pigeon controller Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 Today started earlier than normal, up at 6.00 to walk the dog and have some breakfast. This was due to my son and his wife booking a Half Term break abroad and flying from Birmingham. So they delivered the dog , an Alsatian / Great \Dane cross, swapped the suitcases into my Disco and off we went on a bright sunny, Frosty morning to the airport. On the drive back I thought what a day to go shooting after yesterdays wind and rain. When I returned home I had agreed to phone DB and agree a time to meet. I had looked at the weather on my iPad and it was rain until 12.00/13.00 then clear up. So I picked up DB and we set out looking just as the rain started and as we went on it got worse to the point it was horrendous. We had looked at two farms and no birds were evident, on the third farm we could not believe our eyes. It was pouring down with rain and the wind was pushing this horizontal and the birds were battling with the wind to land in the rape and feed. We spooked them off with the horn on the Disco and they just lifted and dropped in again. We viewed for twenty minutes to try and decide a method to allow us to shoot as the wind was so strong it would be impossible to hold a brolly down in that. We looked at a thick holly hedge but the wind was wrong and it would offer no protection. We then looked at a brick built workshop but the lea side had no gutter and the rain was pouring of it and even with a brolly set up we would be drowned. I looked at the App on my phone re the weather and it had changed to 90% rain at 13.00 so we decided to admit defeat and go home. As we drove back into Brum the sky was getting lighter and the rain easing so you know we went back to the field with it bathed in sunlight but still with a strong wind which was still blowing up along a holly hedge between two different level fields. We have shot this position before and make a upper and lower hide with magnets both sides. We did not want to waste the decoys so we set up with three each side two on the magnets and one each on a frame above the rape. The birds were trying to come in before we switched the magnets on so we knew we were in the right position. The first hour was steady with the birds coming to us in large groups but returning. Then the wind changed from a southerly to a westerly which made it very difficult , we should have moved but with the wind configuration it would have been difficult to find a correct hide position. As I was in the lower deck of the hide the birds could get into my pattern with difficulty, so we took it in turns to shoot with DB shooting above my head. With the height differential and his hide it was impossible to shoot me ( I Think???) We started shooting at 14.00 and finished at 17.00 and picked up 58 birds and the photo was taken NORFOLK Style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 I do admire your dedication, good to see normal service has been resumed with DB at your side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 2 brave men and a good day well done both you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 I really do admire your tenacity PC and 👍. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 19, 2022 Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 (edited) You never cease to amaze me , a frost first thing in the morning , then blowing hard with heavy rain , not really the ideal weather to sit on some drafty hedge trying to draw some pigeons into your decoys , but then you are made of a lot more sterner stuff than me and no doubt many others on the forum , you and your other half of the team deserve every bird you get and a few more for good measure . We have got a life boat station near us that are well known for the crews bravery when they tried to row out to a vessel in trouble many years ago it was blowing a gale and they had a job trying to get off the beach , after several attempts they finally made it only to be blown back towards the beach and when it was about 50 yds off shore the lifeboat turned over trapping most of the crew , after the shore gang pulled two or three to safety the rest of the crew, eight in all perished , at the inquest they asked if it was to rough to try to rescue the crew off the stricken boat and the coxswain stood up and said , the Caister men never turn back , and this remind me of you and DB , if there is a will there will be a way , you have certainly got the will and then you will find a way . Edited February 20, 2022 by marsh man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2022 2 minutes ago, marsh man said: You never cease to amaze me , a frost first thing in the morning , then blowing hard with heavy rain , not really the ideal weather to sit on some drafty hedge trying to draw some pigeons into your decoys , but then you are made of a lot more sterner stuff than me and no doubt many others on the forum , you and your other half of the team deserve every bird you get and a few more for good measure . We have got a life boat station near us that are well for the crews bravery when they tried to row out to a vessel in trouble many years ago it was blowing a gale and they had a job trying to get off the beach , after several attempts they finally made it only to be blown back towards the beach and when it was about 50 yds off shore the lifeboat turned over trapping most of the crew , after the shore gang pulled two or three to safety the rest of the crew, eight in all perished , at the inquest they asked if it was to rough to try to rescue the crew off the stricken boat and the coxswain stood up and said , the Caister men never turn back , and this remind me of you and DB , if there is a will there will be a way , you have certainly got the will and then you will find a way . I would never compare myself with any member of the RNLBI, I have utter respect for all who are prepared to run in when others are running out. My philosophy during life has always do it, you should never say “ I wish I’d” you should have done it. I believe my stamina is in my gene’s, my Grandfathers were both coal miners, both my Great Grandfathers were tenant Famers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbutd Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 Above & beyond the call of duty by two stalwarts of crop protection. I must admit to rank cowardice by staying in & watching the football. Such a good effort that I'm not even going to mention the appalling presentation of the 'bag'. Didn't quite understand the two tier hide set-up. Did you set up two hides or were you shooting out the side & DB over your head from one big hide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 Comparing yourselves with the lifeboat crews might be a bit extreme , but what I meant was you don't give up at the first hurdle , nor the second and third come to think of it , yesterday the wind died down a bit from the day before but it was still blowing hard and the rain started just before mid day , this became heavy and the wind increased , for people like yourself might have still had a go in the woods , but for lesser souls like myself I didn't fancy getting cold and wet while waiting for the odd shot at a pigeon coming into a drafty wood to roost , now at nearly 75 , I am happy to wait a few days for the weather to improve and enjoy a couple of hours rather than treat a hour or two in the heavy rain as an endurance test . 11 hours ago, pigeon controller said: I would never compare myself with any member of the RNLBI, I have utter respect for all who are prepared to run in when others are running out. My philosophy during life has always do it, you should never say “ I wish I’d” you should have done it. I believe my stamina is in my gene’s, my Grandfathers were both coal miners, both my Great Grandfathers were tenant Famers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 28 minutes ago, pbutd said: Above & beyond the call of duty by two stalwarts of crop protection. I must admit to rank cowardice by staying in & watching the football. Such a good effort that I'm not even going to mention the appalling presentation of the 'bag'. Didn't quite understand the two tier hide set-up. Did you set up two hides or were you shooting out the side & DB over your head from one big hide? The one field is approx eight feet higher than the lower field. The original set up meant that the birds would approach down both sides of the hedge. So we decoyed both sides of the hedge with me shooting the lower field and DB the higher. When the wind changed it meant that the birds would approach my decoys only so DB shot over my head at incoming birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clangerman Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 good effort as always pc think it’s time you had a book or video to aid us lesser mortals we can stand the shame lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 57 minutes ago, clangerman said: good effort as always pc think it’s time you had a book or video to aid us lesser mortals we can stand the shame lol I did think that I would venture into publishing a book like my fishing mates Mick Brown and John Watson. The only concern is that Pigeon Shooting is a complex sport that one method does not suit all situations and to explain why I change to maximise my end result is difficult to explain. Just as there are shooter and shooters!!! Thanks for your comment’s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topgunners Posted February 20, 2022 Report Share Posted February 20, 2022 Hi strangers. Nice one boys. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 21, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2022 9 hours ago, Topgunners said: Hi strangers. Nice one boys. 😉 Thanks, you managed to pay the electric bill then???? and get back on the internet. Did you brave the weather over the weekend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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