At last, a few more pigeons

[lakeside1000]

Last Friday was a cold overcast day, after two weeks of just getting crows with an odd pigeon I was a bit fed up as pigeons are always my guilty pleasure.

We had been guarding two large pea fields recently drilled but the pigeons so far have shown no interest.

So I decided to go back to the rape, now 3 feet tall and in full flower, but in one spot about 2 acres of plants have been stunted by poor soil, dry conditions and pigeon attack, I arrived around 2.30 pm, as I turned the corner of the lane into the field about 50 birds got up and fled, 50 was more than I had seen in one place for some time so you can imagine the excitement I felt but honestly I didn't expect them to come back.

I set up my usual, about 20 shells in sillo sock covers, my A1 Decoys magnet and 3 floaters well down wind, with the bald area in the centre of the field I had no option but to set up my hide in the middle of the field just back into a high patch of flowering rape , the green nets stood out like a sore thumb but decorated with a few flowers it began to blend in a little better,

Leaving the gun in the hide still in its cover I took the shogun pinin up the field along the tram lines until it was almost hidden by tall rape flowers, as I walked back to the hide I looked up to see 20 or more birds come floating in over the decoys, cursing under my breath I made my way as quick as I could go back into the hide, grabbed the new Beretta 391 and pushed in 3 clear pigeon cartridges, within seconds 2 more birds were over my head and circling back to the decoys, I panicked a bit , made a terrible first shot that went a mile in front, recovered and dropped one bird,

From then on they just kept coming every few minutes, some in range some not, small groups and single birds, some coming straight to the centre of the pattern, others circling overhead as if a little nervous but mainly well in range of my half choked Beretta.

From around 3 o'clock up to about 7 , I took 64 shots and ended with 32 picked, one or two more well out in the impenetrable rape crop so I had to leave them, as far as hits to shots it was pretty bad for me, I would normally expect a lot more down, so I put it down to only having the new gun for a week and only using it twice before after making a few adjustments to the offset and length of the stock,

But to come away with 32 more birds for the freezer was a great feeling, tomorrow its back to the pea fields , fingers crossed a few pigeons have found them and will pay a visit, otherwise its crow bashing again, ah well its not all bad.

[JDog]

Well done for finding and shooting a few.

 

This afternoon I watched pigeons flighting over emerging peas and dive into poor rape at the edge of a field.

[old'un]

Well done for shooting that many on rape this time of year, most of mine is up around two foot or more with some of the shortest around a foot high, you say you drove down the tram lines, was that on the rape field?

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, thats interesting theres about the same acreage on the farms rape field ( 1 of 3 ) i go to ie poor growth / etc, i think i will check out . cheers

Edited April 24, 2017 by oldypigeonpopper

[7daysinaweek]

You kept at it and it paid off, all power to you. I spent several hours today on two fields that were sown on friday, not a jot. Arrghhh!

 

atb

7diaw

[Wilksy II]

Great report lakeside cheers! and two for one is good shooting in my book!

[kippylawkid]

Nice one, pleased you made a decent bag. I have a similar rape field that is attracting a lot of birds on a bare spot. Unfortunately, it is unshootable as it's on the outskirts of the village with well trod footpaths on each side.

[anser2]

Good to see someone in Norfolk is getting a few. Checked 4 pea fields drilled at the start of last week. All blank except for a handful of stock doves and a dozen rooks. All my rape is in full flower and around 3 feet tall now with no low areas so not surprised that they held no pigeons. A few birds on clover , but they have turned out the sheep onto the fields now so they are out of play.

[Whitebridges]

50% carts to killed birds is pretty good. Well done!

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, thats interesting theres about the same acreage on the farms rape field ( 1 of 3 ) i go to ie poor growth / etc, i think i will check out . cheers

checking out tomorrow but forcast wet

[marsh man]

Very good account of your days shooting Alan , glad you are giving your new gun a bit of action and finding a few on the rape . my peas are just poking through but still no signs of any pigeon activity .

 

Catch up with you Friday night at Norwich .

[kenholland]

pea patrol in the morning if nothing about, look for rape patches weather look's a bit iffy may next week it doesn't take long for the month's to creep up on us.

[lakeside1000]

Thanks everyone , I did take a couple of photos but could not get them uploaded from my phone but a mate has sorted it so I will try to add them now.

You can see just how bad the area is and the soil was cracking from being so dry, driving around was not a problem as it was harder than tarmac

Edited April 26, 2017 by lakeside1000