Beans take some beating

[Mightymariner]

I have quite a lot of beans to go at this year and we have been watching the fields for a while. One set of six fields has been popular with pigeons and JDog and I nearly shot it last week when it was still standing. We decided against and a couple of days later it was harvested, then cultivated the following day. With the winds good most of the week, we decided to have a go at the earliest opportunity. 

I sent JDog ahead to recce as and he reported good things when I got there. A great line of pigeons heading to the fields.

We then argued about where to go. I thought we should split up to maximise opportunities, JDog thought we'd be better off on one field together. In the end he went to one field and me another, about 300 metres apart - with the idea he would join me if he didn't get any sport.

Once set up, I was into the pigeons immediately, shooting six straight. It continued like that for an hour or so. Because of the wind direction, I couldn't hear any shots from JDOg. I called, and called, no answer. Eventually he called me back to say he was getting shooting but they weren't decoying. He was quite happy, he said.

We carried on. I had birds from the right and behind me, swirling and dropping in the gales. It was really exciting stuff and each shot I took seemed to put more birds on the wing. We concluded later there were a lot of birds using these fields.

My shooting was pretty good for once and I had a lot of birds down. Plenty of young ones but a good proportion of mature ones. A couple of showers dampened things down but they soon passed in the winds. 

Eventually JDog joined me and immediately shot some nice birds with my encouragement.

By 5.30pm it had tailed off and we packed up, very wet.

Jasper picked five birds under a tree where I thought I had one. We had 91 but I knew there was one more in a hedge. Jasper knew too, he circled the spot and sat, looking upward at where he knew it was. Sadly we weren't as good as him and we just couldn't spot it. Sorry Jasper.

 

[mossy835]

sounds like you had a good time on the beans.well done good shooting,91 was a good day.

[7daysinaweek]

Sounded like some challenging birds coming on them gusty swirls, bet it was fantastic sport though!

Loved the read.

atb

7diaw

 

[marsh man]

Sound to me like an excellent days sport MM , beans were always a certain draw but sadly not this year , Motty might have been right in saying the harvest for beans were early around our way and they wasn't that interested with all the wheat stubble's at there disposal .

[motty]

A good result, MM. The beans just haven't produced the goods for me this year. I drove past several today and saw 50 odd on most, but nothing really worth setting up for.

[Clodhopper]

Well done. You have been lucky finding some on the beans. I have seen very few on the beans this year, as others have already reported.

[GingerCat]

My beans are untouched. As are the rape stubbles. Recently had an interesting few hours shooting as they returned to a wood to say out of the wind. I'm looking forward to cold windy days on the rape when there is little else about. 

[getthegat]

Well done guys. Sounds blinding fun in the gusty winds. I was only thinking the other day, I wonder if anyone is out in this wind and how are they doing. I had my best times this year on bean stubble and then with the field cultivated. Well done again.

[kippylawkid]

Cracking day. I agree with Matty on the lack of birds on bean stubbles. Usual banker fields here are devoid of activity. I still have 2 organic farms that won’t harvest for another 2 weeks to look forward to. 

[Old Boggy]

14 hours ago, motty said:

A good result, MM. The beans just haven't produced the goods for me this year. I drove past several today and saw 50 odd on most, but nothing really worth setting up for.

Same here on the beans. Have had several bean stubbles but very few pigeons showing an interest. However, the maize stubble has made amends for me this year, so not really complaining. Even after being disced and then lightly ploughed, the pigeons are still finding plenty of smashed up cobs. Last time out, on Tuesday, I had 33 in three hours (good bag for me) and hoping to get out middle of next week, once the rain stops.

OB

[Mightymariner]

I have about 20 bean fields and it's very hit and miss, these fields we shot had birds hanging around for weeks while standing, but once cut and cultivated a completely new flightline opened up into them. Some of the other fields have hardly had a bird on them, while some other shooters have shot 150 odd pigeons on a few others. I've seen many birds on wheat stubbles though.

[Wilts#Dave]

Nice afternoons shooting that, where has JDog disappeared to??!! 

By all accounts I only had one block of beans to go at this year, which gave me a bag of 200 when direct drilled and three consecutive bags on the stubble of 154, 162 and 114 in the last three weeks. Wish all the farms that used to grow beans still did, I don’t expect to have any next year! 

I predicted we’d get good shooting over the stubble, and it was the last of the crops to be cut in a really good location so we did. Had they been on a different farm i don’t think it would have been the same result!