TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 I was called out to a barley field that was being flattened and stripped by crows, I told the farmer that Saturday was the first day I could get there. He said he would put out some gas guns and that suits me as it trains the birds to get used to the noise of guns and makes them less shy. Yesterday I arrived at the field to find a 100 foot by 30 foot flattened area of barley with a load of corvids stripping the grain. I watched for a while and decided to set up the hide against the hedgerow adjacent to the bare patch, luckily the breeze was on my back which helped in the heat. Whilst I was setting up the farmer arrived and told me that his farm hand had been up a couple of days earlier and had shot 6 having been there all day! I put 12 half shell crows randomly across the patch and had taken 75 shells and 3 bottles of water, I started with a camo shirt, hat and face scrim. Gradually with the increasing temperature the jacket, hat and face scrim were discarded and I was shooting in just a dark blue T shirt. I had wondered which would run out first, the water or the cartridges, by 13:00 I had to return to the car for more shells, so grabbed more water and headed back to the hide. The crows and jackdaws decoyed well and the shooting was steady for the first 2 hours, at 14:30 things slowed down, still a few birds coming in but not as good as the morning had been. I stopped and packed up at 16:00 having accounted for 69 corvids and 3 woodpigeons, phoned the farmer to tell him and he was very happy. This morning (Sunday) I headed back up to the hide I had left up, put out the decoys and waited, not surprisingly NOTHING came close. I packed up and the happy farmer will keep an eye on the field and will let me know if I need to let them have another lesson in keeping off the barley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.w. Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 That's a result, very well done you, nice little write up and thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Nice shooting TC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilksy II Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Excellent work tightchoke! Great write up and pictures, cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Nice read that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getthegat Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Great work Shows the farmers good guns can be trusted to do a good job when required. Helps all responsible shooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted June 18, 2017 Report Share Posted June 18, 2017 Cracking day there well done. Sometimes on the second visit in have had success on the same field but a different spot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted June 19, 2017 Report Share Posted June 19, 2017 Is there a case for having a rifle shooter with an hmr or similar to pick off the ones that land at distances over and above shotgun range? Might work quite well as a team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2017 Thanks guys, nice to have something to report. Cracking day there well done. Sometimes on the second visit in have had success on the same field but a different spot? I went back to the same spot as it is the area they had damaged, I plan to work today and tomorrow and return to the field on Wednesday, to see if they have got their confidence back. Is there a case for having a rifle shooter with an hmr or similar to pick off the ones that land at distances over and above shotgun range? Might work quite well as a team? The vast majority of my kills were well out and well up after the first 12 that came right in to the pattern. They dropped in to the crop. The only place to use a rifle would be on the bare patch which I was covering with the shotgun. The grass field behind me is owned by the neighbouring farmer who has no interest in killing corvids as the ground is currently used for alpacas, I have spoken to his farm manager who is another shooter so things may develop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted June 19, 2017 Report Share Posted June 19, 2017 Great result, well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 I went back this morning to find that the crows have started on another field. I will go back tomorrow and set up near the new bare patch and see if we can teach them to feed elsewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted June 21, 2017 Report Share Posted June 21, 2017 A good day indeed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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