A long day.

[Clodhopper]

Giles and I were keen to get out this morning for 2 reasons, we both had new guns to try out in the field and we had a good number of birds coming into the rape. We met up shortly after 6 am in the same place we shot last week and were set up for about half past. The birds began to appear from their roost shortly after. Some decoyed but most just drifted around and were not as keen as last week on coming into the wood we were stationed in.

At around 08.15 we had a about half a dozen birds down but although we had seen around 400 we decided that it would best to leave them for another day as they were not committing as well as we had hoped. 

We knew of another field of rape on the other side of the valley where we had seen upwards of 600 birds recently so decided to have a look there. On arrival there were around 250  feeding and others sat up in the trees around the field. We decided to set up under a large Ash tree in the corner of the field with 2 magnets and a handful of dead birds scattered around these. We had not hide netting as we had planned to be in the wood for the morning so we scratched around for dead grass, Rosebay willow herb and dead branches in order to construct some sort of screen. This worked a treat and we soon had birds coming into the pattern and others hesding for the tree. We added birds to the pattern as we shot them and soon had a good picture for in coming birds to aim for.

Bird came in flurries with lulls of around 20 mins. And this continued throughout the day. My dropped my boy of with me at 1.30 pm and he seemed to enjoy himself for  a couple of hours before he got cold. We packed up at 3.30 and picked 74 pigeons and 2 crows. Throughout the day we both cursed some easy misses and questioned our new choice of gun but were pleasantly surprised when we counted 150 empty shells. This is not something we normally do as we are not bothered by ratios just the sport. 

 

 

[aga man]

Good result.

[Wilksy II]

It was a good result and good effort for changing locations, it’s too easy to stay put and suffer the consequences, I think there’s summat to be said for letting them have a feed early on,which suits me as I couldn’t be up and at em at that time!

Edited February 24, 2018 by Wilksy II

[motty]

A fine result. I still think that some of the best sport can be had at first light. If I could get permission to shoot a local sugar beet field I would be on there tomorrow for 6am.

[Clodhopper]

5 minutes ago, motty said:

A fine result. I still think that some of the best sport can be had at first light. If I could get permission to shoot a local sugar beet field I would be on there tomorrow for 6am.

The idea of being there at first light was that the birds come from their roost, sit up in the Fir wood in large numbers and play follow the leader down onto the adjoining rape. Giles suggested last week that we get there early, shoot the leader and see if the rest follow. Worked last week but not this. We need a new cunning plan.

[kenholland]

no rape planted on my patch this year I see there is snow forecast for mid week that might change things, good and bad for some, good luck lad's.

[motty]

18 minutes ago, Clodhopper said:

The idea of being there at first light was that the birds come from their roost, sit up in the Fir wood in large numbers and play follow the leader down onto the adjoining rape. Giles suggested last week that we get there early, shoot the leader and see if the rest follow. Worked last week but not this. We need a new cunning plan.

That sounds like a bit of a strange plan.

[Clodhopper]

11 minutes ago, motty said:

That sounds like a bit of a strange plan.

It does when I read it back. The birds come do not roost in the Fir wood they come from a roost wood a couple of miles away and sit up in the Fir wood during the day, we wanted to get in position before they began to arrive from the roost wood. Anyway it worked last week, not this week. Back to the drawing board as there are good numbers in the area.