Another short session on the maize

[Old Boggy]

On the same field that I shot 2 weeks ago and managed 29, I noted that it had been disced yet again, but still had smashed cobs lying around with pigeons in evidence. I therefore decided on a few hours out again last week and noticed that as they didn`t seem to start feeding until mid afternoon, set up about 2pm. Being able to still drive to the hide position, I set up with a rotary, flapper and half a dozen flocked shell decoys. However, the wind this time was very strong and made it impossible to successfully put up a net hide, so I sat in the bottom of a dry ditch surrounded at the back and sides by hawthorn bushes with the front totally exposed to the cross wind. This wind was from left to right so the rotary was set well upwind to my right with the theory that the pigeons would come into the pattern right to left across my front, by which time they would, or should, be committed and if I remained perfectly still until the last moment, would not be spooked. This worked remarkably well and I was surprised that very few actually noticed me even though I had no net between them and me. I was however, seated in the bottom of the ditch so only the top half of me could be seen. It was quite exciting shooting as I was unable to spot them in advance before they appeared straight in front so had to take some snap shots.

I had a call from my pal Stour Boy who was going to join me , but due to a working party elsewhere, wasn`t available to join me initially but he came for the last hour with just his dog and no gun, for a chat and to watch me miss ! It wasn`t long before Decker, his dog had a few controlled retrieves to make.

The ensuing banter of course affected concentration and the misses started to mount up, with a look of disgust on the dog`s face, but we just had to put the world to rights so it mattered not a jot. It just made for a more enjoyable outing.

I finished the short session at 4.30pm with 33 picked, so was well pleased with my afternoon.

Out again later today as the field is still attracting pigeons later in the day.

OB

Oops, the photo for some reason, didn`t attach.

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2018 by Old Boggy

[Clodhopper]

Nice report. Pigeon never cease to amaze me, sometimes you can stand in the open and they will take no notice and other times the slightest thing wrong with a hide can spook them.

[Wooder]

Well done Chris, send some over my way!

[Old Boggy]

9 minutes ago, Wooder said:

Well done Chris, send some over my way!

Would do Nigel, but the wind is in the wrong direction.

 

[marsh man]

Excellent report and some exciting shooting over a short period of time , could well be another day or two before the remaining maize  is cleared up , a t b on your next visit . 

[old'un]

Old Boggy

I see you are in Kent, we have just got back from Kent (Broadstairs) we visited the Spitfire Museum at Manston on Sunday, and on the way back to Broadstairs about 3.00 pm we went past a field not far from there, it look like linseed but the field was very weedy, it was blue with pigeon coming and going, don’t now if its near you, but if so its worth a look.  

[pigeon controller]

Well done great result.

[Old Boggy]

19 hours ago, old'un said:

Old Boggy

I see you are in Kent, we have just got back from Kent (Broadstairs) we visited the Spitfire Museum at Manston on Sunday, and on the way back to Broadstairs about 3.00 pm we went past a field not far from there, it look like linseed but the field was very weedy, it was blue with pigeon coming and going, don’t now if its near you, but if so its worth a look.  

Funnily enough, I took two of our Grandsons to the museum on Saturday. I think I know the field you saw as I passed it on Monday. As you say, blue with pigeon. Not on my patch I'm afraid, but I'm still getting a few on disced maize just one side of the A299 which no doubt you would have driven past on your way down to Broadstairs from the M2.

I went out just for 1 1/2 hours this afternoon having seen the regular flightline to and fro the field from my house and picked up 18.

Hope that you enjoyed the Spitfire museum. Another interesting place to visit near there is the Powell Cotton Museum at Quex Park. Well worth a visit if you are next in the area.

OB

Edited September 27, 2018 by Old Boggy

[old'un]

Yes we had a nice time thanks and the Cotton Museum at Quex Park was on our list but did not get there, as you say perhaps next time.

Think we drove past your maize field on the way to Whitstable on the A299, they were still cutting it on the way back to Broadstairs, one thing I did notice driving around that area was the lack of hedgerows, I did see a bail hide in the middle of one field, looked like old rape stubble, we also past field after field of what looked like cabbage? (did not stop, wife in charge of day out) there were also plenty of black’uns on some strong flight lines.

Do you get many Green Parrots on the fields around there, they seem to-be everywhere?

[Old Boggy]

The isle of Thanet is renowned for growing cabbages and cauliflowers, due to the chalk as they thrive in alkaline conditions.

The ring necked parakeets (green parrots) are very prolific in Thanet and as you probably know are now on the general licence. Quex Park abounds with them.

Whilst I'm not in Thanet which is East of the Wansum river, we do get a few ring necked parakeets in the woods around here. They are quite tasty but not a lot of meat on them ! 

All the maize around here is grown for biofuel. You would have passed near to the biofuel processor (Anaerobic digester) on the right hand side of the A299 at St. Nicholas at Wade when travelling from the M2 towards Broadstairs. You may well have seen a mountain of of the mashed up maize from the road.

OB

[Wilksy II]

Great report old boggy, it is nice to able to still drive to your spot, soon be back to lugging gear over claggy rape fields!