Fisherman Mike Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Went out today and shot over a rape field and newly seeded barley field. The conditions were perfect. The farmer rang me last night to say either field would be worth a try as the seeded field was awash with about 400 - 500 birds yesterday. I started on the seeded field at first light but three shots and three birds later the lot just took off into the distance, some smaller flocks did turn up but just flew around at about 200 feet and were not interested in the decoys at all. Packed up at 10.00 and moved two miles to the rape. Guess what ? same birds, same thing, just would not decoy. The hide was on the flight line but the birds were just flighting between the two fields at too high a altitude to shoot. The Gamekeeper came round and after a chat he went to the other field and loosed off some cases avery 5 minutes for 1/2 and hour but the birds just took off again and I last saw them heading towards the Severn. I gave up at 1.00 and on the drive home saw a steady stream of birds pitching into some old maize stubble which had been left since september. The birds were eating chickweed and clover which was sprouting on the stubble. Set up the hide again and put out 6 deeks and a flapper and shot 4 birds before they to decided to take flight and dissapear. I stopped the car and had a cigar and a sandwich at the end of the lane on the way home and watched the ******* pouring back in to the seeded field I had started on. The Farmer stopped and said " You must have shot a few Eh !" "yes 32"said I... lying through my teeth ( didnt want him to think I was a dead loss and get someone else in ! ) "Mind you scare em first" he said with a wry grin.... "dont want them Defra blokes round here".... "Oh I do plenty of that I said".. and my nose shrank back to its normal size. "Funny" he said "I didnt hear many shots... did you forget your gun" ? and he drove off laughing.... FM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffs-Shooter Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Went out myself today with high hopes. Visited my fields yersterday and had loads of frsh drillings with birds on and OSR that i shot last week (shot 50 + my mate shot 14) which was covered. So to this morning & my high hopes - got on the land and only a few on the drillings. The OSR however had a steady flight line & about 300 birds on. Do no guessing what we set up on!. By 11 we had shot 42, by 1 we had shot 60, by 3 we hadnt shot more than 2 additional birds but could see a new line developed over the drillings Ended the day on 73 between 2 guns (one hide). Weather was fantastic - like shooting on stubbles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Normal days deaking then lads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted March 18, 2005 Report Share Posted March 18, 2005 Had a good drive round this morning found a great field of drilling with birds coming from woods over a mile off in a steady trickle. Went and had a chat with the farmer only to find out that someone else is shooting it tomorrow. Found another field near Buckingham, same deal with not too many on it bt coming from way off in dribs and drabs. Talked to the farmer on the nearest farm only to find out that the owner of the field lives in Milton Keynes. Gave up and came home to finish making my new whirlin thingy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrie0 Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 I had about the same day as you today Mike , still what a nice day to be out in the sticks just being able to wear a tshirt was nice . It was so sunny even the woodies could not be ***** to come out of the woods . I had a walk by the side of the 250 acre wood which borders the farm which I can't shoot and all you could hear was hundreds of pigeons cooing , but this wood has public footpaths near to the border and with the fine weather there seemed to be a fair few people in there with dogs , so I moved on farther up the farm . Sat down next to the fields that he is going to plant as soon as his sheep have stopped lambing and just passed the day away chilling in the sun , as said nothing much was moving and if it did it tended to be sky high , but I still ended up with 4 woodies for 5 shots (1st and 2nd shots a cracking left+right , 3rd shot was just in front going to the left but still a high going away shot , had no time to think about lead etc just mounted and pulled the trigger and he dropped down stone dead it must have been one of my best ever ! , 4th a simple incomer and the 5th well I don't know what happened . Then later on had 2 more shots and had a rook and a crow . Not a big bag but still a fantastic day , will just have to wait till he spring drills , I will let you know when he does Mike and I hope you can make it down . At least your farmer has a sense of humor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 9R Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 barrie0, that sounds like a perfect day to me, totally relaxing, and sone memorable shot's thrown in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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