Pigeon shooting 2014

[Robo]

Any of you managed to find any about ? they are proving to be hard to catch up with this year around here !

I did manage to bag a few last Saturday on some maize cover that I topped off a few days before . Was a very windy day with hail showers ! no magnet or terminators used just put out some FUDs that I've recently brought ( yeah I know they have been about for a while ) they seem to work rather well and look very relistic from the hide ...finnished up with 37 in the bag.

 

[Robo]

Roost shooting this afternoon in high winds..started at about 3ish and had a couple of hours of steady sport ..18+ 1rook .

 

[Darkside]

There's about 10k on rape at our shoot...3 of the boys set up in different fields thinking they would keep them moving...8 for the day!!! First shot they all lifted and buggered off!!!

 

[MARK-POACHER]

Evening poacher,where done mate looks like you've had some good sport bud,

same as you mate nothing really feeding anywhere at the moment, want some cold cold weather.

 

[Robo]

I find hat that's more often the case when large numbers are feeding on rape James they haven't touched our rape yet as there's to much food in the woods ect ..the few pigeon crops that I opened up this evening where stuffed full of ivy berries and maize , few had buds from trees ect .

 

[shortlegs]

Hampshire poacher looks like you've had some good sport there buddy and the new musket looks the business too ..... spot on buddy keep up the good work and hope you manage to really get amoungst the grey hordes for some more good sport  :hunter: as the wiltshire poacher has said though need some colder weather to concentrate the numbers as decoying over rape can be a bit of a lottery .... 

 

[Robo]

Evening poacher,where done mate looks like you've had some good sport bud,

same as you mate nothing really feeding anywhere at the moment, want some cold cold weather.

I looked about for bloody ages today mucker ..nothing worth setting up for

 

[MARK-POACHER]

I looked about for bloody ages today mucker ..nothing worth setting up for

I know mate, like you said there is still loads of food for them at mo, I spoke to ian last week the keeper next door as we normaly have a day out this time the year but he said they just not feeding anywhere too get a good bit of sport, theres rape everywhere and not a pigeon on it..

 

[Hamster]

I drove round my permissions last week and never saw more than a pair of woodies anywhere ! There's not even that much rape about but no sign of any flocks either. If the weather holds I'm going to give things a serious go next week, if nothing else there'll be a roost or two to fall back on as I need to stock the freezer.

 

[Jason Mclean]

I had a go this afternoon, my first time.

Not that many about and even less actually shot down! . will have to practice more.

We were only rough shooting in a wood no accessories used. .

 

[Robo]

I had a go this afternoon, my first time.

Not that many about and even less actually shot down! . will have to practice more.

We were only rough shooting in a wood no accessories used. .

Keep at it Jase ..it's a different ball game to clay shooting

 

[Ashley]

Shot 112 last week on the rape, excellent result after watching them build up for a week or so.

I'm very lucky that I live on the estate (4,200 acres ) and do the keepering for a small syndicate, also control the deer and foxes.

The tenant farmers are quick to ring if the pigeons are there, but I've usually already seen them and just waiting for the best time to go.

My best day so far has been 461 over peas on my own 2 years ago, thank god for mobile phones cos I ran out of cartridges twice,

With the wife and the farmer fetching me more. Started shooting at 6 on a misty morning with visibility about 80yards,

Shot about 20 by 10 o clock and things went a bit quiet, pulled the Decoys in and nipped home for breakfast, went back at 1 o clock and the field was blue with pigeons, shot continuously through till about 7 o clock. Then rang the wife to bring my old lab out to help me pick up. Absolutely knackered the next day, but a day I don't think I will ever forget

Mostly shoot anything between 3 and 4,000 a year and sell them to local pubs for £1.25 per bird ( oven ready ) or an average of 25p to game dealer.

P.s. The pigeon I sell to the pubs go on the plate for £10.50 a time

 

[Robo]

Nice going Ashley, no big numbers in my area at the moment, it's hard work trying to find some sport .

 

[RobertBeard]

The cats have had a couple in the garden in the last week!

HaHa

 

[Ashley]

Thanks robo, it can get pretty frustrating when you do all the watching and plan a time to have a go at em

And then on the day they aren't there in the same numbers or the weather is against you.

I find it's a bit like salmon fishing, if you put the time in eventually you will come out on top.

I'm lucky that i work for myself ( stonemason ) and a do a lot of work for the estate tenants and I am never to far from home, so if I see the numbers building up I can plan work around a shot at them

I live in between 2 good roosting woods and could probably shoot 50 a night no problem the amount that's coming in.

Every year in May I get the crow caller out coming dusk and shoot the crows as they come to the call from the garden and can usually get around a dozen a time, but after a few weeks they get wise to it, then have to wait to get em on the barley, though best day was on freshly spread chicken sh*t ( 238 ). Went home smelling really bad but the farmer was over the moon

 

[no.1topdog]

Ashley, everytime you post I get more and more jealous of your situation and the shooting you do.

Do you have a shed or something I can come and live in??  Maybe share a kennel with your dogs??  :sarcastic:  

Keep up the good work and you can tell me more in June.  :biggrin:

 

[Ashley]

Hi mike, I count myself very lucky, but believe me I work very hard to make it work and take nothing for granted, keeping the tenant farmers happy is no1 priority seeing most on a weekly basis

The family that own the estate have had it since the 1500's and the current owner has become a good friend over the last 30 years or so, giving me total control over the shooting

We are not wealthy in anyway but I wouldn't swap our lives with many on this planet

The estate stuff keeps me busy nearly 24/7 and I just shoot the clays for the fun, really looking forward to shooting the classic with you

In June and we can talk about you coming up here for a few days shooting if you fancy it

All the best, Ashley

 

[no.1topdog]

Ashley, the grass always seems greener on the other side. I've had various stabs at my ideal jobs through my life and each of them has not been what I originally thought before I jumped in so I can appreciate you have to work hard for your rewards. You just paint such a great picture to a shooting man that it seems too good to be true, so I'm still jealous!  :biggrin:

I really look forward to shooting wiith you in June. I managed to get out today on the clays to start my pre-classic practice regime. So far it's not as bad as I thought and a little of the old me came out to play. I hope I haven't peaked too early.  :sarcastic: Beautiful day to be out after all the rubbish weather recently.

Looking at your best total on pigeons of 461, that's probably a couple of hundred more than I've shot in my life let alone in one day. Best day I ever had was 23 and I ran out of cartridges too - 1 belt full and a couple of pockets full with a 10 mile bike ride home to get more so I couldn't go back. Since that day I learned my lesson and never run out since but not had the chances to beat this again.  :biggrin:

 

[Jonny English]

We''ve been roost shooting these last 3 weeks and we have not been seeing the pigeons that we have in previous years. Don't know where they have all gone, last year have 40 shots roughly in the same wood for 4 weeks running, this year 3 weeks at less than 10 shots, only fired 5 shells in the last 10 mins last night.

As for shooting on the rape, 2 shots then never see them again, just too much variety of food at the minute round us.