Saturday's Report

[pigeon controller]

I had arranged to shoot with DB today so I picked him up at 08.30 and we set out in the fog with icy roads. We had an idea where we wanted to shoot and looked at four farms on the way out . All had birds on them but just sitting in trees waiting for the frost to melt off the rape. The field that we wanted to shoot had a good two hundred birds on it but as we drove down the track to it they just lifted off and moved to the edge of the field. We drove to an advantage point to see the reaction, after about ten minutes they started to return to the centre of the field. So we decided to set up , we had not shot this field foe three weeks and hoped it would produce. I built the hide and DB setup the magnet and ten cradles with real birds. We were all set up for 09.300 and the first birds in came high from the back of us not from the birds in the trees. Two cracking shots and DB was in his element, the next two one to the pattern and one over high both fell to my gun. This had the effect of lifting all the birds from the edge of the field and disappear into the distance. In the next hour two returned so DB decided to walk the circumference of the field and found numerous hide positions and fresh patches of feathers . He talked to a dog walker who informed him that last week four cars were parked in the gateway and numerous shooters were around the field!!!!

The situation is that we shoot for the farmer who in growing the crop the other shooters have the land owner’s permission. By the time that DB had returned our total was eight birds. So we agreed to move on it was now 11.30.

We arrived at the second farm and the birds were down feeding hard as the sun had broken through and melted the frost. The only piece of cover on this field is a conifer towards the one edge of the field but with today’s wind it would be in your face as you could only shoot one way safely.

We were all set up for 12.30 and the birds started to return but they found it difficult to get into the decoys so we moved them out into the field so the back edge was at least fifty yards out this had the effect of letting the birds approach us and then bank round and attempt to join the pattern.

It was frustrating shooting at times as I normally like to shoot with the birds coming head on or from the side I’m not into ALAN shooting !!!.

We shot till 15.30 and picked up 82 birds for the picture and found another to on the way back to the Disco.

It was a cold but enjoyable day.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well done!  

[oowee]

👍 a good effort all round. 

[aga man]

Great effort PC, farmer should be happy with that👍

[marsh man]

A very good detailed report and good to see the pair of hot shots back in action , 74 for three hours shooting is way out of our league , we covered a lot of land today after long tails and we never saw 74 and we never had one single pigeon in a three figure bag .

Well done to you both and not forgetting the faithful dog .

[7daysinaweek]

Appears you are back to posting regulary PC. 

Great stuff!

[mossy835]

nice report glad you had a good day,farmer very happy.

[the hitman]

Another cracking day PC- you are certainly getting amongst them at the moment.  In all my years of pigeon shooting I have rarely shot a bag of 80+ in January- excellent  work, thank you for posting.