Contrasting fortunes

[adzyvilla]

Well what a difference a week makes. Just as well we didn't venture out last week looking at the carnage in our new shelter belt. I counted 9 trees down in the top 30 yards or so, with large gaps in the canopy. Mostly Scots pine covered in ivy, many showing signs of rot I think this belt is ripe for clear felling and replanting as it is a total dead zone underneath the trees.

Anyway, a distinct lack of activity and fewer people out this week meant we decided to move one wood up to one of the outlying forestry blocks on the estate which is also home to an ancient release pen long since abandoned. Plenty of signs of pigeon about though in this seldom disturbed spot. I took up position amongst a hawthorn thicket on the far corner with good visibility to the south and east, dad used his field craft and secreted himself in the corner where the boundary hedge ran away westwards from the wood. Slight winds from the south east with bright sunshine, hopefully we would see a few.

Didn't take long to make a mark, downing a long crosser that pitched into the ditch about 70 yards from the end of the wood which marks the edge of the estate. Dog dispatched for a good retrieve. I could hear dad blamming away at something so I had evidently stirred the birds off the huge rape field below us. I missed a few with speculative efforts at some sky scrapers as the birds became wary and once the initial flurry was over it quietened right down. The sun was streaming through the wood behind me no doubt lighting me up like a Christmas tree, but occasional ones and twos floated past which I rarely bothered, taking only one more for half a dozen shots. Dad continued his intermittent progress with a handful of shots over half an hour or so.

As the sun began to sink lower, the stream of birds dwindled with a few fruitless shots. With the exception of one large flock which came from the neighbouring field and flew right over me, it looked like a damp squib. I managed two for three shots and they both crashed down behind me in the thick of the wood. The dog picked her way in and recovered them both over two trips, she really is a star performer, but neither were stone dead and had to be dispatched. As the sky began to darken I had one more chance but missed. 

As always, the willing participants dwindle as the weeks go on and there just weren't enough woods with a shooter in to keep the birds moving. There are still good numbers of pigeon about but I think the time is coming to switch to decoys. We just made it to double figures between us for about 30 shots, so not the greatest return but it was still nice to be out in some lovely weather.

P.s. After my cartridge issues two weeks ago, I switched to a slab of clear pigeon and can report no further problems. Seems my semi auto didn't like the fiocchi pl30s, possibly because they are fibre wads. Cutting a couple open yielded inconclusive results as they seemed OK to me but I will have to try a box full when I get the decoys out with a different gun. Until next time.

Edited February 26, 2022 by adzyvilla

[Spr1985]

Great write up and well done for cracking on 😁

[marsh man]

A well detailed report on your sporting afternoon in the woods , glad you had some shooting with your dad in these uncertain times .

This was our last week for roost shooting as we only go four Saturdays in February , as you say the novelty start wearing a bit thin after three weeks and several woods are left without anyone keeping them on the move .

Me and my mate went around one o clock on each side of a large rape field that had woods both sides , when we first went we saw several Pigeons when other guns were making there way in the woods they were allocated , after a few shots each the activity started to die down to a shot each every now and again , mind you it was a lovely afternoon to be out although I found as the sun started to dip it got very cold while sitting about , we gave it till 4.15 and then called it a day as the shooting had more or less stopped , when we met up we had 24 between us and that was with the help of two magnets going , so apart from last week where I gave it a miss due to heavy rain the three weeks I did go were about average compared with the last few years , one pleasing bit was I have seen a lot of Pigeons that hopefully will produce some sport in the coming months .

[the hitman]

Nice reports chaps- thank you for posting.

Adzyvilla - always good to hear a dog working and doing what they love. I   miss my cocker so much - he was a always a great help roost shooting.

MM - 24 is a cracking result and a afternoon well spent.

 

[adzyvilla]

28 minutes ago, marsh man said:

A well detailed report on your sporting afternoon in the woods , glad you had some shooting with your dad in these uncertain times .

This was our last week for roost shooting as we only go four Saturdays in February , as you say the novelty start wearing a bit thin after three weeks and several woods are left without anyone keeping them on the move .

Me and my mate went around one o clock on each side of a large rape field that had woods both sides , when we first went we saw several Pigeons when other guns were making there way in the woods they were allocated , after a few shots each the activity started to die down to a shot each every now and again , mind you it was a lovely afternoon to be out although I found as the sun started to dip it got very cold while sitting about , we gave it till 4.15 and then called it a day as the shooting had more or less stopped , when we met up we had 24 between us and that was with the help of two magnets going , so apart from last week where I gave it a miss due to heavy rain the three weeks I did go were about average compared with the last few years , one pleasing bit was I have seen a lot of Pigeons that hopefully will produce some sport in the coming months .

Yep, still seeing big flocks so looks positive for later on.

Dad complained about the cold (he is 75 now) when the sun dipped, he's still game though.

13 minutes ago, the hitman said:

Nice reports chaps- thank you for posting.

Adzyvilla - always good to hear a dog working and doing what they love. I   miss my cocker so much - he was a always a great help roost shooting.

MM - 24 is a cracking result and a afternoon well spent.

 

cant imagine going out without her now. I am bringing her little sister along slowly, maybe get her into a hide with me over the summer.

[marsh man]

18 minutes ago, the hitman said:

Nice reports chaps- thank you for posting.

Adzyvilla - always good to hear a dog working and doing what they love. I   miss my cocker so much - he was a always a great help roost shooting.

MM - 24 is a cracking result and a afternoon well spent.

 

Cheers Hitman , As it turned out we did hear a fair bit of shooting considering it was the fourth and last week , most likely it was the nice weather that got them out of the house for a few hours .

As for dogs , on our Pigeon permit it do state No Dogs Allowed , this is because we have a lot of game and wild animals such as Deer roaming about and a few permits are let to people who we don't often see and if they have got dogs we don't know how there dogs behave , I use my dog for picking up on the place and I am allowed to take mine , without him it would be 50% or more less enjoyable , I do my bit by shooting them and he do his bit by bring them back , and we both enjoy what we do .

[the hitman]

16 minutes ago, marsh man said:

Cheers Hitman , As it turned out we did hear a fair bit of shooting considering it was the fourth and last week , most likely it was the nice weather that got them out of the house for a few hours .

As for dogs , on our Pigeon permit it do state No Dogs Allowed , this is because we have a lot of game and wild animals such as Deer roaming about and a few permits are let to people who we don't often see and if they have got dogs we don't know how there dogs behave , I use my dog for picking up on the place and I am allowed to take mine , without him it would be 50% or more less enjoyable , I do my bit by shooting them and he do his bit by bring them back , and we both enjoy what we do .

Agreed- a working dog is a fantastic companion in all shooting situations.

Weather wise - here is a picture that I took 4 years ago next week, who could forget the Beast from the East .