toby Inn having spent quite a while at the buffet trying to assess which bacon, eggs and sausages had been reheated from previous days. I concluded that all of it had been. We were joined by Aga man's long term shooting buddy who has shared the watching duties. Possibly 300 birds were already on the fields with others joining from a roosting wood a mile away. So far so good. The difficult part was working out where to go. It was perishingly cold and I feared being asked to set up along one of the hedges out in the open. When I felt it was polite to do so I asked if I could go to a small spinney which would give me some shelter from the biting wind. My request was granted and with some joy I set off with no kit to shoot a flight line. The others set up on one of the hedges. It would be fair to say that no pigeons decoyed though there were many hundreds flitting around, coming to the field then heading back to other woods for a rest. My choice was a lucky one and I had great flight line shooting for a couple of hours. The others were still there when I left. This was a new permission for Aga man and he wanted to do his duty. The shooting potential there is great and will be better after the game season has finished when the cover crops can be shot. I believe we had about 30 between us when I left. Jasper and I are now in front of the log burner as I write, tired but warm. Edited January 26, 2017 by JDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingmachine Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Well done on the thirty and putting up with that wind was bitterly cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Well done for being out, I was requested to shoot approx 200 acres of rape today, I walked round the fields twice at 10.00 and 14.00 and never saw a bird in the biting cold. I eventually sent a rocket up and lifted approx twenty out of a distant wood. Total waste of time. You did very well to get thirty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Very frustrating as it often is at this time of year. Plenty of pigeons feeding heavily on the block of three rape fields yet however we tried to tackle them after walking them off,they simply adapted there game as if they were one step ahead. We knew from the off the pigeons would be tricky to decoy but had to be seen to be making the effort. The wind forecast for today dictated it would be the day we shot the field and boy was it cold. We made the best of it for a couple of hours until the majority of birds moved on. As we packed up they returned in big numbers. JDog shot well in the little spinney accounting for more than half the bag of 32 pigeons. Great to see you again JDog. Edited January 26, 2017 by aga man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Good work finding them. Good effort on getting out and 30 in the conditions is great. I stayed in with man flu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilksy II Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Good work and write up gents! There are loads of pigeons about at the mo but there is loads of rape also it seems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 i referred to my game diary for January last year and I shot grand total of 36. I tend to sack off decoying despite the tempting sights of large flocks feeding. for me roosting is the only way to get birds at this time of year. I dont envy you being out-York was bitter today. atb f. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry2016 Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Very nice write up and a decent bag especially at this time of year.. Also I believe you are correct re the breakfast Thank you for posting All the best Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 i referred to my game diary for January last year and I shot grand total of 36. I tend to sack off decoying despite the tempting sights of large flocks feeding. for me roosting is the only way to get birds at this time of year. I dont envy you being out-York was bitter today. atb f. I agree with most of that. But if you can find a sunny spot that is sheltered from the wind you can often get a few. Where I used to shoot we had a southerly slope on half the land an if the wind was anywhere but from the south I could usually find small groups feeding in sheltered corners. 10 to 20 was an average bag but sport was sometimes better if the sun was out and the wind was cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 You all done well to stick the cold weather out today, which was no higher than 0 degree and the coldest day of the Winter so far. The most birds I saw on a Rape field was well over a 100 Swans with not a pigeon in sight , the only ones I saw today were a few still feeding on the Ivy berries . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Glad a few are getting shot. Only a week or so and my pigeon shooting will start again in earnest. Edited January 26, 2017 by motty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Glad a few are getting shot. Only a week or so and my pigeon shooting will start again in ernest. We all look forward to your reports in earnest. Edited January 26, 2017 by JDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 i referred to my game diary for January last year and I shot grand total of 36. I tend to sack off decoying despite the tempting sights of large flocks feeding. for me roosting is the only way to get birds at this time of year. I dont envy you being out-York was bitter today. atb f. Completely agree fudds, but when covering a lot of land some farmers want to see you out there. I will be out once a week at least from now, wasting my time mostly but will reap the the rewards on peas and spring drillings before too long. You all done well to stick the cold weather out today, which was no higher than 0 degree and the coldest day of the Winter so far. The most birds I saw on a Rape field was well over a 100 Swans with not a pigeon in sight , the only ones I saw today were a few still feeding on the Ivy berries . Seen a few on haw berries too mm and also seen a fair few going on to sprout tops this afternoon, a while since i have seen that here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 Friday was a nithering day in Northumberland. Fair play to the lads who set up on an exposed hedge line. Your sheltered spot sounds good business to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted January 30, 2017 Report Share Posted January 30, 2017 Great write up, can't beat standing in a spinny 👌👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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