A day on the beans...but room for improvement!

[ShropshireSam]

Have 2 adjacent bean fields that had steadily built up pigeon numbers since drilled on Monday last week. Checked Tues morning and 100's in an adjacent wood and along dividing hedgerow. Decided to take a half day holiday and come back in the afternoon. Birds were moving about but sticking to the the headlands which were heavier ground and probably had more beans on the surface although I could not find any. Set up in the dividing hedge with a good wind behind me. When I moved birds off they swirlled round in the wind with half moving off and half coming back down elsewhere on the field. All afternoon I had birds repeatedly landing in a far corner and birds going to them rather than decoying to me. Two good flightlines coming into the field but most birds did not decoy .... I should have studied the flightlines better then I would have set up at the top end of the dividing hedge adn intercepted both flightlines - another novice mistake in too much of a hurry to set up. And having carried the gear up the hedgerow I did not want to move.

 

I had last years dried birds on a magnet ... not looking too good now and no bird for the flapper so took awhile to get the first few birds in...and I shot badly. Once I had fresh birds on the magnet and flapper more birds decoyed and I built up a pattern but I continued to shoot badly. Last two sessions have been on the crows and I shot them well with the second afternoon having 17 crows for 23 shots including 3 doubles, but I think it b*******ed up my pigeon shooting. Those that were pulled off the flightline decoyed well. Finished with 40 picked for 120 shots .... with them decoying well I should have had 70+ birds....if I'd been closer to the flightlines AND shot well it could have been 100+.

 

Had a look at large (100 acre) field of peas this morning on a field that has had good pigeon numbers on in the past. Saw some big flocks landing and swirlling round. Then discovered two bangers at either end. Pigeons had built up to decent numbers yesterday since drilled last week and farmer had put the bangers out.....so I was a day late but wish he had phoned me first. In this situation the pigeons are doing no harm as feeding on seed left on the surface that would not survive anyway. Spoke to the farmer and had permission to switch off one banger to see if numbers build up tomorrow for me to shoot. Will check tomorrow morning and shoot in the afternoon if any numbers have returned.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, good one sam at least you have good numbers of pigeon as down here in south oxon very patchy

[OJW]

Well done Sam, good write up.

 

It sounds like you have noticed a few little tweaks you can implement to improve your next bag on top of having some good birds on this outing.

 

Good luck.

[fortune]

I remember sitting on a bean field that I had expected to be a good spot but I gave up after about 3 hours of a bittingly cold wind and absolutely no interest from the few pigeons that overflew the field. For some reason the birds never did bother with that field. Previously I had, had good days on wheat stubble, so who knows?

[Wilksy II]

Good honest write up Sam, still a good bag but it is frustrating knowing it could have been more.

[JDog]

Good observations. We have all set up in a hurry only to find a better line going elsewhere.

[Cranfield]

You got some action and a bit of learning, so its got to be a good day.

If you have a fair bit of time to watch a field before shooting it, you can usually work out the best spots, but most shooters don't have that time available.

Once you get familiar with the fields, the best spots often stay the same, so that helps.

It seems you have a good number of pigeons in your area, so they should keep you busy for a while.

[aga man]

A good honest report Sam, frustrating when you shoot badly after getting the the birds decoying. I can imagine the expletives!

 

Shame about the gas bangers, the pea drillings sounded promising.

[motty]

Good report. I hate missing birds that I know I should easily kill. We all have off days. Maybe this was one of yours.

[Buddy london]

Sounds like a day off... at least you had some good shooting. Anything more than 40 shots is a good day in my book never mind the bag..

[getthegat]

Hi, joining in here with the shooting badly and fields with no interest. I have 4 little farms in Essex and at times have seen good numbers, but I always seem to be a day late and most of my decoying skills seem to be wasted, though I have had a nice hour or two on the drillings using a flapper and half shells, but never any luck with a magnet. Also I seem to miss those slow easy crows and get the last minute fast pigeons; what's that all about Great honest report Shropshiresam. I hate it when I'm under the 50% hit to cartridges fired ratio, but am there more often than not. My confidence was boosted last time out, by using an old gun that I got repaired by Wabbitbosher. It was my late Uncles' and was left to me in his will. it was his wedding present from his wife in 1965 and means so so much to me. I loved the opportunity to rekindle some very strong emotional memories and the feel of an old semi is so different from my modern one. Cheers Unc'

[pigeon controller]

Great report, to admit you got it wrong is frustrating but you will learn and remember next time. I always try and set up where the birds want to be not where I want to be. I still get it wrong. Well done.

[pigeon controller]

Hi, joining in here with the shooting badly and fields with no interest. I have 4 little farms in Essex and at times have seen good numbers, but I always seem to be a day late and most of my decoying skills seem to be wasted, though I have had a nice hour or two on the drillings using a flapper and half shells, but never any luck with a magnet. Also I seem to miss those slow easy crows and get the last minute fast pigeons; what's that all about Great honest report Shropshiresam. I hate it when I'm under the 50% hit to cartridges fired ratio, but am there more often than not. My confidence was boosted last time out, by using an old gun that I got repaired by Wabbitbosher. It was my late Uncles' and was left to me in his will. it was his wedding present from his wife in 1965 and means so so much to me. I loved the opportunity to rekindle some very strong emotional memories and the feel of an old semi is so different from my modern one. Cheers Unc'

 

I have a concern with Crow shooting and have to concentrate with every shot as they do not seem to be moving , my method is to swing through the bird and add a bit. Reflex shooting on pigeon is another mystery, I hit birds that suddenly appear and try and think how I hit that?? I dont sit while shooting and I think the ability to swing helps but I still wonder how I hit them.