Too much of a good thing?

[kitchrat]

We all hope for a bit of wind. Yesterday I was flagged down by a farmer who asked me to cover a couple of fields of rape, which were getting hammered. About 100 acres, deep (6 inches-water-filled) ditch up the middle and an ash tree down near the road at the bottom. No other cover.

Got there 7.00am, loads arriving so I set up my windy weather kit.  A dozen silly socks, 2 dozen spring-loaded shells and 2 floaters. Plenty of movement in the pattern. Too windy for a magnet or a hide, so I take cover behind the ash tree, in the ditch. A few birds take a look but pull out early, they don't like the decoys but more likely, do like to follow the 100 other birds heading to the centre of the field where the best crop is.

I fire shots to move them about, creep up the ditch to mid-field but cannot get to grips with them, always somewhere else. A few little groups speed over me, going downwind at Mach 2. Too fast for them to take evasive action. I try to shoot them coming in and get blown over by the wind as I mount the gun. I try to shoot them going away downwind but I swear the shot cannot catch up!

Get them off the field at last and go back to my tree. The wind has blown everything I own into the ditch, hat, gun slip, peg bag, rucksack all in the water. Pull them out and wait half an hour and the whole scene repeats itself.

I use most of a box of ammo keeping them moving and actually get 2 lucky hits and go home. Cannot open the truck door because of the wind, have to get in the other side.

What a difference to a few weeks ago!!

Arrows show wind direction, 60mph!

Cheers!

Edited March 13, 2023 by kitchrat

[Good shot?]

Sound like you were kept busy one way or another. A good read anyway 😀