Fisherman Mike Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 I wouldnt normally consider Pigeon shooting during the summer months but I had a call from a distressed farmer on Friday who has three wheat fileds which were being ravaged by pigeons hitting into the laid grain. I decided not to risk losing the winter shoot ( some good Woodcock and Partridge) so I got the gun and decoys out of cold storage. I did a reccie of the 3 fields on Saturday and spent a good 4 hours until dusk watching the routes in and out of the main field which was badly laid. There was a steady stream of birds using one particular flightline in 2s & 3s with the od flurry of 6 or more. I set up the hide in the chosen spot early this morning and the first birds pitched in even as I was finishing the hide. The fields have a 5 ft dry ditch around them so it was absolutely perfect. I set up 12 full bodied deeks on home made piano wire springers and had two frozen ( and smelly) birds on the rotary. Flightline my *** The birds were coming at me from all angles around the field constantly but then veering off at the last second out of gun range and landing in the laid patches on other parts of the field. I tried rearranging the deeks, taking in the deeks, taking in the rotary, putting out a flapper, everything but it was the same most of the day.. I must have seen 1000 plus birds fly toward the decoys but they just werent having any of it. I know they couldnt see me because two carrion crows were perched for long periods just out of shooting range. I finishd the day with 19 birds, half of them this years Early young, but a bag of 100 plus would have been more realistic. Frustrating or what. I think the farmer thinks I am blind or the gun is bent! FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 One of those days Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sniper Posted July 18, 2004 Report Share Posted July 18, 2004 FM, Do your farmer mate a favour.......throw a sickie, off work, later this week. Your luck, and the flightlines, may have changed by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted July 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2004 FM, Do your farmer mate a favour.......throw a sickie, off work, later this week. Your luck, and the flightlines, may have changed by then. I would like to snipe but he is very friendly with my Boss and the fields are within ear shot of our offices. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Well Guys. I went back this Sunday afternoon and it was a slow start but after 45 mins all hell broke loose... What do you do when the many hundreds of Pigeons flying around the area all decide to hit the deaks at the same time, in sharp contrast to the previous weekend? Not content to soar in in their shootable 2s & 3s I was getting 10 to 15 at a time, rarlely less than 4 or 5 The occasional bird on its own and, as God is my judge, on two occasions late afternoon 30 to 40 at once. Has any body tried marking a single bird out of thirty or so buzzing the deeks following it and letting of a killing shot it is near bloody impossible. I am going back next with a bloody Ack ack gun. I managed to loose of 85 20g No.6 and only hit 22 birds... But it was a pretty exhilerating afternoon there was a stiff breeze and they were soaring into the decoy pattern on the wind at what must have been 60 plus MPH. Funny thing was all of the 22 birds had wheat in the crops despite their being a lot of laid and cut barley locally as well. FM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remytherussell Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Poor FM. Sounds like a day to dream for. Cant understand why you missed sooooo many. I can understand it,s difficult to select a particular bird out of several in the air at same time but try chucking more lead in the air..... Only 80 odd shots in how many hours, say 3, is only 1 shot every 2+ minutes. Cant tell you how to suck egg,s Im sure. Only in fun, no malice intended. RTR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Remy.... Im taking up frigging Golf.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted July 29, 2004 Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 My sympathies Mike. I had a similar evening this week on a laid barley field. Set up at 5pm, good, strong breeze and had many customers straight away. Would they decoy? Would they ****! :< Tried all the tricks in the book to no avail. I resorted to flighting them between 2 lots of sitty trees. Picked up 36 but had they decoyed I would have looked at 100+ Very frustrating but if we shot 100 every trip we would soon get bored. Keep trying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted July 29, 2004 Report Share Posted July 29, 2004 Fingers crossed I have some success this sunday then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JONO Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 Mike - let me know if you need a second pair of barrels. My regular farmer has only got rape and linseed and no laid crops to speak of - he's only just cut his hay! All the pigeons are everywhere in Wilts/Glos but on his farm unfortunately! PM/Mail/phone me if needed Best regards Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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