Second time lucky - rape and stubble

[Lloyd90]

Well following yesterday's small success and it being quiet in work I managed to knock off just after 1530 and rushed home to get the gear and get up the farm for a look on the newly cut rape fields. 

When I arrived I went in to see the farmer who told me to go down the lane at the back as he had cattle on the field and I'd be straight onto the rape fields. 

 

On pulling up into the field there were hundreds of birds all over it. I Couldn't drive it in my Ford Focus so I got out, looked at some spots and picked a corner that covered both this field and the one next to it. I packed all my gear onto my back and off I went across the field. All I can say is rape stubble is bloody horrible stuff to walk through, especially in hot weather whilst wearing shorts!! 

 

Today I bought the OU with 3/8 and 1/2 choke in, and had a few odds of black gold 32g 5s that I just wanted to use up before going back to my pigeon cart.

I got to the other side and tried to setup covering the corners of 2 fields, setup under a tree. However despite about 200 birds leaving the field hardly any came back. I walked out from my hide to look where the birds were and managed to bag a long pigeon that was just passing by, I paced it out to about 40+ yards. After a while I managed 1 more similar bird but in around 30 mins I didn't have a single bird coming into my decoys or flying past close so I decided to move.

 

Luckily one of the lads from the shoot decided to join me and he was able to drive his Land Rover over for the gear. We loaded up and managed to look about, we picked a spot on the barley and got setup, with my 2 birds on the flappers and the shells out. The other lad must have had my lucky from yesterday as he missed the first bird with all 3 shots of his semi-auto! lol

Thankfully I managed to connect with 1 or 2 and added them to the pattern. 

 

Well after a short while I had done some reading last night and seen lads recommend size 7 shot as the best all round pigeon cart. I had some 28g 7.5's with me that I normally use on clays, I had a mix of Just Cartridges Club 28g 7.5 and Hull Comp X 28g 7.5 so decided to give them a go. Both were absolutely lethal on the pigeons decoys I was shocked. 

I had some of my best shots with these carts so carried on using them whilst the black golds and clear pigeon gathered dust. We were (well I was) shooting much better than yesterday (I thank the gun) and I managed to take the majority of the birds  

It wasn't as good as yesterday so think that could have been blind luck picking such a good spot the day before, but today I certainly didn't miss anywhere near as many and managed to finish up on a nice little bag of 10 birds, it was also thankfully much cooler and the other bloke took the birds home to eat  

 

My GF is out with friends tomorrow and it is my turn to feed the birds. Not sure if I will bother setting up or not yet, see what it's like tomorrow. I do know that I need a bloody 4x4 with higher clearance to save humping all that bloody gear across the fields on my back lol. 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Lloyd90

[Mr gen]

Nice report its not always about bag size, its about coming home pleased that you shot well and it looks like you were putting it in the right place today. None of the rape has been cut round this way yet but the pigeons are all over it, its like they are addicted to it. I tried decoying them into some laid corn next to the rape on Sunday as I didn't want to loose what I shot but there was no chance. Oh and it really isn't any fun humping all your kit for miles.   

 

[dead eye alan]

Nice report thanks for posting. 

[motty]

A good result.

A 4x4 is certainly an asset for the pigeon shooter!

[pigeon controller]

Well done, result. All this shooting will give you a good idea of how to attack next time. Watch the field and go where the pigeons want to go and ambush them.its worth spooking them off the field to see the flightline of return. 

[oowee]

Nice one mate 👍 How did the dog get on?