So, final report on today as corvid pigeon/shooting
I got up at 03:00, walked the dogs then put them back in the kennels with fresh water, and a cooky each plus half a sausage each.
I had a boring morning, was set up by 06:00, and had three down within 20 minutes, but then it went quiet for a bit, and then they came in dribs and drabs, sometimes just an odd one, sometimes 2-3, and sometimes a whole bunch. Biggest problem was the fact that some of the dead birds were obviously visible to the birds come in, and many would flare away before coming into range.
Another problem was birds flying low in front of houses and roads, meaning no shot. Although some then went on to go higher over the edge, where I nailed them, but then they dropped into the swamp behind the hedge, and there is no easy entrance to that, and I wouldn't risk it anyway. The farmer says it's almost bottomless (they piled it to 20 metres and still hadn't hit bottom).
As usual, soon as I looked to make sure nothing about, and then went out to tidy the pattern or recover shot birds, other birds would MAGICALLY appear, as if from nothing, and fly over the decoys, and fly off once they saw me.
I finished the day at 01:00 with only 36 confirmed dead (I.e. I heard or saw them thump down, at least another 12-13 that I hit hard but didn't hear them or see them come down, so don't count. The last 2 1/2 hours only two birds appeared.
Wasted 6 cartridges on 3 runner birds LOL
Total cartridges used 60 bang on, and I shot like a ****
But I did get a nice treble, the third being hit just as the first hit the ground :) and a couple of birds need 2-3 shots to drop them
This is all I recovered as stacks came down in the swamp behind me over a large hedge (no easy entrance, and wouldn't risk it anyway LOL)
11 carrion crows, 7 jackdaws, 3 feral, and 3 wood pigeon was all I recovered
No rooks today, which is abnormal, but might be amongst those not recovered
And this was my view from the hide. As you can see the farm buildings with the houses to the left and left front, to the right and right front another bunch of houses and a main road, and behind me houses and a main road.
makes shooting this field extremely difficult, and I had to let many birds fly on as it was simply too dangerous to risk a shot
had it been an open field with clear 360 degree fields of fire I could have ended the day on 200+
Nice report Red. With those constraints, you did well. A couple of observations:
First, it is interesting that your crows (corvids) flare on the dead birds where our crows don't seem to mind dead ones amongst the decoys. A single dead bird outside the spread will hang them up, but they won't bother with a pile of dead brethren in the group. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure this one out, but without success.
Secondly, why leave the dogs at home? Taking them could be a solution for tidying up the spread without being busted!
Demi
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The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
I've had several goes at taking the dogs, result has always been a winged bird biting the dog on the nose or face (i know of a couple of mates who have had dogs lose eyes from being pecked, as crows will target eyes where possible)
result is the dogs then shy from picking any game and will just mark it, but not pick it, which takes forever to get them over again, if they ever get over it.
a winged bird hopping on the ground makes a good decoy, but unfortunately, you aren't allowed this luxery by law, and must attempt to dispatch it ASAP. Get seen leaving one hopping around and they can take your licence and even Imprison you.
-- Edited by Redditch on Sunday 4th of September 2016 01:25:19 PM
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
Redditch: Your last sentence about having your license taken or put in prison for not immediately shooting a wounded bird reveals a huge difference in our game laws! Wow!
The guy who used to shoot this area had a huge fine and a two year suspended prison sentence, his guns confiscated, and his licence taken off him. The person responsible was my own brother (I have no contact with him, and I detest him, he's an extreme anti, but a hypocrit, as he earns money loading cattle onto the trucks to go to the slaughter house to supplement his pension, and also he eats no greens, just lives off meat pies, including halal stuff) He reported the guy for leaving a wounded bird running round to liven his decoy area up. Needless to say, I'm extremely diligent as he would report me too
-- Edited by Redditch on Monday 19th of September 2016 10:51:15 AM
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
