The difference a year makes

[bunny_blaster]

Exactly a year ago to the day I shot my biggest bag on winter rape 300+. This year I’m averaging 30’s. These birds frustrate me hugely but I suppose it’s what keeps us all going back for more

[marsh man]

All I can do now is to look and admire , I would hate to think how my body would react after having a day like that , by the height of your net I take it you stand up to take your shots , this alone would be to tiring , then if I manged to get through the day it would be the thought of picking that lot up , then sacking them up to get them back to the motor , picking up all the empties and stowing your gear away before you finally get in your motor for the journey home , once home the work start again with getting the bag off the motor and laying them out again to cool off , by now you are more than ready to sit down for tea , the days work is finally done , then you are up bright and early to put them in the freezer or cart them all off to the dealers, and no doubt you are already scanning the fields on the way there and back

Until you have done it a lot of people just don't realise what it entail in shooting a bag on that scale , I have never shot a 300 bird day and at nearly 76 never am likely to but bags like that are not everyday events and like we keep saying , you fully deserve all the success you get .

[bunny_blaster]

9 hours ago, marsh man said:

All I can do now is to look and admire , I would hate to think how my body would react after having a day like that , by the height of your net I take it you stand up to take your shots , this alone would be to tiring , then if I manged to get through the day it would be the thought of picking that lot up , then sacking them up to get them back to the motor , picking up all the empties and stowing your gear away before you finally get in your motor for the journey home , once home the work start again with getting the bag off the motor and laying them out again to cool off , by now you are more than ready to sit down for tea , the days work is finally done , then you are up bright and early to put them in the freezer or cart them all off to the dealers, and no doubt you are already scanning the fields on the way there and back

Until you have done it a lot of people just don't realise what it entail in shooting a bag on that scale , I have never shot a 300 bird day and at nearly 76 never am likely to but bags like that are not everyday events and like we keep saying , you fully deserve all the success you get .

Yes I stand all day, I only sit if I’m setting up in the middle of the field. As for the picking up, I had 2 friends come to help pick up which meant there were 7 dogs working the field and surrounding woodlands which made a huge difference. The farmer came down and shot on the other side of the estate that day and he himself shot 150+. I could of also put another gun out on the same field I shot as there was another line across the bottom. This would of produced a further 200+ I’m sure. It was just one of those days where everything went right and the birds just wanted to be there. Im sure it will take me a long time to beat that day but we live in hope!

[pigeon controller]

You shot all the birds last year??

That’s why we have none this year??

 

 

only jealous!!

[Wilts#Dave]

I think it happens to most, but it is a frustrating hobby when pigeons are thin on the ground. 
Not many get the numbers you do to shoot those bags in the winter, you’re probably experiencing now what a lot of people do year on year 😂

I’m sure there will be plenty to go at for you soon enough….as you know it’s much easier shooting a big bag when there are lots around/flight lines easy to spot than driving around endlessly with barely any to watch / find but you can only shoot what’s there and sometimes there’s just no opportunity for big bags, annoyingly! 

[marsh man]

11 hours ago, bunny_blaster said:

Yes I stand all day, I only sit if I’m setting up in the middle of the field. As for the picking up, I had 2 friends come to help pick up which meant there were 7 dogs working the field and surrounding woodlands which made a huge difference. The farmer came down and shot on the other side of the estate that day and he himself shot 150+. I could of also put another gun out on the same field I shot as there was another line across the bottom. This would of produced a further 200+ I’m sure. It was just one of those days where everything went right and the birds just wanted to be there. Im sure it will take me a long time to beat that day but we live in hope!

THANKS for your reply , No doubt you had already done a certain amount of homework and when you picked the time for a decoying session you were geared up for a big day.

As much as we would all like to get a chance for a similar day then how many up and coming Pigeon shooters could handle a 300 bird day ?, your cartridge average might well had been better but even if you were shooting well for the average person you would be looking at a minimum of 3 out four but for most pigeon shooters they would be happy with a pick up of 3 out of five , so at a bare minimum you would use 400+ cartridges and for most of us it would be nearer 500 or more.

We have covered what we do with the bag loads of times , one member said turning them into burgers , good idea , but as much as I like the odd burger I certainly wouldn't fancy turning 300 + plus into burgers , then you get the ones who say they are vermin and you can dump the lot into the farms rubbish pit , or the odd one had said put them in the hedge for the Fox's to clear up , they obviously hadn't seen what over 300 dead pigeons look like and you would need an army of Fox's to clear that lot up , even a few Pigeons can create a lot of feathers and what would members of the public think if they came across 300 odd dead Pigeons scattered along hedge rows , it's all right saying they shouldn't be there but when did you last hear about anyone getting fined for walking over farmland ? 

When we mentioned about disposal of the bag to the forums top Pigeon shooters , most of them , if not all said they wouldn't shoot big numbers if they couldn't move them on , so what would a person do who haven't got the contacts after they had shot a 300+ bird day ? , also with that many Pigeons in that area you would need more than one session to keep them off and a week or so later you could easily have another big day , you then start weighing up the cost of the cartridges you are using , nowadays you don't get a lot of change out £300 for a 1000 decent shells , and now with the cost of living going through the roof it is not that easy to keep finding £300 for cartridges,

So although a 300 bird day would be a dream for most people it don't come without putting in a huge amount of work and could also be a costly one .  MM