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Finally shot a few.


Clodhopper
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The weatherman forecast 30mph winds and light snowfall this morning in my part of Lincolnshire.

I have had little time for a proper recce. but having had a phone call from my farmer friend last night, telling me that there were a few on his Rape I thought I would give it a go. So off I went in the dark with driving snow and sleet. The journey is normally 10 minutes but the conditions made it a 30 minute drive.

I decided not set up on the Rape but to set up under some Willow trees at the base of a steep bank that runs up to the Rape.These trees were sheltered from the driving snow and sleet and past experiences have shown that the birds often head for these trees before going off to feed. 


Having put 10 shells I my pocket, I told  myself that if I fired all 10 I would be happy. I fired these off in the first 10 mins. as birds came sailing over me high and fast on the wind. My shooting was terrible, 2 birds down for 10 shots, must try harder. My excuse was that I was using my semi auto which has not been out the cabinet in over a year but that was not really valid as I normally shoot well with it. 
 

After giving myself a good talking too I managed to get the gun moving better and put more birds on the ground. Boosting the bag by shooting a couple that landed in the trees made my average look better, well it is pest control after all.

 

I had every shot in the book. Missed a few more than I hit but some how managed to finish with 27 pigeons and 1 Carrion crow picked. 3 more birds ended up at the top of the steep bank that I could not retrieve as I kept slipping down on my backside. I do miss having a dog!

 

This is certainly a change for this area as the birds have been very difficult to get to grips with so far this winter. 
 

Thanks for reading.

 

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This early mornings weather would have sorted out the men from the boys and sadly I am now one of the boys and a old one at that , I did take my gun with me at a little after seven when the snow had just started but time I got down to the wood the Pigeons had already left so I had a wander over the marsh and it wasn't that bad with the wind behind me but when I turned round to make my way back it was freezing and I was glad in a way that the shoot planed for today was cancelled due to the restrictions .

As Mr JDog rightly pointed out , everyone well deserved and I was glad you had a nice lot of shooting in what little free time you have got .

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25 minutes ago, Clodhopper said:

You would have been ridiculing me for missing so many “Doddlers”. But instead you opted for the warmth of your bed!! 

The choice was either a warm bed with my warm wife or a dangerous drive to stand in the cold with Clodhopper. 

I should have made the drive.

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Nice write up- well shot, 27 is a decent bag at any time of year plus a bonus of the crow.

I love shooting in the snow, and recall getting up to go goose shooting with hail stones clattering the bedroom window- my wife said “ your not seriously going out in that “ my reply “ it’s the call of the wild my love (it was a long time ago) you either have it or you don’t.

Hitman.

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22 minutes ago, the hitman said:

Nice write up- well shot, 27 is a decent bag at any time of year plus a bonus of the crow.

I love shooting in the snow, and recall getting up to go goose shooting with hail stones clattering the bedroom window- my wife said “ your not seriously going out in that “ my reply “ it’s the call of the wild my love (it was a long time ago) you either have it or you don’t.

Hitman.

There is something about shooting in horrible weather that gives me a buzz.

My good lady told me that I was mad going out this morning. That is probably true but you don’t get any shooting sat at home.

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Glad to hear someone is banging up on the OSR albeit hard going. In my area they’re just nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they are here but just spread thin over lots of woodland. Anyway the two I did shoot tonight were both stuffed with germinating acorns. The second bird had obviously crammed them in as he was struggling to gain loft when I flushed him from his fir roost. It’s not often that the odds are in our favour as a pigeon shooter!

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On 16/01/2021 at 13:45, Clodhopper said:

The weatherman forecast 30mph winds and light snowfall this morning in my part of Lincolnshire.

I have had little time for a proper recce. but having had a phone call from my farmer friend last night, telling me that there were a few on his Rape I thought I would give it a go. So off I went in the dark with driving snow and sleet. The journey is normally 10 minutes but the conditions made it a 30 minute drive.

I decided not set up on the Rape but to set up under some Willow trees at the base of a steep bank that runs up to the Rape.These trees were sheltered from the driving snow and sleet and past experiences have shown that the birds often head for these trees before going off to feed. 


Having put 10 shells I my pocket, I told  myself that if I fired all 10 I would be happy. I fired these off in the first 10 mins. as birds came sailing over me high and fast on the wind. My shooting was terrible, 2 birds down for 10 shots, must try harder. My excuse was that I was using my semi auto which has not been out the cabinet in over a year but that was not really valid as I normally shoot well with it. 
 

After giving myself a good talking too I managed to get the gun moving better and put more birds on the ground. Boosting the bag by shooting a couple that landed in the trees made my average look better, well it is pest control after all.

 

I had every shot in the book. Missed a few more than I hit but some how managed to finish with 27 pigeons and 1 Carrion crow picked. 3 more birds ended up at the top of the steep bank that I could not retrieve as I kept slipping down on my backside. I do miss having a dog!

 

This is certainly a change for this area as the birds have been very difficult to get to grips with so far this winter. 
 

Thanks for reading.

 

B2BE96FD-3480-4E10-B6FD-9AFE5FDCFCA2.jpeg

DEDD2DF7-B4CE-4196-B1B0-5F197AF9F5B3.jpeg

D3282E6C-BBEC-46E1-94BD-7FED33491837.jpeg

CDA69D47-B833-4918-8EDB-5E78FCF2AA88.jpeg

Good on you for getting out. 

You could have retrieved those three to make it thirty if JDog had gone.

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