So, today was at a new permission. The place is a farm that does large amounts of chicken, beef cattle,Mary cattle, sheep, and cereal crops, and has been inundated with corvids and pigeons (and rats) that they wanted "moved"
so checked the permission on Google Earth, and decided the only safe lanes of fire, and thus where I could set up.
Arrived at 04:00 and was set up by 05:45 (had to climb over barbed wire fence each time carrying decoys to set out)
from 05:25 crows were circling overhead, but didn't risk a shot.
There were that many crows coming when I was ready, that I found myself "poking at them" and thus hitting sod all :(
missed at least the first 20 birds (well, MIGHT have hit them but they didn't go down. So I stopped, sat down, had a smoke, a coffee and something to eat too.
Then I started again, and I started hitting them. As this was the first day, and I was only their to "feel the water" so to speak (see what's about), I wasn't going for doubles and trebles, just hitting one from each group then sitting down again.
I couldn't get time to collect any crowd for ages, EVERYTIME I set foot outside the hide, new crows would appear.
Then one after the other, two of the three brothers appeared, and complimented me on doing a "professional job"
they were so pleased, they have offered me the chance to shoot more land in another town :)
anyway, with the early misses, the cartridge count became appalling, 170 cartridges for 97 birds down, and another 30+ that were hit but didn't drop straight away.
the farmer didn't want me collecting dead birds from the barley, so these are just the ones which fell around the hide or among the decoys.
theres also one that got shot close up, I only found his front section, no rear section LOL
also a few views of the hide, decoys, and the shooting area, plus a Google Earth Satelite view. The field being shot that is now wheat, is the striped field,many I was shooting from the field on the left in the photo, up against the fence
ohh well, will hit it again a few times this week, probably take friends
Red, why didn't the farmer want you walking on the barley? Is barley that fragile?
It's always exciting trying out a new spot, if it's a good one it gives the hunter a chance at some new birds.
Euan Brown in Scotland received one of my crow hunting DVD's about a week ago. You ever hear of him? I know you are from northern Ireland but word gets around so I thought I would ask. Ever hear of a Britt named Collin Andrew in crow shooting circles?
yes, the barley and wheat is almost up to harvesting time, and can easily be bent over (meaning crow and pigeon can start pushing it further, and then soon you have a 10x10 metres flat spot for the crows and pigeon). And then it can't be harvested, also easy to knock the corn out of the heads at this time of year, meaning loss of harvest too.
the farmer will just top harvest it, I.e. He will leave about 6-12" of the stalk standing, and then plough that in as ready made fertiliser
they don't plant enough to sell, in fact the EU won't allow them even enough to totally feed their own animals, forcing them to buy from France, Germany, Spain, and Italy instead
hence most can't wait to leave the EU now
-- Edited by Redditch on Wednesday 20th of July 2016 08:29:29 AM
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
No, never heard of them, but then again, if they aren't on Internet much I won't know them.
I never get to travel now, as back to five dogs and live alone :( so I never get to meet many people now
I saw one of your videos a few years back, as some British and also southern Irish were copying all hunting and shooting DVD's and selling them on eBay very cheaply :(
my friend bought some, but I always make a point of buying originals if I decide to buy one
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
I would leave the EU because I would not want the politicians in Brussels calling the shots for me in Ireland. The Britts dropped out of the EU last month, what is the word on France, are they dropping out ? I hear Italy is going to drop out soon.
I bet your dogs are very good company, they don't complain!
Rainy season in Northern Ireland is 365 days a year mostly LOL
If Marie Le Pen gets voted in in France (with the muzzrat problems highly likely) then France will leave too.
And the Dutch, Hungarians, and Italians want out too.
So the only people left in would be bankrupt countries and Germany left to pay for it all LOL, but the German opposition are also calling to leave the EU too.
We had 4-5 days bright sun with only odd light showers, and now back to heavy rain :(
Problem is, when we get some good weather, ALL the farms then harvest crops (wheat, barley, oats, silage, potatoes, rape seed, carrots etc) or sow fresh crops, meaning the crows and pigeon have masses of food sources to go to.
Usually 2-3 shots and they are off, and don't come back, so it's mostly reliant on odd passing birds
Result is that most days are 20-50 birds, but have a has two rectory at 97 birds for each one. Always hate it when the birds stop flying just short of the 100
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
