Wilts#Dave Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 (edited) I’ve not posted in a long time so though my I’d share my latest outing. After having a very lean winter with the pigeons all but vanishing, spring drilling’s brought a few bags but nothing write home about, mid 40’s the highest and I just seemed to not be able to get there at the right time! Plenty of peas gone in so been keeping an eye out although we don’t usually see much activity until the peas are either right up and in pod or even better dying off prior to harvest. This time last year though I did shoot two good bags at the beginning of June on some late sown short peas so looked a little closer this time and pinpointed two blocks that were starting to get some attention from the pigeons. I shot one small patch last Friday that we’ve been watching for a couple of weeks where they’d really built up well and in a particularly good area for us. The farmer had also spotted them so good timing all round really. We pulled up at about 13:30 and having already decided where to go got going and set up by 14:00 with the rotary and 10 plastics out. The first customer was in on the decoys before Dad even got sat down and I took it out with ease. A good number of birds erupted from the surrounding trees and half a dozen or so added to the bag very quickly! The tap just turned on and for the next 2 hours the shooting was frantic, and didn’t let up much until just before 18:00 when we knocked it on the head. I knew it had been a damn good session as I’d had to go back for more shells once and Dad had fired a fair few through his 20 bore. We lost 10 or so in the ditch and behind in long barley but picked up a whopping 174! Absolutely amazing afternoon, with a brisk wind making the shooting tricky but satisfying as every shot in the book was taken. Carrying them all back not so much fun, but you suck it up when you’ve had a busy session……should keep them off for a bit but I’ve got a feeling it won’t be the last bag we shoot off there! Thanks for reading. Edited June 15, 2021 by Wilts#Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spr1985 Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Well done, a nice little lunchtime read 👌🏻 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Got no peas in this area but have a couple of fields of spring rape, but unfortunately its been hit by flea beetle and looks very poor and not pulling many pigeons. 184 in 4 hours is a red letter day and does not happen very often, well done, that looks like a nice shady place to set your hide, hope your walk back to the car was not to far as it was bloody hot here yesterday. Are you managing to shift the birds you are shooting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted June 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 6 minutes ago, Spr1985 said: Well done, a nice little lunchtime read 👌🏻 Thanks 😁 4 minutes ago, old'un said: Got no peas in this area but have a couple of fields of spring rape, but unfortunately its been hit by flea beetle and looks very poor and not pulling many pigeons. 184 in 4 hours is a red letter day and does not happen very often, well done, that looks like a nice shady place to set your hide, hope your walk back to the car was not to far as it was bloody hot here yesterday. Are you managing to shift the birds you are shooting? Had some great bags over spring rape when they used to grow odd fields here, but that was over 10 years ago now. Peas weren’t widely grown here either but since the rape has stopped lots of farmers seem to be planting them and had some good shooting off them again over the last few years. Walk back to the truck wasn’t too far luckily, but plenty far enough carrying 60 odd birds a time! Yes shifting them at the moment, not through game dealers though 👍🏼 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clangerman Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 sounds a great session there my wilts peas are well in flower just not getting enough birds for a go yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Top bag Dave, an excellent result for both you and the pea grower! 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Great result sometimes things just go your way after lean spells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockybasher Posted June 15, 2021 Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Well done !! A great day with your Dad. Well shot both - I'm very envious as very few birds round my area(s) !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted June 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 20 hours ago, clangerman said: sounds a great session there my wilts peas are well in flower just not getting enough birds for a go yet All our other fields are well away/in flower and not getting any pigeon attention either! Just seems to be certain areas/fields that draw them early on, in particular when they’re drilled and don’t get away. 19 hours ago, aga man said: Top bag Dave, an excellent result for both you and the pea grower! 👍 Thanks aga man, agreed a top result for us both…..it’s only a small block and being so low the pigeons would have stripped it left alone! 17 hours ago, yickdaz said: Great result sometimes things just go your way after lean spells They do don’t they. Strange as you just need to keep on looking and invariably they turn up and it’s all the more enjoyable when you get a good day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted June 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 14 hours ago, stockybasher said: Well done !! A great day with your Dad. Well shot both - I'm very envious as very few birds round my area(s) !! Thanks, yes Dad loves to get out as well and we always shoot together. I tend to do most of the shooting these days but he’s always there. I’m sure they’ll turn up for you soon, I’m often in the same position when our area is devoid of pigeons and reading others getting all the shooting! I find they’re often in small pockets in an area and the hard bit is finding that pocket……I could drive round most farms we’ve got access to and not see a pigeon at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 A superb bag in the short time you and your dad got them in , it must bring hope for those who are finding it hard to secure a bag at the moment , Peas can be a very good draw on the right fields but you will also get fields that are void of Pigeons from the time the seed go in right up to when the Peas are vined . With thunderstorms forecasted tonight the next crop to keep an eye will be Winter barley although ours are looking good the ear's are not at that heavy at the moment but once it go down it don't come back up , By the way Dave , you must have a very good back to lug off 60 , at my peak I would find 50 as much as I could manage , now if I got a bag as big as the one you got I would still be carrying them off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted June 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 4 hours ago, marsh man said: A superb bag in the short time you and your dad got them in , it must bring hope for those who are finding it hard to secure a bag at the moment , Peas can be a very good draw on the right fields but you will also get fields that are void of Pigeons from the time the seed go in right up to when the Peas are vined . With thunderstorms forecasted tonight the next crop to keep an eye will be Winter barley although ours are looking good the ear's are not at that heavy at the moment but once it go down it don't come back up , By the way Dave , you must have a very good back to lug off 60 , at my peak I would find 50 as much as I could manage , now if I got a bag as big as the one you got I would still be carrying them off We’re not in the ‘prime’ pigeon country some are either so yes it gives hope to those finding it hard to get amongst them! As you say peas can be a great draw but some fields simply go untouched from drilling through to harvest oddly. I always look forward to spotting some laid barley around this time of year…..don’t enjoy shooting over it as such as picking is such a pain but had some great days over it, pigeons seem to decoy really well!! Haha, thanks. 60 is the limit to carry for any distance I find, although I read Peter Theobold carries 100 pigeons on his back with his kit 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted June 16, 2021 Report Share Posted June 16, 2021 24 minutes ago, Wilts#Dave said: We’re not in the ‘prime’ pigeon country some are either so yes it gives hope to those finding it hard to get amongst them! As you say peas can be a great draw but some fields simply go untouched from drilling through to harvest oddly. I always look forward to spotting some laid barley around this time of year…..don’t enjoy shooting over it as such as picking is such a pain but had some great days over it, pigeons seem to decoy really well!! Haha, thanks. 60 is the limit to carry for any distance I find, although I read Peter Theobold carries 100 pigeons on his back with his kit 🤣 No that I'd like to see 🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted June 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2021 On 16/06/2021 at 13:59, yickdaz said: No that I'd like to see 🙄 And me 😂🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 On 16/06/2021 at 13:33, Wilts#Dave said: We’re not in the ‘prime’ pigeon country some are either so yes it gives hope to those finding it hard to get amongst them! As you say peas can be a great draw but some fields simply go untouched from drilling through to harvest oddly. I always look forward to spotting some laid barley around this time of year…..don’t enjoy shooting over it as such as picking is such a pain but had some great days over it, pigeons seem to decoy really well!! Haha, thanks. 60 is the limit to carry for any distance I find, although I read Peter Theobold carries 100 pigeons on his back with his kit 🤣 Peter only shoots small pigeons! Well done you and dad great result, hope you repeat it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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