A choice of 4 fields

[GingerCat]

I met up with jdog earlier in the heart of the wolds. He had 4 fields to choose from and they all presented slightly different challenges. The first was peas, bordered by a road and involving a bit of a walk. There was 1 main line into it and it wasn't overly busy. The second was also peas and had birds from 2 lines. A horsey woman would need speaking with but we could drive to it almost. The third was a field of peas we had shot before with a line going along a hedge row. Last time we shot this the line ended. The fourth was rape and appeared busy. A couple hundred birds got off the field and we could also drive to it. No horsey people about and the birds would be challenging. 

I elected for the rape and jdog being the gent agreed. Off we went and set up with 2 rotarys in a couple of blow holes. As we approached 50 or so came off again. The wind was perfect and the sky overcast. 

A random shooter appeared 5 minutes too late. He went off into the distance and set up on some peas. He didn't get much traffic either. 

We shot 3 and the line stopped. Totally stopped. Not a bird to be seen. 

Jdog suggested we go to a spinny at the end of the 3rd field. With nothing to lose we set off. No rotarys, no decoys, no net. A pea field in front, mustard behind and some birdy mix scattered about also. In no time at all we had birds coming in, a few from behind, some from in front. None were easy. It didn't help i shot poorly and missed some easier birds. I realised at the end they weren't actually moving forward but were drifting sideways and dropping. Everyday is a school day. 

Jasper the crazy dog made light work of retrieving the fallen in the tall crops and hedging. In the end we picked 12 for about 16 or 18, the remainder having fallen into the nettles and bracken behind. Very enjoyable however and to me at least, its more about the shooting than the size of the bag.  From the behaviour of the birds I get the feeling there is too much choice currently and they just go elsewhere, although the first field was busy when we drove past on the way home I'd wager it wouldn't be if we had set up there either. 

[7daysinaweek]

Excellent write up.

Jasper certainly is invaluable.

[dead eye alan]

Nice report and good to see that JD is still out and about regardless of his neck problem, and its certainly not about numbers. 

[JDog]

Anyone who comes out with me will know it’s not about numbers as there just aren’t that many pigeons in these parts.

The first bird I shot had a crop full of unripe barley, the second some sort of weed seeds, the third pea leaves and another had old rape and mustard leaves.

[marsh man]

Another well executed and detailed write up Ginger Cat , for some people who are short of perms and pigeons would think it was there lucky day to have the choice of three or four fields very close together that are all shootable , but for others this is how it is at the moment , we have got small to medium numbers of pigeons everywhere , I got a call from the farm foreman to tell me about three Wheat fields that were getting a lot of attention from Pigeons and on another field Rooks as well .

Tuesday afternoon I passed our old Pea stubble and there were a nice lot on there , trouble is it don't look right going on the Pea stubble where they are not doing that much harm and the Wheat field a few fields away are getting hammered , so I made my way to the Wheat field , I opted for a spot where I could get near with my motor rather than a long walk where the shooting would have been slightly better , when I set with the rotary and two floaters the sky was already dark and rain was on it's way , as it turned out I managed to get a good hour and shot eight Pigeons before the heavens opened up and that was it , nothing wetter than walking through a standing Wheat field in the pouring rain.

Yesterday it was time to look at another Wheat field that had good numbers on , the Wheat was already wet from the overnight rain and I wasn't going to get sodden wet trying to walk to a decent spot so again I looked for the easy way out and this was driving over some rough grass and setting up on some game cover on the other side of the hedge from the Wheat field , on the game cover I had the rotary and 20 odd decoys scattered about , for the first 30 mins there was a nice lot about but after a few shots and the sky getting darker it slowed up , then like the day before it started to rain and I am now not keen on getting myself and everything else wet so with ten pigeons that will need drying out a bit before they go in the freezer it was time to call it a day .

On the way home I passed another field of rape where a lot of pigeons were sitting on the wires and dropping onto the ripe rape so maybe if the rain clear up later on I might venture forth and see what today can produce , I know it sound like hard work but someone have got to do it . 

[Clodhopper]

It is a shame that it did not work out exactly as you hoped. At least you did manage get a shot. A dozen pigeons flighted is still good sport.

[lloydi73]

Any day out is a good day out, made all the better in J-Dogs illustrious company 😀

[clangerman]

you tried and that’s what counts despite a reccy on wheat yesterday they were on whole crop stubble two fields away today half of what we seen didn’t return but managed 67 so worth going 

[pigeon controller]

Good report, pigeons not playing the game.

[GingerCat]

I  think there's too much choice for them at the minute. Earlier I went to pick up my airgun and drive past field 1 or 2. There were lots birds on it but they were flying over it and onto rape across the road. 40 minute later I drove past again and not a bird to be seen on either.  1 little thing upsets them and they can dissappear a few hundred yards in pretty much any direction and feed elsewhere