EMT Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 One of those events happened yesterday that is probably a once in a lifetime event. I had just finished a quick sessions on some laid barley and there was one bird I couldn't find despite my 3 labs looking for it for ages. I had given up trying to find it and was driving along the headland about 50 yards from the hide when I saw a pigeon going into the hedge. I jumped out of the truck and as I got about a foot away it shot off down the hedge line at a ridiculously quick speed, especially as the grass on the headland is very tall. I remember thinking bloody hell thats the quickest runner I have ever seen. The bird stopped about 8 feet away and just as I approached it, still thinking it was a runner a stoat shot into the hedge. For some reason my brain wasn't in gear and I went to pick the pigeon up fully expecting it to be alive but it had obviously been dead for a while. It was only then that I realised the bloody stoat had stolen my pigeon! Luckily I had my Mrs and daughter with me to witness it or I don't think anyone would have believed me. I have heard of foxes pinching birds and even birds of prey but never a stoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 Many years ago on the edge of the Spey Forest I was trying to shoot pigeon coming down a ride with a gale force wind behind them. I got through about 100 cartridges but have no intention of saying how many I hit - they were probably approaching the transonic speed. I'd put one down beside me just a few feet away but on the edge of the ride whereas I was stood around the corner just inside it. Looking down later, it had vanished. Put another one down but this time I saw the stoat pinching it. It died. The birds I actually managed to hit were falling about 50 to 75 yards out so it took a minute or two to get them.On coming back from one pick up, no pigeon and no stoat. Put the pigeon down and a few minutes later another stoat died. Another pick up and on return, pigeon yes, stoat no. I couldn't make head nor tail of it, but later I was told that stoats will take their dead home. I never did find out if this was an old country 'tale'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 Two interesting stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I had a fox steal a goose 2 seasons ago. A flock came over and I downed three on three shots. One was stoned, but the other two were hit a little lighter with one gliding to the opposite side of the field. I grabbed the stoned bird and started going for the winged bird nearest me but couldn't find it. I set the dead bird down on the ride in the corner and started looking for the near bird, eventually finding it ~40 yards away and across the hedgerow. When I got back to the dead bird, it was gone with a couple fluffs of feathers to show for it. Never did find the carcass anyway. I assumed it was a fox as there isn't much that is going to lift a bird that size. Couldn't believe it. rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I had a sparrow hawk take a bunny it was interesting to watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 Transfer the power that tiny creature has in order to drag that pigeon, to if it grew the size of a Labrador !! Amazing little creatures and personally I don't kill them .... like some folks will not shoot woodcock I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decoy1979 Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I've not had a stoat steal from me, I was however sat up against a hedgerow in a pigeon hide one day when a young rabbit ran over my feet, by the time I looked down to see what it was the stoat that was chasing it flashed past too! I left the hide and moved along the hedgerow but didn't see anymore of the stoat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I downed a 90yd rabbit one evening and spent the next half hour watching a buzzard having its supper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 God rest his soul, the old keeper I grew up beating with and roost shooting had this happen, he spotted a pigeon he shot roost shooting heading up against the flow of a stream. On closer inspection a Stoat was making off with it...... So he gave it a barrel to sink to stoat It made us laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I had a fox steal a goose 2 seasons ago. A flock came over and I downed three on three shots. One was stoned, but the other two were hit a little lighter with one gliding to the opposite side of the field. I grabbed the stoned bird and started going for the winged bird nearest me but couldn't find it. I set the dead bird down on the ride in the corner and started looking for the near bird, eventually finding it ~40 yards away and across the hedgerow. When I got back to the dead bird, it was gone with a couple fluffs of feathers to show for it. Never did find the carcass anyway. I assumed it was a fox as there isn't much that is going to lift a bird that size. Couldn't believe it. rick Shooting in Holland? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I have had a stoat take pigeons before. I was shooting over raoe and dropped six birds onto a short grass field behind the hedge at my back. Knowing they were dead I thought I would leave them until I packed up as it was a long walk to go around the hedge to pick them up. When I looked there were no sign of the birds at first until I saw some tail feathers sticking out of a hole under a tree root. Four of my birds were cashed in the hole. Never did find the other two. Lost a goose to a fox too. One morning I shot a brace of greylags just after leaving the sea wall. Thinking I was alone that morning for the flight I tucked them under a sueada bush rather than carry them a mile to where I intended to do the flight. 2 hours later when I came back there was no sign of my geese. Sending the dog out she winded one 200 yards away and when she returned with it it had a number of its flight feathers chewed through. The breast was fine though. Never did find the second bird. I can just picture that foxes face when he stumbled over the birds. He must have thought it was Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 Fishing our monthly trophy competition at Crow Point near Braunton back in the late '60s, one of our juniors caught a nice bass which several of us fishing close by saw. He put it up the beach a bit as the tide was on the flood. End of competition and getting ready for the weigh in and the lad comes in almost in tears, "I can't find it". We knew he had it so off we go to look when a mate called me over and pointed. "Fox!". "Yep". No one else came close to the probablle 2lb weight so the decision was made in view of the fact that it had been seen to award him the 1st position points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I jumped off a horse to investigate a rabbit earth after a few bunnies had bolted and I saw one half in half out of the hole, squealing, I pulled it out by the scruff and there was a stoat stuck to the back end of it. Something I'll never see again I expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 I downed a 90yd rabbit one evening and spent the next half hour watching a buzzard having its supper. That's happened to me, a mate (Avery good clay shot) hit a pigeon after 18 misses and a buzzard snaffled it in front of our eyes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoozer Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 (edited) One of those events happened yesterday that is probably a once in a lifetime event. I had just finished a quick sessions on some laid barley and there was one bird I couldn't find despite my 3 labs looking for it for ages. I had given up trying to find it and was driving along the headland about 50 yards from the hide when I saw a pigeon going into the hedge. I jumped out of the truck and as I got about a foot away it shot off down the hedge line at a ridiculously quick speed, especially as the grass on the headland is very tall. I remember thinking bloody hell thats the quickest runner I have ever seen. The bird stopped about 8 feet away and just as I approached it, still thinking it was a runner a stoat shot into the hedge. For some reason my brain wasn't in gear and I went to pick the pigeon up fully expecting it to be alive but it had obviously been dead for a while. It was only then that I realised the bloody stoat had stolen my pigeon! Luckily I had my Mrs and daughter with me to witness it or I don't think anyone would have believed me. I have heard of foxes pinching birds and even birds of prey but never a stoat. You left out the part where you kind heartedly left the Pigeon behind for the poor starving Stoat his Wife & 12 Kids Edited June 15, 2017 by Snoozer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMT Posted June 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 You left out the part where you kind heartedly left the Pigeon behind for the poor starving Stoat his Wife & 12 Kids If I had a bumper bag I might have considered it but I couldn't of hit a cows **** with a banjo yesterday and only had a bag of 8. I won't say how many I missed. In fact I have just had it for tea. Pan fried pigeon rolls with fried onions and a red wine sauce. Bloody lovely it was too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendrix's rifle Posted June 15, 2017 Report Share Posted June 15, 2017 Never had a stoat take something but had a badger take a rabbit I'd shot and an owl take another rabbit on a different night. Both times I watched through night vision. The owl was interesting to watch as it was eating my dogs breakfast... the badger I got on video whilst chomping my rabbit. Had mink take trout that fisherman had put in there bags on a fisheries I managed. He couldn't understand where that fish went brief walk with the patterdales and a shotgun and game over. Also saw a stoat making off with a rat in its mouth, that one made me laugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 Pike fishing on a rare snowy day here in deepest Norfolk a stoat in ermin (we don't often get a long enough snowy prod for this so very special) pinched my sprats - two at a time! Lovely to watch. I lost quite a few but as fishing was slow only too happy to watch this scene. Also on same lane had shrews stealing maggots and two of them having a right old scrap over a maggot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
16BoreFan Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I once was sat in the hedge shooting Corvids over a pig unit and heard a sound behind me and a Stoat was plodding along the hedge rolling a pheasant egg along with his nose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I dropped a pigeon in a mates pigsty he keeps as pets, had to watch it being eaten breast first. Another time I'd dropped three or four pigeon in the woods part of a big country house with an air gun and when I went to try and collect them this fox jumped out of nowhere and tried to snatch one of them as he ran ! He must have been there all along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I would imagine that the urban equivalent of hese posts would be watching some little scrote relieve a little old lady of her pension. I know which I prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I suppose any predator will go for an easy meal , last season I had a rat trying to steal a trout that I had just caught and laid on the bank next to me , he was dragging it away when I clumped him with the landing net handle , had to cook it for the dogs though , didn't fancy eating it with the teeth marks in it ! Also have shot pheasants that landed in a wood and within a matter of minutes before the picker up could get to them they had been beheaded by a fox and just left on a path . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andra Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 I had a buzzard take a semi frozen bird and homemade cradle before. It sat in the tree next to me for a while then swooped down and offskie with the lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d foxxer Posted June 16, 2017 Report Share Posted June 16, 2017 was fishing a rock mark for bass heard a scuffling noise turned around and shone my headlamp there was mr mink helping himself to my sand eels also had fox do same another night and again when ferreting pinched one of my rabbits and made off with it cheeky sod ran so far then looked back as if to say [cheers sucker] then disappeared I didn't begrudge him it I had more than enough every critter got to eat aint they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted June 17, 2017 Report Share Posted June 17, 2017 I would imagine that the urban equivalent of hese posts would be watching some little scrote relieve a little old lady of her pension. I know which I prefer. You could even open a rival thread to "a stoat stole my pigeon" and call it "a scrote stole my pension"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.