Must be bonkers.

[JDog]

Yesterday was a write off. Jacko and I had a day planned but it rained all day and I cancelled our outing.

Today the winds were 40mph plus and coming straight from the Urals. My wife doesn’t use expletives but she almost did when I told her I was going out for an hour’s decoying in a wind chill of -7. 

My plan was to banger off the field opposite my house where 400 pigeons have been feeding undisturbed for two weeks. That would hopefully send them to a reserve field three fields away. The plan failed as I couldn’t light the rope banger due to the strong wind.

I went to the reserve field anyway and slogged my gear a few hundred yards to a sitty Sycamore tree. I had to strap my hide poles to the tree or my hide would have blown down. I managed an hour before my bones froze over and during that time I shot and picked nine pigeons. I have been melting in front of the log burner for the last two hours.

Edited February 7 by JDog

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Yes

You 

are!

[marsh man]

We would have used slightly stronger words Mr JDog as bonkers don't do your attempt at decoying justice , we didn't get the amount of snow that was forecasted for our area but the Easterly wind certainly made up for it , having said that , the snow was that very fine type that get in all the places on the body that are normally projected , after a cup of tea I was out of my house by 8am and walking down the marsh I felt like Scott of the Antartic , it was freezing and I don't often say this , but I wasn't sorry when I was reversing back in my driveway , did you hear shots from any other shooters ??, if you did it might pay you to check to see if they succumbed to the elements  .

[mossy835]

well done for getting out and haveing a go.

[Clodhopper]

You are quite mad to be out in those elements under a Sycamore.

I got myself tucked up under a Sitka Spruce which afforded far more shelter.

 

[Scully]

Mmmm. I was toying with the idea of going out myself after spooking the biggest number of pigeons I have seen since summer, for the second day running, while walking the dogs. They are grazing on a field of some kind of brassica crop sown late last year. 
I’ve studied it several times, but after coming to the conclusion I’m not going to be able to position my hide anywhere to avoid the worst of the snow and unbelievable windchill, I’ve decided against it. 🙂

[Walker570]

Yes, I managed two and a half hours sitting waiting for tree rats this morning and the wind was cutting. Fortunately I was in an enclosed blind, well almost but that cold wind was finding every crack. Had to drink my coffee quick or it was cold in a couple of minutes. One came one died and like you I walked in the kitchen , struck a match and lit the log burner. My wife gave me that look as well and already had the central heating going full blast.   HEH!!!!!   It didn't rain all day !!!!

[clangerman]

mad dogs and english men? not sure which one we fall into going out in this stuff good effort any trip is a win even a cold one 

[dead eye alan]

Well done it takes a man to go out in sub zero temperatures, and a reward of 9 pigeons must be satisfying. The log burners a savior when the colds got into the bones.  

[ditchman]

i didnt know covid-19 affected the brain.......

[kippylawkid]

Nice one JD. Great to be out on days like that. I had a similar trip myself yesterday and hope I still have the enthusiasm to keep doing that for years to come. I will post my report later.