Sprinter Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) Hi, I have a field of rape that is begging to be shot. The only place i have to set up is facing away from a small village with the nearest house approx 100 yards behind me. It isn't possible to set up anywhere else due to having to shoot away from a bridle path as well. I.e. i could set up further away from the village but then i would end up shooting towards it and they would catch some fallout which is a no-no. I also have a railway line between me and the houses behind. So what's a reasonable time to commence operations on a Sunday? The countryman in me says first light, people shouldn't live in villages if they can't tolerate countryside associated noise, however i really can't be ***** to face down the fuzz in a helicopter and an ARV. Softening a little here, i could take the air rifle with me for the first hour and see what's happening then open up with the 20b Jeff PS if someone hadn't messed me around re a hushpower a few weeks ago i wouldn't have this problem, i'd just be sat there popping away happily. Edited January 3, 2009 by Sprinter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Hi, I have a field of rape that is begging to be shot. The only place i have to set up is facing away from a small village with the nearest house approx 100 yards behind me. It isn't possible to set up anywhere else due to having to shoot away from a bridle path as well. I.e. i could set up further away from the village but then i would end up shooting towards it and they would catch some fallout which is a no-no. I also have a railway line between me and the houses behind. So what's a reasonable time to commence operations on a Sunday? The countryman in me says first light, people shouldn't live in villages if they can't tolerate countryside associated noise, however i really can't be ***** to face down the fuzz in a helicopter and an ARV. Softening a little here, i could take the air rifle with me for the first hour and see what's happening then open up with the 20b Jeff PS if someone hadn't messed me around re a hushpower a few weeks ago i wouldn't have this problem, i'd just be sat there popping away happily. how many houses are within, say, 1km of where you shoot? if its the whole village then id say leave it til 9am, if its only 3 or 4 go visit them, explain what youll be doing and see what they say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I'd say 8.00am is a reasonable time to start shooting and im pretty sure council bylaws say the same too.If people dont want to hear gunshot or crow scarers for that matter then they shouldnt live where its rural! I wouldnt ask the surrounding home owners for their opinion because some people are just antigun and might kick up a fuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprinter Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Well I have just been for a quick shufty and hide building session. I have a hide where i am out of sight of the houses, on closer inspection the closest house is disused so nearest house is now 120yards away so a little better. Decoys and whirly can be placed out of sight too. I wont use the whirly for a start and see if i can get a few on the deck for the air rifle. With this in mind the hide has a near perfect natural rifle rest and i have pegs out at 20-35 yards in 5 yard steps. If they don't play ball by landing but are commiting to the pattern stealth mode will be aborted. I allowed 30 mins to find an build a hide, but i stumbled across an ivy covered bush. Once i had pushed my way in 3 deft slashes with the billhook was all it neaded and as i say complete with a rifle rest!!!! About 2 mins flat, one of my quickest builds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprinter Posted January 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Well, how did we get one then....... -3 on the car when i arrived 07:30, -2 when i packed up 13:30 - so it warmed up considerably while i was there. First hour, just the one shot with the air rifle. Met with a solid thunk as the pellet struck the branch just below the pigeons head (lucky ******), nothing wanted to land in the pattern and they were in and out almost too quickly to see !! After 9 the shottie came out and full operations commenced. I had a very weak flight line behind me, which was a problem as i couldn't shoot that way. Those pigeon that decoyed did so perfectly but from my blind side round an ivy covered bush which meant they were in, sussed something was up and were on their way out again before i got a shot off at them. Still it was interesting stuff for a few hours and i finished with 8 + 1 crow for 25 pokes, a tad under 1:3. Annoying though that some of the birds today seemed to have their tin vests on. More than once i smashed one full in the pattern over the deeks, somersault in the air to see it manage to struggle 1/2 - 3/4s of the field on one engine before dropping stone dead. Seems to be a characteristic of this gun/ cart combination? Doesn't happen with any other. Anyway is was nice to have a little walk every now and then to see if i still had feet on the bottom of my legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 What gun and cartridge combination are you using? FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprinter Posted January 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 lincoln lightweight 20g choked skeet and a quarter, lyavale super fiber 28g 6s. On the face of it plenty of stopping power and they can and do hit very hard. However sometimes they just don't. Shots taken 30-40yards, any closer and they really make a mess of the birds. Maybe for some reason i'm a bit off maybe under/over, but usually you know when you have hit something centre centre, it just feels right and the reaction you get from the birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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