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Frustrating Saturday


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Saturday started as normal picking up DB at 08.30 and headed out looking, I had been out on Friday looking but could not find any great numbers so we went back to the area we shot last week.

The first farm had a good number in the trees but nothing feeding, DB had gone passed this field on Sunday last week and counted four shooters set up around the very large field. As we watched this field nothing joined only the birds in the trees started to drop in on one area of the field. The wind was a north easterly which is a strange wind for this field and made the area that the birds were dropping in a new area to shoot. We agreed to set up and give it an hour, After an hour we had 7 birds so we left the hide and set up and went looking in the locality.

The next farm was the one that DB shot last week and it had some birds down, the farmer had a chat with us and told us that the lads from last week had been putting out the rope bangers for him on all the fields except the one we were looking at. We decided to have a look at all the fields and see what the situation is. We found birds on all the fields , so they were use to the rope bangers already.

DB decided to shoot the field he shot last week , the only problem was it is a good distance from any tracks and the fields were very wet so it would be a long walk with his kit. So I helped him walk his kit down and went back to my kit on the first farm.

On the way back I checked out two other fields both had birds down but as you drove down the tracks they lifted and instead of going to the local trees they just left the area. I had one other option that was the ambush birds on the way back to roost over a rape field. So went to retrieve my gear and the field had no birds visible at all so I left. I set up on the ambush field bur with the wind I was looking into a setting sun , not ideal. I but up two shots to see if there were any local birds and two came in. I then received a call from DB that I had sent approx Two hundred birds high over him did I know from where, No Idea!!

It was now 15.00 and we shot till 17.00 I picked up 37 and DB 46 which was a good combined bag of 83. I packed up and went back to pick up DB and the farm gates were locked , I had a key but a tractor was parked across them so I started the long walk. Luckily   the farmer was walking his dog and helped carry some of the gear. It was a frustrating day at the beginning but ended well.

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Your dedication is second to none P C , I dare say the Pigeon shooters who are approaching three score years and ten and the ones who like me who are already reached it are now start thinking that half a day is enough , and yet here you are as keen as ever , picking your chummy up at 8.30 and stop shooting at 5 pm making it a long ole day time you get ready in the morning and then the clear up , photo session and laying the bag out when you finally reach home , far to much for me now .

I went myself today on a large eaten off rape field , unlike you I left mine a little after 1pm , time I got to the field I only had to cart my gear a short distance and made two trips instead of risking another hernia by doing it in one , looked at my watch when putting the terminals on the battery it was exactly two o clock , the sky was cloudless with a stiff cold wind and my mistake was putting the magnet more or less in line with the sun going down but there was enough Pigeons on the move to give me some head on shots and a few going wide , I was letting my dog pick up each bird to give him some exercise and keep the ole boy warm , by 4 pm it had all come to a standstill and was time for me to call it a day  , this time I had three trips back to the motor as I had 18 pigeons on top of the gear I took when I started , 

Two things I noticed today was one of the Rape fields I passed have already got the odd Yellow flower showing and the gas guns going off made it better on the fields that were gas gun free , one thing for sure is you will soon see the rapid growth in the days and weeks to come .

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Two good reads for the price of one, well done boys. I really do envy you lot who are able to get out every day at your convenience. Due to work commitments and family commitments and probably the fact I live in the south east and it seems impossible to find a farm that isn't syndicated, the days I get out are few, the days of blanks are common and the days of double figures are even further apart. Keep up the good work, I do enjoy the reads and the photos. It keeps my enthusiasm going and always gets me chomping at the bit to get out again.

Well done

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12 hours ago, marsh man said:

Your dedication is second to none P C , I dare say the Pigeon shooters who are approaching three score years and ten and the ones who like me who are already reached it are now start thinking that half a day is enough , and yet here you are as keen as ever , picking your chummy up at 8.30 and stop shooting at 5 pm making it a long ole day time you get ready in the morning and then the clear up , photo session and laying the bag out when you finally reach home , far to much for me now .

I went myself today on a large eaten off rape field , unlike you I left mine a little after 1pm , time I got to the field I only had to cart my gear a short distance and made two trips instead of risking another hernia by doing it in one , looked at my watch when putting the terminals on the battery it was exactly two o clock , the sky was cloudless with a stiff cold wind and my mistake was putting the magnet more or less in line with the sun going down but there was enough Pigeons on the move to give me some head on shots and a few going wide , I was letting my dog pick up each bird to give him some exercise and keep the ole boy warm , by 4 pm it had all come to a standstill and was time for me to call it a day  , this time I had three trips back to the motor as I had 18 pigeons on top of the gear I took when I started , 

Two things I noticed today was one of the Rape fields I passed have already got the odd Yellow flower showing and the gas guns going off made it better on the fields that were gas gun free , one thing for sure is you will soon see the rapid growth in the days and weeks to come .

Well done Marsh Man for getting out, I’m 74 this year and my mindset is that I’m 18 in my head, the effort of carrying all the gear has been eased by using a Carp Fishing trolley and with my Ditchman head on fitting a motor from a golf trolley for future outings when I’m really old!! . I really enjoyed your write up , take care , be safe and have another go before the nitrates make it grow too tall.

 

11 hours ago, Lsto said:

Two good reads for the price of one, well done boys. I really do envy you lot who are able to get out every day at your convenience. Due to work commitments and family commitments and probably the fact I live in the south east and it seems impossible to find a farm that isn't syndicated, the days I get out are few, the days of blanks are common and the days of double figures are even further apart. Keep up the good work, I do enjoy the reads and the photos. It keeps my enthusiasm going and always gets me chomping at the bit to get out again.

Well done

Thanks for your reply , thirty plus years ago I was like you , only shoot at the weekends , planning all week only to find no permission to shoot. I still went out looking , on one farm it is a private shoot and talking to the gamekeeper I would never get permission. One day I was watching the birds hit the rape when a Land Rover pulled up and it was the farm manager, we talked for a bit and I broached the subject asking “ for a days Shooting”  and he said yes . I’m not saying I’m a super shot but I did manage hundred plus bag. As I was packing up the manager and his Agrologist came to see the result and they both said they had never seen such a bag of birds . I still shoot that farm!

The answer is keep looking , be polite, just ask for a day when you see a problem and thank them afterwards.

You may need to grovel and doff your cap but it may work. Try all contacts you meet , horse owners for pest control which may lead to contacts with farmers. If you have time watch farmers working and make conversation. 
 

Good Luck PC 

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Nice write up PC - glad the day ended well with another good bag of pigeons and a crop protected.

I am hoping to get out this weekend if I can clear my feet of work and family commitments.

As a follow up to you advice- 35 years ago when I was living with my parents in a small Northumberland village I realised that half a dozen local farmers regularly attend church on Sunday mornings. My mother had me confirmed into the church as a young boy - so I thought it would be a good time to take communion and rub shoulders with these gents. I don’t attend church anymore however I do still shoot on the farms where I made my introductions that day.

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3 hours ago, the hitman said:

Nice write up PC - glad the day ended well with another good bag of pigeons and a crop protected.

I am hoping to get out this weekend if I can clear my feet of work and family commitments.

As a follow up to you advice- 35 years ago when I was living with my parents in a small Northumberland village I realised that half a dozen local farmers regularly attend church on Sunday mornings. My mother had me confirmed into the church as a young boy - so I thought it would be a good time to take communion and rub shoulders with these gents. I don’t attend church anymore however I do still shoot on the farms where I made my introductions that day.

Precisely 

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