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My last 3 trips.


muncher
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I decided that I needed to deal with some pigeons that where massing in big numbers on one of my permissions. I asked a friend to join me who has been house bound for  3 months due to a ankle Surgery. He is in his 70s and I promised I would get him out. We arrived at the rape field around 9 o’clock to be greeted with probably 1000 pigeons down and more joining. The only problem was he couldn’t walk anywhere, luckily the farmer allowed us to drive down the tramlines. I set up with our backs to clump off trees with a rotary and 8 birds on cradles. We had a steady flow off pigeons all day and I did my best to let him shoot. The only problem was he was very rusty and it was catching 🙈I have never shot so badly and the bag should have been near 100 shot but we managed 55 picked, but he was absolutely buzzing to have been out. So it was worth the effort. 
 

4A632431-853A-406C-85EA-5A91CE30ED89.jpeg.117727c66c2bd081d3213e4441e4055c.jpegThe next Saturday the birds had moved on mass to the other end off the farm and I asked my brother to join me. The plan was to have separate hides each end off the field. The birds where there but the two problems we were greeted with was a gas gun my end and then the  fog descended. This messed things up and after two hours we gave up with 10 each. 
Today on the same farm they had lifted a large beet field and were ploughing and drilling it. The pigeons moved onto this straight away and the numbers are incredible. Unfortunately they hadn’t finished the field and we calculated they would be another two hours at least. I had spotted a field on the way over  with birds down on a lifted beet field, so I called the farm manager to see if we could shoot it. He said that was fine, please do. We set up in the middle by a electric pole at our backs. 8 dead birds and 2 on the rotary. The birds came well , some decoyed great others came for a look and we both shot well taking some nice birds. The bag was building nicely when a truck came down the field, and it was the game keeper not happy we were there. I tried to explain to him that we had spoken to the farm manager but that didn’t seem to pacify him. I called the manager and explained the issue and got a resounding, carry on. So we did.  Apart from this sour note , we had a brilliant day and ended picking 122. 
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Edited by muncher
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A good report on three varied days , your friend must have been on cloud nine after spending three months housebound , I know I would have done 

Your second day was hampered by the gas guns and the weather , some members like shooting in the fog , myself , I hate it and would had done the same as you , possibly sooner as I have no doubt got more time than you to sort another day to go later on during the week .

Your third day left you in a funny situation with the keeper not very happy with you shooting and the farm manager giving you the go ahead , I can understand if the field had been drilled as soon as the beet was off , and I can also understand if the keeper has a game strip nearby and a shoot booked in over the next few days .

Things have changed slightly over the years as at one time our ole head keeper would have had you off there and then and the farm manager would had been ordered up the hall to do some explaining  . 

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3 minutes ago, marsh man said:

A good report on three varied days , your friend must have been on cloud nine after spending three months housebound , I know I would have done 

Your second day was hampered by the gas guns and the weather , some members like shooting in the fog , myself , I hate it and would had done the same as you , possibly sooner as I have no doubt got more time than you to sort another day to go later on during the week .

Your third day left you in a funny situation with the keeper not very happy with you shooting and the farm manager giving you the go ahead , I can understand if the field had been drilled as soon as the beet was off , and I can also understand if the keeper has a game strip nearby and a shoot booked in over the next few days .

Things have changed slightly over the years as at one time our ole head keeper would have had you off there and then and the farm manager would had been ordered up the hall to do some explaining  . 

No cover crops and the manager hadn’t been informed they had a shoot planned. It’s was a big shoot once but not anymore. 

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24 minutes ago, muncher said:

No cover crops and the manager hadn’t been informed they had a shoot planned. It’s was a big shoot once but not anymore. 

Possibly a over zealous keeper who was peeved he hadn't been informed , we now get very few , if any enquiries about pigeon shooting on crops , in the past the farm manager would been first port of call , he would then get in touch with the keeper to make sure it would be alright to purely shoot that crop , as he wouldn't want any stranger entering the wood nearby in case they see the release pens , or any Larsen traps ect , like I say , that is something we no longer have to contend with . 

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