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A few on some beans


GingerCat
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I joined the resident wolds pigeon whisperer earlier today on some bean stubble that had been direct drilled in the last day. 

5 or 6 fields in all and the amount of beans on the surface was quite staggering. We parked up and watched for a while before selecting a spot on the middle(ish) field in the lower quarter, out of the wind and with the sun behind. 

About 4-5 hundred birds were using the fields and surrounding woods and we felt pretty confident of bagging something. 

I drove us to the field and dumped the kit before trudging up the hedgerow with jdog. We set up at about 230 and the birds came pretty swiftly afterwards. Jdog being the gent he is let me miss the first 7 or 8 as I hadn't shot for a while and was all over the place. For some reason the ones I did  hit just carried on regardless. I opened a new box of carts and the next 3 fell dead. I don't think it was the carts but it made me feel better. 

This contained for just shy of 2 hours and we bagged about 20 or so. One bird was shot at less than 20 yards and carried on for 80 metres before dropping dead in the field behind. Obviously loads of bird then decoyed to this single bird without hesitation and resulted in a 300 metre trip for me to fetch it. 

The sun came out and we took the rotary in, changed the pattern and then eventually packed up as the birds had 2 good solid lines they were now using and neither involved us. 

I sorted the birds when I got home and apart from beans and wheat they had rape and beach in their crops also. 

Re the cartridges, we wondered if these migrant birds had a little more muscle following their flight. When breasting them I noticed some had exceptional levels of meat and the 80 metre flyer was hit with no less than 12 pellets in the chest area but still powered on. Perhaps there's something to this.

Ultimate very enjoyable few hours in good company and a warm pigeon salad for supper to go with some red wine. 

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It is an unhappy coincidence that Clodhopper, Mighty Mariner and I are all suffering from crises of confidence regarding shooting on stubbles. We see what looks like decent opportunities, invite others along and set up only to be disappointed with the number of returning pigeons.

Yesterday was the same. There must have been 400 pigeons using those fields and a good line in but as soon as we set up they changed their line.

Edited by JDog
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2 minutes ago, JDog said:

It is an unhappy coincidence that Clodhopper, Mighty Mariner and I are all suffering from crises of confidence regarding shooting on stubbles. We see what looks like decent opportunities, invite others along and set up only to be disappointed with the number of retuning pigeons.

Yesterday was the same. There must have been 400 pigeons using those fields and a good line in but as soon as we set up they changed their line.

May I ask why you are disappointed in the numbers when you take someone out? 
 

A good friend of mine took me out and was exactly the same in his thoughts and apologised a couple of times, but as someone that had only shot pigeon once before I was over the moon with just getting out! The lack of birds was neither here nor there to me and being out with good company that can pass on their knowledge is priceless 

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That’s just how it goes sometimes, does sap your confidence in reading situations but then you’ll get a run of really good days and confidence is restored. I always say you don’t really know what will happen until you set up and give it a go, some days it’s almost too easy! 
I must say unusually I’ve had very few poor days this summer and had several turn out much better than expected, but rest assured it won’t last. 
Still a fruitful outing, it’s always nice to at least see the pigeons 😁

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4 hours ago, JDog said:

It is an unhappy coincidence that Clodhopper, Mighty Mariner and I are all suffering from crises of confidence regarding shooting on stubbles. We see what looks like decent opportunities, invite others along and set up only to be disappointed with the number of retuning pigeons.

Yesterday was the same. There must have been 400 pigeons using those fields and a good line in but as soon as we set up they changed their line.

 

 

thats  pigeon shooting for you.

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There is no coincidence that my lack of pigeon shooting opportunities is directly related to my available time for reconnaissance. However as JDog quite rightly points out, when a promising opportunity does present itself the pigeons seem to play ball for a short while and then move location/field. They do have an abundance of feeding options but this is being reduced daily. I am looking forward to shorter daylight hours so the birds feeding habits become a little more concentrated and I can use my time a little more wisely. 
 
 To go off on a slight tangent, the rape on a few of my farms is looking very good so far this year however a much reduced acreage has been drilled with at least one farm not bothering at all which is a disappointment as it lies on a fantastic winter flight line.

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19 hours ago, Longbower said:

After years of trying , and not much success , I keep having a go, hoping that one day , it will all be right. They will come in to the decoys 

And I will have a " bumper" day . One day , one day.

It will happen one day when you least expect it , and when you go expecting a good day it rarely happen , :good:

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18 hours ago, marsh man said:

It will happen one day when you least expect it , and when you go expecting a good day it rarely happen , :good:

When I got my first 50 bag I was expecting to maybe get a dozen or so what this field had produced in the past few visit  

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You can't really predict it sometimes. My best day ever was on a sunny, hot, windless and cloudless day on stubble with no lines I could see. I just wanted an hour or 2 outside away from work and the wife. I put the decoys out first and then the hide. As I turned round in my newly assembled hide about 4 birds got out of the pattern. Just 8 plastics thrown at random. I ran out of carts that day having only taken about 100. I shot well but the birds came in as if on rails. 

Other days I've seen loads of birds using a field with a good line or maybe 2 lines and they just dissappear or won't commit. 

If it was easy we wouldn't do it. 

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