Only a handful today

[7daysinaweek]

Rushed out the door to try to get a few hours with the shotty.

Loads up the vehicle and drives up to the same place i had been the other day,  I was dressed in camo pants and a white t shirt and  I thinks where is my camo top that I had placed in the vehicle, blast! I had left it at home, bloomin great, i going to stick out like a sore thumb.

Lugs me gear across the field and sets up trying to keep as concealed as i can in the hide with me white t shirt on. Within a couple of minutes the first bird came a lovely crosser out just beyond the decoys and I was chuffed to fold it with the first shot. Then suddenly two came a little higher to my left which i had not seen, I missed with the first barrel and sped up on the second barrel and folded another one. I was surprised that these birds presented themselves a surely they must have seen me in the hide as they were literally above me. Fantastic me thinks, another bird. Went quiet for the next half hour and then missed three or four on the run which all presented themselves well at the back of my decoys a little further out than the first bird. I think I was maybe behind them, anyroads they were long gone and I did not chance a second barrel on them. It went dead for about an hour so i upped sticks and went over the road to another patch which has a  strip of wood with a field that has been left uncultivated for the third season,

Sets up decoys and two dead birds out inbetween the sparse weeds.  I stood for what felt like an age and eventually another cracking crosser came again out beyond the decoys and I folded it with the first barrel. I opens the breach on the gun to put in another cart and a bird came over the top of the wood going away from me and I also connected with this, cannot remember if it was a first barreler or second.  A little while later a bunch came with a good handful and I picked the last bird another crosser and amazingly I folded that one, second barrel again. I can see it in me minds eye, the second barrel I must have pushed through it really quick as it turned on an angle and was down within a second of the first barrel. That is a rare one for me as when they come in a bunch i get all flustered and always seem to faff it up as i cannot focus on one bird.

The sun then broke through and it was beating down and in the end I decided to move out of the hide and moved down to the bottom of the field (down to the left in the picture) and stood as i had seen birds going out  over the wood and the odd one going back over. Over the next 30 minutes or so I sent a good bit of lead up and all that came down was the same lead. Fantastic!

So 5 in total, I did not count my shot count today, must look in me empties bag, must of been over twenty mark.

Hopefully back out again next week.

atb

7diaw

[kenholland]

who cares about the amount , you enjoyed yourself you made the effort  got a result , just don't forget anything in the future o k.

[marsh man]

Always nice when you connect with the first shot of the day 7diaw  , if I am going to get a decent run of hits it is nearly always at the start of the day and not the other way round . 

Today I gave shooting a miss , I dropped 40 pigeons off at the pub and spent most of the afternoon trying to find a few for tomorrow or Thursday , trying was an understatement as I went round all the latest wheat stubble's and I don't think I could have shot a dozen of all of  them put together .

Still tomorrow is another day .

[7daysinaweek]

1 hour ago, kenholland said:

who cares about the amount , you enjoyed yourself you made the effort  got a result , just don't forget anything in the future o k.

At one point ken i was going to take me t shirt off but thought better of it judging by the amount of midgies and horse flies,  i would have been eaten alive.

42 minutes ago, marsh man said:

Always nice when you connect with the first shot of the day 7diaw  , if I am going to get a decent run of hits it is nearly always at the start of the day and not the other way round . 

Today I gave shooting a miss , I dropped 40 pigeons off at the pub and spent most of the afternoon trying to find a few for tomorrow or Thursday , trying was an understatement as I went round all the latest wheat stubble's and I don't think I could have shot a dozen of all of  them put together .

Still tomorrow is another day .

Cheers MM

No sooner have i got a few good shots in it all goes array. Same as most things i suppose,  nothing like exposure and practice.

The first stubble i went onto today was the one i shot last week, i cannot believe how green it has turned in the last few days, we have had a few good showers and plenty of warmth. Not a pigeon was seen on it down on the stubble. Not like last week.

Great to hear your pigeons getting used in the local pub and good luck in your search for the elusive piggie.

atb

7diaw

[Old Boggy]

A good honest report.

As said, it's not the size of the bag, it's the enjoyment of the day and you obviously had that in bounds.

Regards the white tee shirt, I don't really think that the colour is too important it's the movement, or lack of it, that counts and you obviously kept still enough for the birds to come within range.

I think someone once carried out an experiment using bright orange netting (the plastic safety netting) as a hide with no apparent difference to the birds decoying.

OB

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

A good honest report.

As said, it's not the size of the bag, it's the enjoyment of the day and you obviously had that in bounds.

Regards the white tee shirt, I don't really think that the colour is too important it's the movement, or lack of it, that counts and you obviously kept still enough for the birds to come within range.

I think someone once carried out an experiment using bright orange netting (the plastic safety netting) as a hide with no apparent difference to the birds decoying.

OB

I agree with you about the colour of the clothing don't really make a vast amount of difference , although going in more suitable clothing that blend with the surroundings would be more advisable .

Throughout the hot summer I have been going shooting with whatever shirt I had been wearing during the morning as most days I have been shooting in a short sleeve shirt and hadn't really gave it a thought about wearing anything more suitable .

The modern nets are a lot lighter than the old army hessian ones we used to use , today you can put two together and you wouldn't have to worry what you had on and by adding a few bits of foliage if you were that way inclined you would be nearly invisible , the decoys draw them to your pattern and I am convinced if they are right you can get away with the minimum amount of concealment  .