A good couple of hours out

[Old Boggy]

On another thread Getthegat asked if any good shooting could be had on cut maize with varying replies, so I give below an account of my latest trip out.

Much of the farming around here is now devoted to maize for biofuel with an anaerobic digester three miles down the road. One field just 3 minutes from my house was cut late last week and so keeping an eye on it I noticed a steady build up of birds with a view to having my usual weekly couple of hours out yesterday. Fortunately there were plenty of mashed cobs lying about all over the field, so a lot of food for the pigeons to consume, hopefully over a long period. 

Thursday came with a nice Westerly breeze and an easy drive to my anticipated hide position alongside a hedgerow on the Northern side of the field, giving any incoming birds on a known regular flightline a left to right approach. Being a southpaw, this gives me a more natural and somewhat easier swing.

There were already a few down feeding upon my approach so I was hoping for at least a few shots. I set up with around 15 or so assorted flocked full bodied and shell decoys, two floaters and a rotary.

I didn`t have long to wait for the first one to arrive, an easy left to right crosser that decoyed well and paid the price. Within the first fifteen minutes I had five down so knew that I would be in for a few shots. The first few were set up on cradles and seemed to add a more natural look to the randomly set out pattern.

They came in pretty consistently giving relatively easy shots and offered a few right and lefts along with the totally inexplicable easy misses. Within the first hour I had 20 on the clicker so I knew that a larger bag than usual for me was on the cards. A quick phone call to ensure that I had a ready market for anything over 20 confirmed that a local restaurant would take any amount from me. Up to 20, I normally keep for home consumption so anything over is sold or bartered to make sure any surplus to my requirements go into the food chain.

Whilst quite a few were young birds decoying well and offering easy shots, I did take a few screamers going with the wind or high over head with satisfying results and also to add a fair bit of sportsmanship to the proceedings.

Due to my domestics arrangements, I allow myself just three hours away from home, so after just over 2 hours in the field and with 42 on the clicker, it was time to pack up. Had I stayed longer, I`m sure that double that amount was achievable but I had thoroughly enjoyed my few hours out with far more than I have shot over the last few sessions out each time barely  getting into double figures.

I picked up 38 birds with 4 lost within the fenced off scrub land behind me, which were left for the foxes.

Hopefully the field will offer another few hours out next week providing it`s not heavily disced by then. 

The attached photo of the immaculately presented bag is what`s known as a Kentish pile .

Thanks for reading.

OB

[Centrepin]

Excellent, brilliant results in a short space of time. I too can't leave home for long so appreciate the result you had. I'd be completely overjoyed.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Oh, the Kentish Pile, aka the lazy mans approach!   

Well done Mate.   

[Down South]

That’s a nice session, well done. I passed a couple of fields around 10 o’clock yesterday morning. The contractors were finishing off the maize chomping from the day before. It was covered in blacks, pigeons and hundreds of Canada geese. I don’t shoot there but I know others do, lucky boys I thought. Came back the other way less than 4 hours later, it had all been disced and half was already drilled. No a bird to be seen. What a waste!

[pigeon controller]

A great report of an honest two hours shooting well done for watching the field and choosing your spot.

Well done for displaying your birds in a traditional manner, it should encourage our younger shooters to use these sophisticated phones to record our regional differences for posterity.

Thanks for posting.

Edited October 6, 2023 by pigeon controller

[Shambam1962]

Well done Chris, glad you had a productive few hours out.

[marsh man]

Excellent report on what was a short session out of the top drawer , sadly these sort of days seem far and few between and looking back throughout the Summer I can only think of two days when I might had passed that with a longer session , the majority of the two to three hour times I spend decoying is from next to nothing to around a dozen and then it is it , so to get a day like you have just had is a day to be remembed and hopefully a few more will follow .

As for the Pigeon layout , I can honestly find nothing wrong with it and I don't think I have ever reached that higher standard , I don't think the ( Norfolk heap ) come very high on the leader board ,  Well done Chris on all accounts 

[old'un]

well done, maize can produce some good days this time of year.

Around here you also get a good number of blacks on the cut maize, some years back I had my best ever bag of 137 blacks on cut maize.

Hope you get another days shooting, good luck.

[Fellside]

Like the Kentish pile - and the write up. Well done!

[Old Boggy]

On 06/10/2023 at 17:52, old'un said:

well done, maize can produce some good days this time of year.

Around here you also get a good number of blacks on the cut maize, some years back I had my best ever bag of 137 blacks on cut maize.

Hope you get another days shooting, good luck.

I did get another 2 hours out yesterday at the same place as fortunately the field has yet to be disced and picked up 29, some of which I`ve just delivered to a restaurant and the odd 9 breasted out for home consumption. Approximately half of the bag were youngsters and it was some of those that I kept back for the freezer. Looking back in my diary, I`ve had more in the last two weeks than in the last 2 months. As I said before, more could have been shot, but I`d had yet another cracking two hours out.

Another go next week hopefully.

OB

[JKD]

That was a great read OB, of a decent session 😃 Love the Kentish pile 👍😁

As you know, I travel past you often for work, and quite often I see quite big numbers of WP's on flight lines across the dual carriageways 🙂

[Old Boggy]

17 hours ago, JKD said:

That was a great read OB, of a decent session 😃 Love the Kentish pile 👍😁

As you know, I travel past you often for work, and quite often I see quite big numbers of WP's on flight lines across the dual carriageways 🙂

My last two sessions have been just the other side from my house of that road and yes, there’s always a strong flightline coming out of the nearby town. Next time you’re down this way, don’t hesitate to pop in for a cuppa. ☕

[JKD]

8 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

My last two sessions have been just the other side from my house of that road and yes, there’s always a strong flightline coming out of the nearby town. Next time you’re down this way, don’t hesitate to pop in for a cuppa. ☕

👍😊