Jump to content

ups and downs


Topgunners
 Share

Recommended Posts

Got a phone call from my hoppo at 06.00am yesterday morning asking if I was venturing out. I had a look out of the window and it was hissing down with a strong wind, and I said we weren't going to find any/many pigeons about in that weather.

 

I was told he had been asked to go and shoot some blackies round the feed barns as there were hundreds flying about on friday. We would at least be in the semi-dry, so I got my kit loaded and waited for him to arrive at the house.

 

We set off to the farm in the driving rain with me commenting " we must be bloody barmy" and him laughing and saying " yep, but dedicated". Arrived at the farm to find only a handful of blackies flitting about and the farmer came out of the milking shed and swore blind there were hundreds usually. We poured out the coffee whilst sitting watching the empty sheds and after 3/4hr decided to move on and promised to call back later.

 

I decided to visit one of my farms in stratford- upon-avon and there were a hundred or so in the sheds and after watching flight paths etc for a while we strung 2 pieces of net across a gap in the barns and arranged some decoys all around the hay bales and farm machinery and started to shoot them from the off.

 

About 10.00am I then spotted the farmer's jeep coming across the yard and so we lowered the shotties and he got out and said the neighbour had rang and complained about the noise and could we possibly move to the back of the hay barns to try and deaden the noise slightly. I said " oh, you're joking, as we have shot 36 already. " He apologised but we had no choice but to move all the gear in the rain to the other side of the farm.

 

We re-setup at the back of the far barns but action was very slow in comparison and after 2 hours had shot another 22 and it then went quiet. We decided to pick up and had just loaded the jeep , when the farmer came back and said he had a farmer down the road who wantd someone to come and sort some foxes out that had killed 5 of his chickens.

 

He had recommended me to him and gave me the chaps phone number and address. BONUS.

 

58 rooks and Jackdaws.

 

We popped into the new farm and had a chat with him and his wife and will be returning a couple of nights this week to help him out.

 

We then drove back to the first farm and set up in the field next to the barns and managed another 27 there before we packed up.

 

85 blackies and a new permission into the bargain.

 

 

 

Dave K

Edited by Topgunners
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good shooting Dave, nice when you can get under them!

I sometimes wondered if me and my mate was all there! ;) Similar to you out in all weathers, i remember going out in minus 6 earlier this year, icicles hanging from our noses :hmm:

My mate always say SCREW FIX has nothing on us!!! :yes::)

 

turk101

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...