Personal best

[FOXHUNTER1]

Got a call from a farmer saying the pigeons are on the wheat.

So arrived around 12pm today and got set up on a laid patch. Started shooting immediately and only stopped at 6pm when I ran out of cartridges. 

Shot 264 for 350 cartridges. 

I have never seen woodies decoy as well , it was manic at times with red hot barrels.

When I packed in they were still piling in. 

F

[WalkedUp]

Excellent work 👍

[jall25]

Its seems to be the same in so many places with the wheat getting battered

We had 130 yesterday

My pal had 450 over 3 sessions last week and another lad shot over 500 cartridges on a piece last week

Must have been a really really good breeding season

 

Just now, jall25 said:

Its seems to be the same in so many places with the wheat getting battered

We had 130 yesterday

My pal had 450 over 3 sessions last week and another lad shot over 500 cartridges on a piece last week

Must have been a really really good breeding season

 

 

47 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Got a call from a farmer saying the pigeons are on the wheat.

So arrived around 12pm today and got set up on a laid patch. Started shooting immediately and only stopped at 6pm when I ran out of cartridges. 

Shot 264 for 350 cartridges. 

I have never seen woodies decoy as well , it was manic at times with red hot barrels.

When I packed in they were still piling in. 

F

Great session Foxhunter 

[maxwell]

A cracking day, well done mate.

[Old Boggy]

10 hours ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Got a call from a farmer saying the pigeons are on the wheat.

So arrived around 12pm today and got set up on a laid patch. Started shooting immediately and only stopped at 6pm when I ran out of cartridges. 

Shot 264 for 350 cartridges. 

I have never seen woodies decoy as well , it was manic at times with red hot barrels.

When I packed in they were still piling in. 

F

Well, I’m impressed. According to your details, being born in 1927 makes you 96, so that is some achievement 😂

Also noted that you are up north, so perhaps you can send some pigeons to our pigeon deprived area down south.

Seriously, that is some bag and good crop protection, well done.

OB

[old'un]

Yep, be plenty of bags like this shot up and down the country in the next few weeks, well done.

Always amazes me how one field with a laid patch can attract so many pigeons from miles around, how do they all know?

You shot 264, just imagine how many birds would have hit that field if they were left undisturbed?? well done again.

 

[marsh man]

That was some bag of Pigeons and a very good average on shots fired , Well done also on achieving a P B .

Not sure if it is all down to the weather or the farmers cutting corners with the spraying but riding around the countryside I have noticed more laid wheat this year than I have done for years , the wet weather had came at the exact right time for the pigeon shooter with the wheat being at it's heaviest stage , once down it stay down and is left alone now until the combine go on .

If there was a list of the best crops to shoot on I would say that laid wheat would be very near the top or even on the top spot , o s r used to be good but nowhere as good as wheat , Spring drillings only last for a short duration and even then it is hit and miss , Peas are alright but the Peas I looked at yesterday had nothing on at all , and while there are endless grain fields to go then that is how it will stay .

They talk about a very wet and windy weekend so if you haven't already got and grain fields that are knocked about then you could well have after the next few days .

GOOD LUCK if you are giving it a go 

[jall25]

Defo the weather thats done it

Watched perhaps 1000 pigeon going across into a piece only the size of a football pitch last night - its the way that they also then flatten the edges and increase the size of the patch that can be fascinating 

[FOXHUNTER1]

2 hours ago, jall25 said:

Defo the weather thats done it

Watched perhaps 1000 pigeon going across into a piece only the size of a football pitch last night - its the way that they also then flatten the edges and increase the size of the patch that can be fascinating 

The patch I shot was only about 20 yds square but they wanted it. Shame I ran out of cartridges as they were still piling in after I finished. 

I could easily have shot over 300 but by then I was knackered, dont know how these dove shooters in Argentina fire 1000s of cartridges. 

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

The patch I shot was only about 20 yds square but they wanted it. Shame I ran out of cartridges as they were still piling in after I finished. 

I could easily have shot over 300 but by then I was knackered, dont know how these dove shooters in Argentina fire 1000s of cartridges. 

No doubt the pigeons have got used to this laid patch , do you know how long it had been laid and have you got a lot of wheat fields close at hand  ? , with this chilly wet weather we are having it won't rippen up for a good few days yet so you should easily get another day , we once had two fields down the marsh that were laid as flat as a football pitch and over the weekend we had shot a really big bag , I went to the game dealers early on the Sunday morning before we shot again for the rest of the day , we were all back to work on the Monday and the farmer told us later that there was just as many going back on the wheat than before we had even started , in the end the only thing that kept them off was when the combine went on the field to make a start . 

[jall25]

8 minutes ago, marsh man said:

No doubt the pigeons have got used to this laid patch , do you know how long it had been laid and have you got a lot of wheat fields close at hand  ? , with this chilly wet weather we are having it won't rippen up for a good few days yet so you should easily get another day , we once had two fields down the marsh that were laid as flat as a football pitch and over the weekend we had shot a really big bag , I went to the game dealers early on the Sunday morning before we shot again for the rest of the day , we were all back to work on the Monday and the farmer told us later that there was just as many going back on the wheat than before we had even started , in the end the only thing that kept them off was when the combine went on the field to make a start . 

I think normally you may be correct marshman - but this year - certainly round us there are so so many laid patches - some spots that did not get going too because of the dry weather early in the year 

[jall25]

2 hours ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

The patch I shot was only about 20 yds square but they wanted it. Shame I ran out of cartridges as they were still piling in after I finished. 

I could easily have shot over 300 but by then I was knackered, dont know how these dove shooters in Argentina fire 1000s of cartridges. 

 

Hahahah ! I know what you mean

I bet they are knackered too - but suprising how sitting and standing up tires you out - and its hard work sometimes setting up and clearing up

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, well done, did you sell the pigeons ? It's been raining all day so there should be a lots of grain fields flatten , will not help cutting barley 🤔

Edited July 14, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[marsh man]

1 minute ago, jall25 said:

I think normally you may be correct marshman - but this year - certainly round us there are so so many laid patches - some spots that did not get going too because of the dry weather early in the year 

I dare say there are several different varieties of wheat and not every one of the local wheat fields are laid , the ones I saw on our run out last Sunday were ideal for a lot of shooting , the field had wires running across and they were full of pigeons , the large areas of laid wheat were mainly in the middle of the field , this is where the stamina bit come into play because to get to the best spot would mean a lot of humping gear about including a lot of cartridges then at the end of a good session  the hard work start on an already worn out body , to shoot say 200 pigeons would take a fair bit of finding , once found it take a strong bloke to lug off 50 fat pigeons , this have got to be done at least four times , getting home they would all need to be laid out for them to cool off before you think about having your tea , after a good night rest you then have to either put the lot into a freezer or sack them up and drop them off at the dealers , now you can see it is no longer for the ole timers 

[Krico woodcock]

You hit the honey hole FOXHUNTER1👌, day to remember. Well done.  

[jall25]

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

I dare say there are several different varieties of wheat and not every one of the local wheat fields are laid , the ones I saw on our run out last Sunday were ideal for a lot of shooting , the field had wires running across and they were full of pigeons , the large areas of laid wheat were mainly in the middle of the field , this is where the stamina bit come into play because to get to the best spot would mean a lot of humping gear about including a lot of cartridges then at the end of a good session  the hard work start on an already worn out body , to shoot say 200 pigeons would take a fair bit of finding , once found it take a strong bloke to lug off 50 fat pigeons , this have got to be done at least four times , getting home they would all need to be laid out for them to cool off before you think about having your tea , after a good night rest you then have to either put the lot into a freezer or sack them up and drop them off at the dealers , now you can see it is no longer for the ole timers 

 

You keep going Marshman 👍👍👍

[FOXHUNTER1]

2 hours ago, jall25 said:

 

Hahahah ! I know what you mean

I bet they are knackered too - but suprising how sitting and standing up tires you out - and its hard work sometimes setting up and clearing up

Tell me about it I had to carry all my gear to get set up on the laid patch. I took 200 cartridges to start with but shot them in around 4 hrs so had to go back to the motor for my last 150 which I shot off in the next 2 hrs when the birds were literally suicidal. 

Packing up picking up the shot birds and my hide etc must have taken 1 1/2 hours.

Still loads of birds but the weather forecast is terrible all week. 

 

[jall25]

Just now, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Tell me about it I had to carry all my gear to get set up on the laid patch. I took 200 cartridges to start with but shot them in around 4 hrs so had to go back to the motor for my last 150 which I shot off in the next 2 hrs when the birds were literally suicidal. 

Packing up picking up the shot birds and my hide etc must have taken 1 1/2 hours.

Still loads of birds but the weather forecast is terrible all week. 

 

👍

[Wilts#Dave]

10 hours ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

Tell me about it I had to carry all my gear to get set up on the laid patch. I took 200 cartridges to start with but shot them in around 4 hrs so had to go back to the motor for my last 150 which I shot off in the next 2 hrs when the birds were literally suicidal. 

Packing up picking up the shot birds and my hide etc must have taken 1 1/2 hours.

Still loads of birds but the weather forecast is terrible all week. 

 

Shooting a big bag where lots of walking is involved is bloody hard work no doubt about it, how the guys who shoot the 4/500’s and more in the middle of a field manage I don’t know! 
The most i’ve had to find and carry back on laid barley is 180 odd and that was enough.

Shooting with someone definitely eases the burden of setting up and packing up. I’ve always shot with my Dad, but for the last 10-15 years at least I’ve carried the lions share of the kit / pigeons back to give him a break (I also shoot most of them so it’s only fair). In the hot sun after a busy afternoon in the hide you can come home feeling very drained, to then have to mess about cooling them off or taking them on to an outlet etc. 

As obsessed as I am, it does amaze me how some will shoot 2/3/400 plus and do it for multiple days on the trot. That would lose some of the spark. In the end, for me anyway. 

[FOXHUNTER1]

42 minutes ago, Wilts#Dave said:

Shooting a big bag where lots of walking is involved is bloody hard work no doubt about it, how the guys who shoot the 4/500’s and more in the middle of a field manage I don’t know! 
The most i’ve had to find and carry back on laid barley is 180 odd and that was enough.

Shooting with someone definitely eases the burden of setting up and packing up. I’ve always shot with my Dad, but for the last 10-15 years at least I’ve carried the lions share of the kit / pigeons back to give him a break (I also shoot most of them so it’s only fair). In the hot sun after a busy afternoon in the hide you can come home feeling very drained, to then have to mess about cooling them off or taking them on to an outlet etc. 

As obsessed as I am, it does amaze me how some will shoot 2/3/400 plus and do it for multiple days on the trot. That would lose some of the spark. In the end, for me anyway. 

I couldnt shoot for days on the trot at my age , my legs are still acheing after the other day.🤣

Was hoping for another day this week but the weather is shocking all week , rain and thunderstorms. 

[Wilts#Dave]

1 hour ago, FOXHUNTER1 said:

I couldnt shoot for days on the trot at my age , my legs are still acheing after the other day.🤣

Was hoping for another day this week but the weather is shocking all week , rain and thunderstorms. 

Dad is usually moaning about his legs from being sat in the hide, when I’m suggesting going out again 😂

I averaged over 200 on three consecutive weeks in June on the same field, and can honestly say I didn’t crave doing it more than once a week…..to be fair it’s been hard work getting rid of them since Covid when our game dealer packed in, so does put me off going out too much (and it definitely puts Dad off going out solo when I’m busy working). 
I’d love to know how some of those who shoot 1000’s a month get rid of them now? 
Hope you get out again this week, I’m itching to go as well after a couple of weeks off but as you say the weather is and is looking shocking. I stopped off on the way home on Thursday to look at a barley stubble I’d been keeping an eye on to see pigeons pouring in….to another shooters decoys 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Wilts#Dave

[FOXHUNTER1]

27 minutes ago, Wilts#Dave said:

Dad is usually moaning about his legs from being sat in the hide, when I’m suggesting going out again 😂

I averaged over 200 on three consecutive weeks in June on the same field, and can honestly say I didn’t crave doing it more than once a week…..to be fair it’s been hard work getting rid of them since Covid when our game dealer packed in, so does put me off going out too much (and it definitely puts Dad off going out solo when I’m busy working). 
I’d love to know how some of those who shoot 1000’s a month get rid of them now? 
Hope you get out again this week, I’m itching to go as well after a couple of weeks off but as you say the weather is and is looking shocking. I stopped off on the way home on Thursday to look at a barley stubble I’d been keeping an eye on to see pigeons pouring in….to another shooters decoys 

I was hoping to get out for another day this week but the forecast is horrendous, its thunder and lightning now.

There are still loads of birds hitting the wheat , farmer will be pulling his hair out.

 

[marsh man]

19 hours ago, jall25 said:

 

You keep going Marshman 👍👍👍

I will keep going until the good lord say , come on in Marshman your borrowed time is up , and even then I will see if there is a way out it 

Just got back from a very windswept afternoon , still blowing very hard now but it kept dry and had some nice shooting on a bailed stubble field . like they say on a shoot day , another day they can't take from us 

[jall25]

On 15/07/2023 at 17:55, marsh man said:

I will keep going until the good lord say , come on in Marshman your borrowed time is up , and even then I will see if there is a way out it 

Just got back from a very windswept afternoon , still blowing very hard now but it kept dry and had some nice shooting on a bailed stubble field . like they say on a shoot day , another day they can't take from us 

👍👍👍

[BinaryB]

Great work Foxhunter. I had a similar day on laid wheat a couple of years ago and finished on 230. Started at 11am and had to pack up at 4pm due to family commitments that evening but if I had kept going I’m sure I would have been over the 300 mark. 
 

However, I’d had enough as it was. This was purely a crop protection effort as (and similar to what you mentioned), they were decimating it and dropping in for fun as I was packing up. Just like you, they were focused on a strip about 25 x 7 yards roughly and were hammering it.

Are you going to try and get back on it? Definitely keep you in the good books I reckon.