Where are they

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, Scully said:

Which big shoots are these? 

We have got one or two big shots in the area and I haven't heard anything about game been wasted , with a shortage of Partridge shooting this year I would imagine that most, if not all the game shot it will be sold , as I said in a previous post a butcher was selling oven ready Mallard and Pheasants for £4 each last Saturday week , very few of the Pheasant shoots have made a proper start yet , we used to shoot Partridge only till about the third week in October and then the guns are told they can take a good Pheasant if they want to ,  moving on to November it then become a mixture of both , then the Pheasants become the main species for the rest of the season , hopefully we will see the rest of the season out without to many problems , hopefully 

[Duck all]

6 hours ago, Stonepark said:

There is no need for keepers of small numbers of outside birds to house their livestock, as long as you accept (like with humans) you may lose a few, but importantly most healthy birds get over the flu as do humans.

All these shut in's do is prevent herd immunity being achieved as quickly as possible. In particular they are designed to protect 'broilers' which being between 1 day and 8 weeks old,  have little or no immunity, nor reserves of fat to fight the flu.

Not much chance of herd immunity with 90 to 100 mortality in many bird species 

[6.5x55SE]

So the general opinion is most of the Pinkfeet Geese have morfed into Pheasant Partridge and Woodcock 🙄

[harrycatcat1]

Skein of pinks about 50-60 went over Chesterfield this morning about 09.00 heading East. 

[6.5x55SE]

On 04/11/2022 at 09:47, harrycatcat1 said:

Skein of pinks about 50-60 went over Chesterfield this morning about 09.00 heading East. 

Thanks Harry 👍 i think they have been hiding up North as good numbers have finally made it into Lincolnshire and Norfolk unfortunately several should have stayed North 🤭🤭👍

[harrycatcat1]

47 minutes ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Thanks Harry 👍 i think they have been hiding up North as good numbers have finally made it into Lincolnshire and Norfolk unfortunately several should have stayed North 🤭🤭👍

Well done 👏 

[harrycatcat1]

21 hours ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Thanks Harry 👍 i think they have been hiding up North as good numbers have finally made it into Lincolnshire and Norfolk unfortunately several should have stayed North 🤭🤭👍

Don't know what you've done to them, but when I was out working on my daughters decking a skein of pinks (with several missing) came over Chesterfield heading back North West.

 

[6.5x55SE]

2 hours ago, harrycatcat1 said:

Don't know what you've done to them, but when I was out working on my daughters decking a skein of pinks (with several missing) came over Chesterfield heading back North West.

 

Can't you take a few and send them back Harry 😂😂 Interesting though as i saw a few good skiens this morning not to far from where you used or still shoot that was that high they looked like Mallard heading in the direction of yourself 👍

[harrycatcat1]

53 minutes ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Can't you take a few and send them back Harry 😂😂 Interesting though as i saw a few good skiens this morning not to far from where you used or still shoot that was that high they looked like Mallard heading in the direction of yourself 👍

They might have been them 🤔

[bishop]

im off out for a  moonflight later.no idea whats about as ive been busy with the sailboat but I'll do a soup and sit venture after dark for a couple of hours

[derbyduck]

On 06/11/2022 at 13:27, harrycatcat1 said:

Don't know what you've done to them, but when I was out working on my daughters decking a skein of pinks (with several missing) came over Chesterfield heading back North West.

 

I also saw them Harry, they didn't seem to be on a direct flight line ,but has you say heading west !

[derbyduck]

On 05/11/2022 at 16:04, 6.5x55SE said:

Thanks Harry 👍 i think they have been hiding up North as good numbers have finally made it into Lincolnshire and Norfolk unfortunately several should have stayed North 🤭🤭👍

  Boyd my mate was up in the far norf and there were plenty about ,but they struggled to get under them ,rounded off 40+,  6 of em are in my freeze 👍

[harrycatcat1]

2 hours ago, derbyduck said:

I also saw them Harry, they didn't seem to be on a direct flight line ,but has you say heading west !

They seemed disorientated changing direction 👍

[6.5x55SE]

3 hours ago, derbyduck said:

  Boyd my mate was up in the far norf and there were plenty about ,but they struggled to get under them ,rounded off 40+,  6 of em are in my freeze 👍

Hiya Tony hope you are keeping well . 👍 They definitely in the last few years due seems to shift around a lot. Hopefully this moon will see another good influx plus a few casualty's 🤭🤝👍

[derbyduck]

46 minutes ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Hiya Tony hope you are keeping well . 👍 They definitely in the last few years due seems to shift around a lot. Hopefully this moon will see another good influx plus a few casualty's 🤭🤝👍

Hi Boyd i'm good apart from  old age creeping all over me LOL , lets hope the Moon does you some favours , do you remember our Moon flight Boyd ? that ticked a box LOL!

 

[6.5x55SE]

34 minutes ago, derbyduck said:

Hi Boyd i'm good apart from  old age creeping all over me LOL , lets hope the Moon does you some favours , do you remember our Moon flight Boyd ? that ticked a box LOL!

 

Tell me about old age with the driving then chasing Pink's for three mornings on the trot on Lincolnshire and Norfolk foreshores definitely takes it toll now 😞 Tony in my wildest dreams did i ever think I'd shoot a Pink under the moon with a 2 Bore . Thanks mate for the opportunity a night i will never forget 🤝

[derbyduck]

11 hours ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Tell me about old age with the driving then chasing Pink's for three mornings on the trot on Lincolnshire and Norfolk foreshores definitely takes it toll now 😞 Tony in my wildest dreams did i ever think I'd shoot a Pink under the moon with a 2 Bore . Thanks mate for the opportunity a night i will never forget 🤝

👍💥

[MARSH GUN]

Looking at the Pink situation as a whole both in England and Scotland where i tend to frequent, its pretty much as it ever was with a few more in some areas and again its variable year on year. 

  I feel the Northern england areas and even parts of N lincolnshire and nottinghamshire are seeing a fair few more in some parts, and its building up every year in some parts. They dont like the pressure from heavy inland shooting and any that look to be settling in wetlands soon get attention they clearly dont appreciate and they simply move on.

 Shame i Had a nice lot of about 1500 Pinks Very locally quite settled in an area  from the back third of September and naturally i was gentle with them. Just Flighting them as close to as you would do proper forshore flighting.

 Take a couple try not to take birds from front of skeins and merely try not to pressure them. All was working out fine for a month or so, then bonfire night early morning i noticed a lot of all i can describe as volley shooting about a mile away from where i was. They came past me clearly a little upset with themselves and in little groups rather than the typical skeins of most mornings.

Plain fact is they moved on right here and then that day. A similar thing happened last year , only closer to my ground and this was just two or three people on one field, it happens the world over just the way it is.

 

[marsh man]

On 14/11/2022 at 15:58, MARSH GUN said:

Looking at the Pink situation as a whole both in England and Scotland where i tend to frequent, its pretty much as it ever was with a few more in some areas and again its variable year on year. 

  I feel the Northern england areas and even parts of N lincolnshire and nottinghamshire are seeing a fair few more in some parts, and its building up every year in some parts. They dont like the pressure from heavy inland shooting and any that look to be settling in wetlands soon get attention they clearly dont appreciate and they simply move on.

 Shame i Had a nice lot of about 1500 Pinks Very locally quite settled in an area  from the back third of September and naturally i was gentle with them. Just Flighting them as close to as you would do proper forshore flighting.

 Take a couple try not to take birds from front of skeins and merely try not to pressure them. All was working out fine for a month or so, then bonfire night early morning i noticed a lot of all i can describe as volley shooting about a mile away from where i was. They came past me clearly a little upset with themselves and in little groups rather than the typical skeins of most mornings.

Plain fact is they moved on right here and then that day. A similar thing happened last year , only closer to my ground and this was just two or three people on one field, it happens the world over just the way it is.

 

Looking at a article in this weeks Shooting Times the number of Pinks that are already in the UK are well down in numbers this year , one place they mention have normally got around 80,000 are down to around half that number , I have been out the last few nights and thank god we are not short of duck ,  but the geese numbers seem to be a lot less than what we would expect in mid November , if they are going to show up then they should get a move on with only having about ten weeks of the inland season left .

[islandgun]

On 31/10/2022 at 20:49, Krico woodcock said:

We are the same,  but there has been years when there is a good sprinkle of them in certain areas the first week in November,  every year is different...last year they weren't to be seen, then third week of November ,boom, WOODCOCK!!.

My spaniel pushed out 3 woodcock from my willows yesterday, the first Ive seen this year, reckon we [the outer Hebrides] could be part of the migration route to Ireland, so expect them soon..😉

13 hours ago, marsh man said:

Looking at a article in this weeks Shooting Times the number of Pinks that are already in the UK are well down in numbers this year , one place they mention have normally got around 80,000 are down to around half that number , I have been out the last few nights and thank god we are not short of duck ,  but the geese numbers seem to be a lot less than what we would expect in mid November , if they are going to show up then they should get a move on with only having about ten weeks of the inland season left .

Thats bad !  I wonder if anyone is not shooting wildfowl this year due to numbers being down [due i suppose to flu]

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, islandgun said:

My spaniel pushed out 3 woodcock from my willows yesterday, the first Ive seen this year, reckon we [the outer Hebrides] could be part of the migration route to Ireland, so expect them soon..😉

Thats bad !  I wonder if anyone is not shooting wildfowl this year due to numbers being down [due i suppose to flu]

No , I think at the moment there are still plenty of people shooting wildfowl , maybe more people shooting duck than geese this season where normally this time of the year a lot go after the geese and give the duck a miss.

I was out last night after heavy throughout the day and last night was the first time this season that splashes big enough to flight duck were on quite a few fields and by the amount of shooting going on it was not only the fowlers that had found them the duck also seem to know where to look .

We have got two very good wild duck drives on the estate and last Saturday we had easily as many , if not more than we usually have and that was the second time it had been shot , one reason might well be the marshes close by were bone dry where now they would have have a fair bit of water on , these marshes are un shot and with the cattle now taken off the duck and geese can rest in peace so I doubt we will see as many duck on next Saturday's shoot .

[Krico woodcock]

6 hours ago, islandgun said:

My spaniel pushed out 3 woodcock from my willows yesterday, the first Ive seen this year, reckon we [the outer Hebrides] could be part of the migration route to Ireland, so expect them soon..😉

Thats bad !  I wonder if anyone is not shooting wildfowl this year due to numbers being down [due i suppose to flu]

Hi islandgun,  they are here now also👍, I got out for one hour this evening before dark, my Springer bitch rise 8. I shot enough for a nice woodcock tea. They weren't about last week,  but it usually a week after moon.  And that's this week.  My season doesn't kick into full drive until the woodcock start right. There here now, and will keep arriving,  moving about all winter. It'll be flat out for me and the springers till end of January.  Woodcock are addictive hunting/shooting. Do you spend much time hunting them islandgun? 

[islandgun]

16 hours ago, Krico woodcock said:

Hi islandgun,  they are here now also👍, I got out for one hour this evening before dark, my Springer bitch rise 8. I shot enough for a nice woodcock tea. They weren't about last week,  but it usually a week after moon.  And that's this week.  My season doesn't kick into full drive until the woodcock start right. There here now, and will keep arriving,  moving about all winter. It'll be flat out for me and the springers till end of January.  Woodcock are addictive hunting/shooting. Do you spend much time hunting them islandgun? 

Thats great to hear their about in good numbers. The last few years iv'e really enjoyed some good long walks on the hill with my springer, Ive had some bother with my foot last year which has left me unable to walk any distance but it seems to be improving now so Im hoping to get out soon, I used a 28g SA  with home loads when i started but lately use a 20g, It certainly is addictive with fantastic mountain scenery and watching the dog work with the occasional bird for the table as a bonus, I miss it