moses Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 well folks, the day finally arrived on Saturday for me to pop my pigeon shooting cherry. I got up at 5.30, got all my gear together left the house at 6.30, I arrived at the location in west sussex at 8. I met up with the guide and 3 other guys shooting that day and off we went to the field. When we got there there was quite a few pigeons around the place, the field had just been combined and the guide said he had been keeping an eye on it the past week and had not shot it for a while so, he was hopeful we would get some sport. First we set up the 3 other guns in 3 hides then we drove to the other end of the field to get our hide sorted. It was a beautiful day sun shining with a good south westerly breeze. we set up a nice big hide under an elder tree then set about putting the decoys out. With the decoys set out in a kind of L shape and the magnet at the head of it and a bouncer at the other end, me, the guide and the two black labs Bonnie and Clyde settled into the hide to wait for something to happen. After about 10 mins had passed we spotted a bird flying, not into the pattern from the left but straight at the hide. I got the gun ready stood up, shouldered the gun and bang first barrel, missed, bang, second barrel, shook a few tail feathers but missed again. I sat back down not very pleased with myself and the guide explained that I was shooting underneath the bird and when they are flying straight at you you want to cover the bird with the gun. I went on to miss another 3 birds in a row coming left to right. I had a few more tips about giving enough lead as I was shooting behind and sat and waited to get my first bird in the bag. I poured a coffee from the thermos, lit a smoke and waited, as I inhaled the second drag and took a sip of my drink in came a pigeon about 30yds out coming left to right. I dropped my smoke, knocked my drink over, stood up and shouldered the gun, I looked down to the bead, swung and got in front of him, bang, he folded and hit the deck. I had a grin from ear to ear after this, I reckon I would have been happy if I had hit nothing else all day as I knew I was not going home empty handed. Bonnie went off for the retrieve and bought back 1 stone dead plump woodie and I was off the mark. I would say a conservative estimate would be that I missed 4 or 5 times the number that I shot and used just over 60 carts but, I had a great first day out and was happy with the final bag of 12. I did manage to get 2 with one shot which I was well chuffed about but, this semmed to make me a bit cocky and I missed the next 3 in a row. The shot I was most pleased with was a left to right high bird about 45 yds out. I thought he was possibly out of range but I was feeling a bit more confident at this stage so I gave him a barrel and down he came in a puff of feathers. http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z94/mos...ootingaug07.jpg http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z94/mos...ting11aug07.jpg I have booked to go again on the 25th of this month and can't wait to get back out there, what a great sport I'm hooked Moses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Nice write up and sounds like you had a good day. Beware, it's very addictive though I think it's already too late for you! Oh well, one more of us and one less of them! Well done, you won't forget the first one in a hurry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poacher Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 congrats mate, you won't forget that in a hurry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Moses well done on your first outing on the pigeons - if you fancy a trip over to north wales, i'll take you out mate and you wont have to pay for it - cant belive a guide made you pay for a days shooting and you only got 12 birds, you should on a guided day shoot at leat 150 cartidges in my opinion mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Nice one .... I think I only shot one on my first shooting experience along with a bunny so you are way ahead of me for day one !!!! Cheers Malk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 well done on your first time out. Don't worry about your hit rate it will improve with practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daitai Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Nice shooting keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses Posted August 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Thanks for the replies guys! Hope to get a few more in the bag on the 25th. I ate some of them last night, they're delicious! Moses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Boy Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Thanks for the replies guys! Hope to get a few more in the bag on the 25th. I ate some of them last night, they're delicious! Moses. Well done on your first outing mate, Pigeon shooting is probably the hardest of all flying quarry to hit apart from woodcock. A great first effort!!!! Small tip, if you want big bags, let them come all the way in (like land first) if you stand up to early, they will spot you and dart away. If it looks like they are going to land let them come all the way onto the deck. Once they have landed jump up, at this point they will take off, now is the time to nail em! Great first effort!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted August 16, 2007 Report Share Posted August 16, 2007 Small tip, if you want big bags, let them come all the way in (like land first) Once they have landed jump up, at this point they will take off, now is the time to nail em! Not a very sporting way to shoot pigeons - you don't need to do this if your a half decent shot, when you come up here i'll show the best way of shooting pigeons mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses Posted August 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2007 Not a very sporting way to shoot pigeons - you don't need to do this if your a have decent shot, when you come up here i'll show the best way of shooting pigeons mate. I'm with you on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Boy Posted August 16, 2007 Report Share Posted August 16, 2007 jees chaps They are still given a sporting chance i dont shoot them 1 foot off the deck or anything like that!!! Would make for a pretty bad days shooting if you dropped them every time! But works wonders if you are clearing the number for pest control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted August 16, 2007 Report Share Posted August 16, 2007 Well done a good day out, think my bag for a 1st out was 2, still remember the feeling and the size of my grin, think it stretched me face skin, all wrinkly now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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