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Small session, big smile


Jim Neal
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 I managed to free up just over an hour today between 15:45 and 17:00 so I went to what's normally my "banker" wood - the first one along the flightline in from the nearby town which the birds seem to converge on, whether or not they've been feeding on bird tables in back gardens, clover off playing fields, ivy berries on the lanes or the rape fields outside town.  This wood really hasn't seen many pigeons this winter - I can only presume this is due to available food location drawing them elsewhere and therefore dictating they roost elsewhere.  However I had a very enjoyable little blast this afternoon.

Having shot this wood so many times, it's almost the case that, when I get out of the car, I stand with my back to the wind and whatever direction I'm looking in will tell me exactly which tree to stand under.

Almost correct on this occasion, my first customer was a sitter that landed up at a fair old range - I knocked it out of the tree and then spent the next 10 minutes chasing it round the wood whilst also trying to keep my eye on the squirrel that took fright and ran up the trees as I was trying to dispatch the wounded pigeon.  The pigeon took priority of course and by the time I'd dealt with it the furry little tree monster had somehow evaporated!  I bashed out the nearest two drays just before leaving but no joy 😠

After re-positioning slightly I then managed to miss one with the first barrel that almost had its feet on the branches only 20ft above my head!  2nd stab at it was actually a very nice shot, taking it zipping off downwind, diving downwards to gain speed, so it actually ended up a very satisfying shot!  3rd bird was a bread & butter sort of shot but satisfying to hit and kill cleanly in the air as it arced across me toward the tree to my right.

4th and last bird was an absolute stonker which I'll remember for a long time.  It came in head-on to me upwind and, due to the sparse cover available, as I mounted the gun it flared off to my right and turned back out of the wood.  I put about a yard on it and pulled, realistically expecting nothing - except it turned over in the air and went THUD on the meadow outside the wood!  I stood there for a minute, re-playing the flight of the bird and the shot over and again in my mind trying my best to etch it in to my memory!  Collecting it later I paced it out at about 45 yards plus whatever Mr Pythagoras would like to add on for it being about 25yds in the air.  A truly memorable shot which, to be honest would have been enough on its own for the 7 cartridges spent on a quick session.

I wish the bloody sun would stop setting later and later.  Due to "family commitments" (whinging mrs) the best part of roosting is now out of bounds because my curfew is up before the sun even gets a sniff of the horizon.  I guess I could "forget" what time it is tomorrow.... but would it be worth it? ???

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Nice one Jim ...... Time is always a problem , sometimes my wife say , I didn't expect you home as soon as this , and then another time she would say , your late tonight , so you can't win at times , mind you in our household it's just a figure of speech and time don't mean a thing :lol: , when you have been married for over 45 years you get to know each other ways and time become a lot less important .

Great report , THANKS for sharing

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On 28/02/2020 at 09:29, marsh man said:

...you can't win at times....

Those times are when she makes her opinion known, .... oh yes, all the time! 😆

In all seriousness I am absent rather a lot on shooting-related matters, so to be honest I rack up as many brownie points as I can during the week, then go out and hope for the best!

 

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