I didn't expect it to be this challenging (not complaining though)

[kitchrat]

Promised to hit these pigeons today. Five fields, approx. 100 acres total, in a sort of E-W line. Strong wind from the NNE forecast, overcast, 30% chance of rain. The middle field has a hedge (a bit leaf free) which will give me some cover from the wind/rain and I can "control" the other fields. Use warm jacket! "Supply woods" away to the SE and SW, so they should come straight up to me, wind on my back.  Hide stands out a bit from the bare hedge but that's life. Loads of birds there when we did the farm shoot.

Arrived at 7.30, just as it's getting light. To my horror, large numbers already "flock-stringing" into the Western field. Set up ASAP, magnet, 5 full bodies and a few shells. Put up a shot and for a few minutes, the sky is full of birds, having a look from a distance and then heading off, to the N. I have a few speculative shots and get 2 for more decoys. This could have been a mistake as it must have scared loads.

It quietens down but odds and **** are coming in, but not decoying well. Then, DISASTER! The sun comes out, full time, straight into my face. Sun glasses in other jacket, head to truck but other jacket is in my garage drying out! Hide stands out more in the sun, so do I when raising the gun.

At this point I think of Pinball Wizard, cos I'm shooting blind. (Cue puns!)

I move the magnet 30 yards to my right, incomers now, when they don't like it, can pull out to my right, in which case they are in trouble, or to my left, in which case I am in trouble with the sun. Pigeons approaching low because of the wind are hard to see because the tall trees across the field hide them in shade, as they pull up, the sun blinds me. Many a bird is missed.

I build up a pattern and the decoying gets better but the sun moves round to my right and it's full glare again. Move the magnet to 30 yards to my left and plug away. At last the weather becomes part sunny/part cloudy.

Fragments of the big flock return, from behind, swooping in and away on the strong wind. Some greedy ones decoy. 

It seems to me that most birds arrive when it's sunny and I'm struggling. This could be because the decoys show better in the sun, it could be my imagination or it could be that I just don't see them arrive and leave in the gloomy shade?? Your choice!

Anyway, the happy ending is that I picked up over 70 birds, with some lost in an impenetrable copse over my right shoulder, where quite a few fell. I got 8 out of the less dense bits.

Tomorrow will be a day of cease fire, I will go out with Rick Onissance, via Essex Gun at Fennes Shooting Ground to re-arm!

Wednesday will be a 2-gun defence of 155 acres of osr.

Cheers!

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Good to see that you are changing you set up to try to get the birds to oblige.

Keep it up.  

[stockybasher]

Very good review of your day - well done to get the numbers you did.  Over the many years I have shot pigeons, I have always found them particularly tricky  at this time of year.  I think they come from roost in large numbers, old and young, and their day is short, getting pigeon-dusk around 3.30 ish.  So when they arrive with you, and you shoot a few, my view is that they won't stay around in the local trees/woods for long, but move on quickly to some other feed before the light starts to change.  Of course, if there is very little OTHER feed available, they may hang around.  

I think its a question of big flocks, out from roost, find food - if scared find other food, if none hang around but be VERY cautious !!

Thanks for your right-up   

Nick

[marsh man]

Not many Pigeon shooters will get a bag of 70 + at this time of the year and your persistence is paying dividends , your early start seemed to pay off and it was a well deserved bag. 

[Wilts#Dave]

You seem to be achieving better results during the winter than you did through the prime months of summer.
70 is a cracking bag on winter rape, glad to hear you’re getting plenty of shooting through the winter….keep it up 👍🏼

[kitchrat]

21 hours ago, Wilts#Dave said:

You seem to be achieving better results during the winter than you did through the prime months of summer.
70 is a cracking bag on winter rape, glad to hear you’re getting plenty of shooting through the winter….keep it up 👍🏼

Yes, I'm very pleasantly surprised! Usually, in the winter, I struggle to get into double figures but this year there seem to be more about and they also seem to come back better. I'm used to one or two shots at a big flock, then all gone except the odd "Nobby-No-Mates". Long may it last!!

Cheers all!

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, kitchrat said:

Yes, I'm very pleasantly surprised! Usually, in the winter, I struggle to get into double figures but this year there seem to be more about and they also seem to come back better. I'm used to one or two shots at a big flock, then all gone except the odd "Nobby-No-Mates". Long may it last!!

Cheers all!

We will be asking you all sort of questions from now on and please don't get your own back by hitting us below the belt to many times, after all we are only human  we have got some Pigeons on the rape but you would need to see a lot more movement ( and Pigeons ) to encourage the fine weather shooters to get out of there armchair and try and get a few , like the early stages of Covid, we of a certain age are exempt from sitting around in the cold and are only allowed an hour a day out for exercise so sadly although we would like to go and set up in the cold and rain , unfortunately it is not a healthy option so the armchair it is until future notice .

[B686]

Well done you seem to be doing really well . Whereabouts are you because I haven’t seen no more than 100 pigeons on any OSR around my part of Essex.

[Wilts#Dave]

4 hours ago, kitchrat said:

Yes, I'm very pleasantly surprised! Usually, in the winter, I struggle to get into double figures but this year there seem to be more about and they also seem to come back better. I'm used to one or two shots at a big flock, then all gone except the odd "Nobby-No-Mates". Long may it last!!

Cheers all!

Absolutely, whilst I can at time shoot good numbers through the spring/summer, winters are always lean here through lack of numbers. 
Great that you’re having some well deserved success yourself, keep it up! 

[kitchrat]

1 hour ago, B686 said:

Well done you seem to be doing really well . Whereabouts are you because I haven’t seen no more than 100 pigeons on any OSR around my part of Essex.

I'm Braintree/Dunmow area. This year does seem to be an exception. They all seem to have arrived on the autumn drillings and stayed on. Of course, it's early yet, they don't usually start on OSR before Xmas time (ish).

Edited Tuesday at 19:54 by kitchrat

[B686]

The difference 15 or so miles makes . I have been working more or les in the middle of a block of 120 acres of osr for a couple of weeks, biggest field is about 30 acres lots of trees and hedges around all the fields. Most pigeons I have seen there is about 70 /80 and they look like they have been eating the acorns. Other osr near me , although there isn’t much has no pigeons around. 

[mellors]

Well done again your fast becoming a pigeon on rape guru. 

Very little rape round here. I've notice this last week some decent numbers on SFI and set aside so that's going to make it even more difficult this year. 

[yickdaz]

18 hours ago, Wilts#Dave said:

Absolutely, whilst I can at time shoot good numbers through the spring/summer, winters are always lean here through lack of numbers. 
Great that you’re having some well deserved success yourself, keep it up! 

It's the same around here for us summer Is always the bagging season, i can't remember a bad summer on the pigeons, winter is usually shoot a few here a few there occasionally some winters they are around  in big numbers and play ball on the rape  throughout until March but it's few and far between when its like that 

[kitchrat]

1 hour ago, yickdaz said:

It's the same around here for us summer Is always the bagging season, i can't remember a bad summer on the pigeons, winter is usually shoot a few here a few there occasionally some winters they are around  in big numbers and play ball on the rape  throughout until March but it's few and far between when its like that 

As you may know (If you've been paying attention) this is the 1st summer I have not spent in Canada and the stubble shooting made me feel I had died and gone to heaven. Drive to the hide, lots of pigeons about. Prior to this year, it was only chasing them on winter rape for me, which you have to do to keep the permissions.

Today, my Pigeon Forum pal and I had a decent day, (well I did!) and we picked up 45 again, farmer happy! Don't know why this year it's working better, no complaints!

Cheers!

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, kitchrat said:

As you may know (If you've been paying attention) this is the 1st summer I have not spent in Canada and the stubble shooting made me feel I had died and gone to heaven. Drive to the hide, lots of pigeons about. Prior to this year, it was only chasing them on winter rape for me, which you have to do to keep the permissions.

Today, my Pigeon Forum pal and I had a decent day, (well I did!) and we picked up 45 again, farmer happy! Don't know why this year it's working better, no complaints!

Cheers!

You are still doing well John , see I even know your name and I told you we will be asking you the questions  my question is , are you getting rid of your pigeons , do you far to take them and what are fresh Pigeons making nowadays ?    MM

[Spr1985]

(Advanced appologies for the long read)

I’ve been watching this thread since it was first started but refrained from posting on it, but, having cleared it with John first here I am🤣.
When John posted at the end of November “let the chess game begin” I was browsing the forum like I do most days and came across that thread, I reached out and offered a helping hand as I was in between jobs and thought I could help.  it seemed on reading the thread that the birds had to much free area to settle away from the shooting and thought if a couple of shooters could keep them moving it would make things a bit easier. So knowing from the previous thread (and living in the area) the local farmers don’t like strangers, the message was sent with no expectations at all, it may have come across as rude or unwanted and therefore ignored. But, to my surprise I received a message back and after a bit of back and forth answering perfectly reasonable questions and a bit of chit chat John said he would approach one of his farmers to test the waters but absolutely no promises of an invite….perfectly reasonable! I expect nothing from anyone and even asking the farmer has an amount of risk…. Fast forward a few days (and a fair chunk of me rambling on) John was in touch again and a plan was hatched, the result, a great day sharing a hide having a chinwag and knocking a few down. Picture below after the fact in my garage because a) John very kindly let me take the bag home and b) we both forgot to take a photo at the field despite laying them out for a photo 🤣 

I couldn’t believe it when John then started to hatch a plan for the upcoming Sunday and extended an invite…..unfortunately I had set in concrete plans with the wife so couldn’t accept. But, it seemed that John was adamant on getting me out again, which brings us to today.

Today couldn’t have gone more sideways if I’d planned it 🤦‍♂️. I was awoken by the wife messaging me asking if I’d gotten to the meeting point ok, having just woken up panic set in as in my mind it was Tuesday and I’d slept straight through the work alarm which is not like me at all. I then realised that not only was it not Tuesday I’d completely failed to set the alarm for shooting! A panicked phone call to John with an apology and explanation on the tip of my tongue went un-answered. Didn’t blame him one bit, I knew I’d royally screwed up. Then the phone goes…..John!  apology and explanation given, I offered to go over without equipment to help get the gear on and off the field and stay out of the way. Offer declined, bring your gear and be here asap. The self directed anger subsided a touch but not for long. Left the house in a rush and forgot the dead birds for the magnet and flapper, had a 50/50 impact of mirrors on a tight road trashing the mirror casing on my truck, arrived and lifted off a flock of about 150/200 as I went to set up, only to completely miss the first three customers that returned 🤦‍♂️. After a good few hours of birds skirting wide round the back of the wood and heading down to John or to high for a shot (my fault entirely for forgetting the dead birds) based on the lines I think if I’d had the movement in the pattern  I’d have gotten plenty of shooting. But it was not to be. My phone pinged with an invite down to johns hide for a bit of shooting for the final hour or so which I gladly accepted. Managed to knock a few down and add to John’s already decent bag picture below.  

My shot of the day was a reactionary snap shot that absolutely poleaxed the unfortunate pigeon in my line of site, dead in the air and came down like a helicopter with one wing out. It more than made up for all the stupid misses though 😊 the following picture was taken  where it was picked looking back to the hide (if you can see it) a lot further than I’d realised on pulling the trigger! 
 

John, you are an absolute gentlemen, thank you very much for extending an invite and putting your neck on the line with your farmers. I couldn’t have asked to meet and share a hide with a nicer guy! (Especially with your patience this morning) 

beyond massively greatfull phantom Pw member shooting pal 🤣👍🏻

Edited yesterday at 19:54 by Spr1985
Apology

[kitchrat]

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

You are still doing well John , see I even know your name and I told you we will be asking you the questions  my question is , are you getting rid of your pigeons , do you far to take them and what are fresh Pigeons making nowadays ?    MM

I am eating some, giving away some (my new Pigeon Watch buddy has helped a lot here!) and I sell some to a game dealer. It's a 25-mile drive (ish) and I get 20p. So, I need about 50 to cover fuel costs.

[kitchrat]

30 minutes ago, Spr1985 said:

(Advanced appologies for the long read)

I’ve been watching this thread since it was first started but refrained from posting on it, but, having cleared it with John first here I am🤣.
When John posted at the end of November “let the chess game begin” I was browsing the forum like I do most days and came across that thread, I reached out and offered a helping hand as I was in between jobs and thought I could help.  it seemed on reading the thread that the birds had to much free area to settle away from the shooting and thought if a couple of shooters could keep them moving it would make things a bit easier. So knowing from the previous thread (and living in the area) the local farmers don’t like strangers, the message was sent with no expectations at all, it may have come across as rude or unwanted and therefore ignored. But, to my surprise I received a message back and after a bit of back and forth answering perfectly reasonable questions and a bit of chit chat John said he would approach one of his farmers to test the waters but absolutely no promises of an invite….perfectly reasonable! I expect nothing from anyone and even asking the farmer has an amount of risk…. Fast forward a few days (and a fair chunk of me rambling on) John was in touch again and a plan was hatched, the result, a great day sharing a hide having a chinwag and knocking a few down. Picture below after the fact in my garage because a) John very kindly let me take the bag home and b) we both forgot to take a photo at the field despite laying them out for a photo 🤣 

I couldn’t believe it when John then started to hatch a plan for the upcoming Sunday and extended an invite…..unfortunately I had set in concrete plans with the wife so couldn’t accept. But, it seemed that John was adamant on getting me out again, which brings us to today.

Today couldn’t have gone more sideways if I’d planned it 🤦‍♂️. I was awoken by the wife messaging me asking if I’d gotten to the meeting point ok, having just woken up panic set in as in my mind it was Tuesday and I’d slept straight through the work alarm which is not like me at all. I then realised that not only was it not Tuesday I’d completely failed to set the alarm for shooting! A panicked phone call to John with an apology and explanation on the tip of my tongue went un-answered. Didn’t blame him one bit, I knew I’d royally screwed up. Then the phone goes…..John!  apology and explanation given, I offered to go over without equipment to help get the gear on and off the field and stay out of the way. Offer declined, bring your gear and be here asap. The self directed anger subsided a touch but not for long. Left the house in a rush and forgot the dead birds for the magnet and flapper, had a 50/50 impact of mirrors on a tight road trashing the mirror casing on my truck, arrived and lifted off a flock of about 150/200 as I went to set up, only to completely miss the first three customers that returned 🤦‍♂️. After a good few hours of birds skirting wide round the back of the wood and heading down to John or to high for a shot (my fault entirely for forgetting the dead birds) based on the lines I think if I’d had the movement in the pattern  I’d have gotten plenty of shooting. But it was not to be. My phone pinged with an invite down to johns hide for a bit of shooting for the final hour or so which I gladly accepted. Managed to knock a few down and add to John’s already decent bag picture below.  

My shot of the day was a reactionary snap shot that absolutely poleaxed the unfortunate pigeon in my line of site, dead in the air and came down like a helicopter with one wing out. It more than made up for all the stupid misses though 😊 the following picture was taken  where it was picked looking back to the hide (if you can see it) a lot further than I’d realised on pulling the trigger! 
 

John, you are an absolute gentlemen, thank you very much for extending an invite and putting your neck on the line with your farmers. I couldn’t have asked to meet and share a hide with a nicer guy! (Especially with your patience this morning) 

beyond massively greatfull phantom Pw member shooting pal 🤣👍🏻

Nice to be appreciated but you have also helped me with getting the fallen off the field of play, keeping them off the other field today and taking the dead to fill your freezer, thereby saving me a lot of driving for nothing except knowing they are going into the food chain. You can come again!

Cheers, JK

[marsh man]

20 minutes ago, kitchrat said:

I am eating some, giving away some (my new Pigeon Watch buddy has helped a lot here!) and I sell some to a game dealer. It's a 25-mile drive (ish) and I get 20p. So, I need about 50 to cover fuel costs.

THANKS for your reply , not a great difference since I last sold my freezer full , that was about three years ago , the fresh were the same 20p and the frozen were only 10p , mine was a 80 odd mile return trip so my selling to a dealer had came to a end as they were at the time the only ones in the county who were buying them , cannot ever seeing it improve .