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It's an ill wind.


JDog
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Pigeons have deserted my patches of land, at least for the time being. Clodhopper is always desperate for a shot at pigeons on his days off so he spent Tuesday and a very wet Wednesday looking. He found some last thing Wednesday afternoon, good numbers so he said but on land where we didn't have permission to shoot. We did though know the name and address of the farmer whose land it was so we were hopeful of a result.

As I drove to our meeting point I saw a good line out of the town and into a rape field where there must have been 200 pigeons. This could be a reserve field if all else fails. We met at the appointed field only to see good lines in and birds already feeding. Without further delay we went to the farm and met the farmer who refused us permission. Fair enough but a blow nevertheless. The 'reserve' field was also his. A double whammy of rejections.

We had a plan B which was to shoot pigeons returning to a very thin, and I mean thin (10m maximum), strip of hardwood woodland. Why they should do this I cannot imagine but as we approached the wood a decent number of pigeons flew from the Hawthorn hedges so I did feel that we might get a shot. The wind was 20 mph at right angles to the wood and we identified that pigeons returned along a hedge running to the wood so we stood 50m apart at either side of the hedge just inside the 'wood'.

There followed two and a half hours of sport of the highest order with pigeons returning into the wind but drifting across it on their approach to the wood. These flight lined birds were as good as it gets. Whether magnanimity is a large part of my character I couldn't possibly say but I took great pleasure in watching Clodhopper shoot out of his skin and kill some long and difficult pigeons.

When we decided to call it a day we had picked 49 pigeons. We couldn't leave it at that so off we went along the wood and Jasper soon found the 50th. Most were crammed full of Hawthorn berries.

 

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Every cloud has a silver lining....IF you look for it.   Just a minute or two ago talking to one of my farmers who also enjoys shooting pigeons and he said he had an hour on birds returning but they where travelling with the wind (30mph or a bit faster) he said they where supersonic and would not reveal his averages.:lol:

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You would not know that JDog was using a new gun as he was bringing down some crackers.

 

This is a new permission of mine and I am yet to learn the favoured lines but I think we have now found one.

Birds were still piling in as we left, I had to collect my son from school, so there hopefully may be another chance here.

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a very pleasing report and result.

some of the very best sport to be had when the winds blowing.

tomorrow, I'll tutoring my 13 year old Italian nephew (who has shot before with me) a roost shoot in some good strong wind. he's only over here for three days and keen as mustard to be out.

personally, I clap my hands when I see the weather reports forecasting storm winds.

cheers

 

f.

 

 

 

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