The easy option, but not necessarily the best !

[Old Boggy]

Having shot a reasonable bag ( for me anyway) of 25 pigeons in a short session last week, I thought that I would try the same field of harvested beans before it was cultivated. Unlike last week there were no observable flightlines but I thought that things might pick up as the afternoon progressed as often happens.

I should explain that my trips out these days usually consist of just 3 to 4 hours at a time due to domestic commitments so my plan was to make the most of easy driveable access to my chosen hide position. Set up on the edge of a small wood, my hide was backed by blackthorn bushes. My array of half a dozen breasted dead birds set up on cradles, along with a dozen artificials and a flapper looked all enticing. The field was still covered in beans which I thought might be more attractive to the pigeons since the bout of heavy rain. The slight wind was over my left shoulder so everything should have been perfect.

However,very little activity ensued in the first half an hour which enabled me to pick around 6 pounds of ripe sloes which were clearly at least a month earlier than usual.

After another hour and a half with just one pigeon in the bag I decided to 'up stumps' and use the next hour carrying out better reconnaissance for my next trip out which would be in two to three days time.

 

The drive around showed a few down on a wheat stubble recently undersown with rape. My experience (or lack of) told me that the pigeons were unlikely yet to be feeding on the new rape but we're still finding wheat in the stubbles. There is another small wood on the edge of this field and there was constant pigeon traffic to and fro this wood which was clearly being used as a 'rest and digest' situation. This flightline was to and from a field about a quarter of a mile away and appeared to be to a previous pea field harvested a good five weeks ago and since cultivated. When I first looked at this field after fairly heavy cultivation there was barely a pigeon to be seen. I just had to have a look and was surprised to see the field totally 'greened up' with 'volunteer' peas and covered in pigeons. Sadly the field is unshootable due to a main road on one side, several footpaths all round and a very well used bridal path crossing it diagonally leading to an adjacent riding school.

There would, given the right wind conditions, be a possible few hours sport next week alongside the wood or possibly intercepting the flightline.

 

My final port of call was a small field of bean 'stubble' that I remembered that gave two consecutive bags of 55 and 47 three years ago (later confirmed when reading my shooting diary). I was kicking myself for forgetting about this field as it is only literally minutes from home and completely slipped off my radar.

The field again awash with beans but more especially covered in pigeons with two distinct flightlines.

Once again, providing the field is not cultivated before my next trip, this will be my next venue.

 

The obvious lessons that I have learnt by the above are as follows -:

 

1. Don't always go for the easy option, remembering the old maxim "An hour in the right place is better than six in the wrong one"

2. Good or at least some reconnaissance is key to a successful outcome.

3. Reviewing ones shooting diary (and all should keep one in my opinion, if only to read in one's dotage and relive the moments) which could give vital information on previous conditions, crops, bags etc.

 

All was not lost therefore on that trip as I had carried out some useful reconnaissance and I Di have those sloes which will repay themselves in a year or so's time.

 

OB

[Old Boggy]

As a post script to the above post, I`ve just had a text back from my farmer friend to say that he will cultivate the small field of beans last, possibly latter part of next week to give me a chance of getting a few on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Good chap, but probably the small bottle of 2015 home made Morello Cherry Brandy that I gave him yesterday may have had some influence in that decision.

 

OB

[JDog]

A detailed report. Thanks for posting useful information.

 

All may not be lost if the farmer cultivates the bean field before the pigeons find it. They can feed for weeks on such fields even after being turned over.

[Wooder]

Just off to shoot a small bean stubble field myself, not much activity on it but, I am thinking with this recent rain should have softened the beans enough to make them palatable. gonna set up on the edge of a small wood that always has pigeon traffic to it, so should flight line a few even if there not interested much in the beans.

[motty]

Some good points, OB.

 

I don't believe that pigeons have any preference over hard or soft beans.

[pigeon controller]

In my near thirty years of shooting this area you remember the good fields and the bad which helps a lot. Very good report well done.

[Old Boggy]

Some good points, OB.

 

I don't believe that pigeons have any preference over hard or soft beans.

Motty,

 

You`re probably right on that, acorns being a case in point.

 

OB