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First outing on the OSR


the hitman
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Earlier this week having unexpectedly spotted a good number of pigeons on a field of OSR only a 2 minute drive from home, I decided it was time to dust of the decoys and have a crack. I got the go ahead from the farmer who had also spotted them and was planning on putting out a gas gun.

I was set up next day at 9.15am having put at good 300 birds off - the conditions were not great- very cold with only a very gentle wind. 
First group came in for a look- 2 down great start, followed by a string of singles and a few misses. There was a further 3 fields of OSR in the block, and they soon started drifting onto one of these, however I was still picking away and the magnet was turning a few.

At about 11am about 200 pigeons settled on one of the other fields, and from my hide without binoculars I could see more pigeons joining them but from a different direction. This continued for about 30 minutes until I could only guess that about 1000 pigeons had joined the group, which is the largest congregation of pigeons that I have seen on one fields in years. My shots were not moving them, however something eventually did and and it was a sight to behold, and fortunately some came close enough for a shot.

By 12.30 they had found somewhere quieter and I pick up 21 pigeons and 1 carrion crow.

The amateur shooter may ask why only 21 when you seen hundreds- that’s winter OSR shooting for you.

 

Hitman 

 

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16 minutes ago, Ultrastu said:

21  on winter rape .is a bumper bag in my book .

Well done .

Agreed 

I have been doing this for a long time and my average bag at this time of year is probably between 0-1 .

Good news is that the gas gun hasn’t appeared yet - so Monday is looking promising.

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3 hours ago, dead eye alan said:

Great result, but I think you need to be set up earlier, I think that on rape you need to be in place before its light. The reason being that as soon as thy start out you want them to come to you, and establish a line that generally last for at least a couple of hours. Just my thought's on it.  

I have in the past set up before first light, and as you say probably had around an hours shooting before they clear off.

Sometimes in winter it’s the afternoon feed that can produce some good sport for a brief couple of hours, as they have pretty much decided where they want to eat before going to roost.

Its all about the weather just now - calm & frosty are going to be poor, but a decent wind and the birds want to be flying.

Forecast for Monday locally is ok - so I will have another bash.

Hitman

 

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24 minutes ago, the hitman said:

I have in the past set up before first light, and as you say probably had around an hours shooting before they clear off.

Sometimes in winter it’s the afternoon feed that can produce some good sport for a brief couple of hours, as they have pretty much decided where they want to eat before going to roost.

Its all about the weather just now - calm & frosty are going to be poor, but a decent wind and the birds want to be flying.

Forecast for Monday locally is ok - so I will have another bash.

Hitman

 

Hope you get lucky. Only two 20 acre fields on one permission not a pigeon showing interest . Both estates and the rest of my farms no rape. Everywhere I look there's pigeon just sat in the trees. Roosting yesterday only produced 9. Very few coming in. Hopefully it will improve soon. 

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40 minutes ago, mellors said:

Hope you get lucky. Only two 20 acre fields on one permission not a pigeon showing interest . Both estates and the rest of my farms no rape. Everywhere I look there's pigeon just sat in the trees. Roosting yesterday only produced 9. Very few coming in. Hopefully it will improve soon. 

I always think that we will catch up with them when the spring drilling goes in- until then we just keep picking away and keep out farmer friends happy.

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Although we have a reduced acreage of Rape in our area, there is still enough for the pigeons to go at. They just haven’t shown much interest yet. I keep thinking that they have started on it and then they move off again. The birds I shot this morning had been feeding on the Rape this past week ( according to the farmer) but were not 2 weeks ago.  I will see if they are there next weekend.

Any way good to hear you had some sport and hopefully a few more days will follow.

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