Peas quiet but the laid barley was amazing

[lakeside1000]

So Wednesday after spending 4 hours in the car looking for birds I narrowed it down to 2 spots, one was some laid wheat but a bit close to nearby houses , the other was a huge area of laid barley that skirts along the side of a large oak wood, 

Thursday my oldest son from California was on a 3 day visit , a very keen shooter and slightly better shot than me, and looking for some pest control.

So permission granted by the estate, we set off midday Thursday to the barley field, A long muddy track through the wood allowed us to park within yards of the desired spot, and on arrival we walked off around 400 birds, it was 2.30 by the time we finished setting up with 25 dead bird decoys, one magnet and three floaters, within minutes they were coming at us from all directions.

We both started well dropping birds at all ranges and heights, but the heat and picking up (no dog) soon started to take its toll ,I'm 71 with a bad back and the 'boy' is 49 and also suffers with his back ,we began to get a few missed birds but they kept coming, 

We had to call it a day at 6.30 as other duties were calling us home, we had 35 picked with only around 4 lost in the wood and long barley.

Friday was a mad race around the shops with the wife before getting back home and loading up the car once more, a quick lunch and we were on our way back to the barley, once again on arrival we walked off at least 250 and set up almost exactly as the day before.

Once again they came back within minutes of sitting back in the hide, it started very well with plenty of targets but slowed around 4.00 , we thought we may have had the best of them but we were mistaken, around 5.30 they came again , only in small numbers but very constant, around 7.00 I could barely stand up as I was in so much pain from my back, so the 'boy' did the last pick up and cleaned up the decoys, I managed to crawl around in the undergrowth and picked up all the empties and loaded the car,

Final tally was another 55 picked with once again around 4 or 5 lost in the wood, the most bizarre loss , as I walked along a track inside the wood  heading for a downed bird, a huge fox met me coming the other way with my bird in its mouth, one look at me and he was gone into the undergrowth just leaving a cloud of feathers , I wonder if I can count that one as picked ?, Anyway total for two afternoons work was 89 picked, one to the fox and around 8 lost but down.

My son flies back to California today very happy with his little father son visit, It will be a while before we can top this one. The barley will get a rest now for a few days to allow them to build up again before I go back, to check on them, hopefully a few more good days before the combine gets stuck in.  

[aga man]

Great report. Well done for picking the birds you did, not easy in the barley but nice to read you made every effort and only lost a few. 

[Walker570]

Good report and great you could provide the lad some sport in his short visit.  The wierdest similar occurence I ever had was watching a badger appear from the undergrowth and nick a squirrel I had just shot under a flip top feeder .... it was 12.30pm in the afternoon!!   Hope the barley comes good for another visit or two. Your lucky as I have not seen a single blade of anyhting laid around here.

[lakeside1000]

We are right on the coast and there is a lot a laid crops, but sadly few pigeons, I think this spot produced because of the oak woods alongside the field which are also a favourite roost for the birds, non of the other laid areas on my perms are showing anywhere near these numbers.

[getthegat]

Nice read, sorry about your back problems. Great couple of outings though. Take care of those backs guys; yoga keeps mine in check.

[motty]

A couple of good outings. I would imagine you may have had far more shooting if you had been in position sooner.

[marsh man]

20 hours ago, lakeside1000 said:

We are right on the coast and there is a lot a laid crops, but sadly few pigeons, I think this spot produced because of the oak woods alongside the field which are also a favourite roost for the birds, non of the other laid areas on my perms are showing anywhere near these numbers.

Had a look today and the most Pigeons I saw were sitting on the telegraph wires over a Wheat field , Pigeons were dropping into and on the Wheat even though none of it was laid , the grain is now becoming milky whereas the Barley ( Winter ) in now getting hard and is only a week or more from being combined .

[Old Boggy]

On 30 June 2019 at 22:19, lakeside1000 said:

We are right on the coast and there is a lot a laid crops, but sadly few pigeons, I think this spot produced because of the oak woods alongside the field which are also a favourite roost for the birds, non of the other laid areas on my perms are showing anywhere near these numbers.

I am currently up in your neck of the woods and driving between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft yesterday on the A12 saw two fields of barley on either side of the road, each one with many pigeons in and over some large laid patches. Someone could be into some good shooting there. Marshman, take note !!

 Although driving up through Suffolk saw plenty of pea fields with not a pigeon in sight. But a big field of barley just south of Yoxford also had plenty of pigeons over the laid patches.

You're very lucky to have so much barley grown up here. Not that much where I shoot in Kent, but plenty of pigeons on the wheat waiting for me when I get home, so mustn't grumble .

OB

[Old Boggy]

A rider to my previous post, as we`re home in Kent now.

Driving along the A47 towards Norwich I saw a wheat field with the wires above absolutely laden with pigeon, obviously feasting on the wheat below. This was on the right hand side travelling West just after the Cantley turning and before a large field of linseed also on the right.

Again, if someone on here has access to that field they could do well as there appeared to be a good line along some trees bordering the field.

OB

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

A rider to my previous post, as we`re home in Kent now.

Driving along the A47 towards Norwich I saw a wheat field with the wires above absolutely laden with pigeon, obviously feasting on the wheat below. This was on the right hand side travelling West just after the Cantley turning and before a large field of linseed also on the right.

Again, if someone on here has access to that field they could do well as there appeared to be a good line along some trees bordering the field.

OB

A lot of the Barley fields are nearly ready for the combines which on ours should make a start towards the end of next week ( weather permitting ) these fields are now void of pigeons with the grain being hard  and like you say are now moving on to the Wheat fields , telegraph wires and dead trees are normally a give away as to where they are and if you have got any laid you could be in for a bit of shooting .

On the way home from a run out Sunday I drove down a track near Potter Heigham to give the dog a run and there was a big Barley field that had a lot of Pigeons on and the field next door was Peas , I have got the shooting on the boundary of this farm but nowadays I don't no longer look for any more shooting but tomorrow I am going to have a afternoon with Lakeside 1000 ( Alan ) on some Barley and if they have moved on I might make an exception and go door knocking . 

GOOD LUCK on your Wheat fields .