On the beans again

[old'un]

Well I managed another day out of the bean fields, it was blue over again with pigeons moving around in flocks of 10 to 50 and a few flocks of 100+, wind was perfect for me with birds coming into the decoys from left to right (my favourite crosser) started shooting about 12.30 and packed up at 4.30, while I was packing my gear away birds were still coming into my decoys and dead birds still to be picked up, I could have shot a lot more but I had killed 138 and had had enough, plus I had the walk back to the car to look forward to.

 

Few pictures of the day but its hard to get a true picture of the amount of birds coming to the fields, some of the pictures were taken whilst I was packing the hide away.

 

[JDog]

Lucky you. That is three days this week on the same field isn't it?

[old'un]

Yep, think I have shot around 250+ pigeons on the same fields this last week or so, but yesterday they were coming in almost continuous droves, its the sort of day that in my younger years I would have stopped on the field till the last pigeon, happy if I hit the 100 mark now even if there's another two or three hours of shooting to be had in the afternoon feed.

its about 75 acres of beans made up of 4 fields, I have not seen so many beans on the top for a long time, not out now till next week so I doubt they will still be around those fields…..but you never know with pigeons.

[clangerman]

nice job glad someone had them of the beans mine were a non starter drillings went in so well this year only shot the peas twice not a pigeon on them today with trees budding now good recon will be everything shortly 

[HIDENSEEK]

Well done you!  It's great when it all comes right and you get the reward for the slow days and slogging along with all the gear for little reward. Hope you can manage another trip before they go elsewhere.

[marsh man]

Another bag out of the top drawer old'un , these situations don't come along that often and like you say if you were younger and in the big bag syndrome you could have made a very, very big bag , although you did really well in the time you were there and my back is aching just thinking about the pick up and the slog back to the motor . well deserved.

Is there still a decent market for shot pigeons ?

[JTaylor91]

Sounds like a cracking day, send some of the ones that got away up here please.

[old'un]

2 hours ago, marsh man said:

Another bag out of the top drawer old'un , these situations don't come along that often and like you say if you were younger and in the big bag syndrome you could have made a very, very big bag , although you did really well in the time you were there and my back is aching just thinking about the pick up and the slog back to the motor . well deserved.

Is there still a decent market for shot pigeons ?

yep, if I had found that field when I was 25-30 I would not have left that field until it was either going dark or I was certain they had had enough and were not coming back, apart from age catching up with me I also do not have the same spark for killing large bags as I did in the past.

not sure what they are fetching as I have not sold any for some time, I give most of what I shoot away, the farmer who farms the neighbouring farm loves pigeons and he took 50 off me and the rest went to a few locals, I do keep a few back for baiting foxes on a big chicken farm.

Interestingly there were 7 young birds in the bag, one had still got its brown hairs/down.

 

16 minutes ago, JTaylor91 said:

Sounds like a cracking day, send some of the ones that got away up here please.

I have struggled to find any decent numbers since the beginning of December, very little rape in this area to hold them, its only been this last month that they have started to build up any numbers, but yes there are some big numbers now and no you cant have any.