Pea drillings and pigeons...Heaven.

This section is for our members to talk about things not actually about fishing or boating. However, please read the Code of Conduct before posting.
Image

Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels

Post Reply
User avatar
Cranfield
Site Sponsor
Posts: 1922
Joined: December 12th, 2001, 8:00 pm
Location: Romney Marsh

Pea drillings and pigeons...Heaven.

Post by Cranfield »

They have started to drill in the peas, on a couple of the farms I shoot over.
This has to be one of the best and most prolific times of the year for pigeon shooting.

I set up yesterday on a field that still had some loose peas on the surface and pushed off about 300 birds when I first arrived.

A hedge on one side of the field allowed me a nice backdrop for my hide and with only ground decoys out, I sat back to wait........not for long.
Very confidant birds, that had obviously had a day or two uninterrupted feeding on this field, came straight in to the decoys and things got very hectic for an hour, or so.
It then eased off, giving me time to collect the dead birds and tidy up the decoys.

Then it all kicked off again for about two hours, then the birds disappeared in the heat of midday.
I took this opportunity to get some more cartridges from my truck and enjoy sitting back in the Spring sunshine (not too hot, but bright and warm out of the wind).

Around 3pm they returned and I took a couple of quick snaps.
All the birds on the ground are decoys, everything in the air is a target.
I shot steadily until 4.30pm, when they switched off completely.
I finished up with 127 wood pigeons for 162 cartridges (I blame the recent eye surgery :oops: ).

I went back to look at the field this morning and despite sitting in the truck
for about an hour, I never saw a bird.
I did find a large group on some rape , on an adjoining farm, but I do not have permission to shoot there.....yet.

Image

Image
User avatar
grim reeler
Posts: 374
Joined: June 17th, 2006, 9:15 pm
Location: Tallahassee

Post by grim reeler »

Sounds like a blast, although I think I need an English to English dictionary. Thats a lot of shooting. Nothing as satisfying as going home with a sore shoulder.
User avatar
sundown
Site Sponsor
Posts: 757
Joined: October 31st, 2004, 12:08 pm
Location: Lee County, Ga

Post by sundown »

What kinda gun you using cartridges in Cran ? That what you all call shells for a shotgun ? and what you gonna do with 127 pigeons ??? You eat em ?
Castaway
Posts: 454
Joined: January 5th, 2006, 1:44 pm
Location: Tallahassee

Post by Castaway »

Thats a pile of pigeons :o
User avatar
Sir reel
Site Sponsor
Posts: 6206
Joined: January 22nd, 2003, 11:35 am
Location: Tallahassee

Post by Sir reel »

127 wood pigeons for 162 cartridges


Way ta knock'm down Cran :thumbup: That's a 78.4% kill rate. I'd be happy with that...eye surgery or not. :D
"Good Judgement" comes from experience, ... and a lot of that..... results from "Bad Judgement".
birddog
Site Sponsor
Posts: 7516
Joined: May 22nd, 2003, 9:30 pm
Location: Thomasville, Georgia

Post by birddog »

excellent. I enjoyed reading your report. :thumbup:
GULP! free since 1970.
User avatar
Cranfield
Site Sponsor
Posts: 1922
Joined: December 12th, 2001, 8:00 pm
Location: Romney Marsh

Post by Cranfield »

I was using a Beretta Silver Pigeon o/u and 1 ounce and a quarter loads of No6 shot.

I have a Game Dealer that takes my pigeons frozen in lots of 50birds, exactly as they are shot (no plucking, cleaning etc., ), for the equivalent of 85cents per bird (pays for the cartridges).
These mainly go to Europe.
The French and Belgiums consider wood pigeon a delicacy.

Some of the birds I keep for myself, but just remove the breast meat.
These make a very nice pie, especially when diced in with some pheasant , duck and rabbit.
User avatar
bman
Moderator
Posts: 4800
Joined: December 4th, 2005, 9:26 am
Location: Tallahassee
Contact:

Post by bman »

Your making me miss duck, quail, dove and snipe season.
We just took all the decoys off the duck ponds- time to paint and prep for next year.
Its a nice cool day here- would be a great snipe day!

Maybe I need to go shoot some of those clay pigeons.
But they don,t make a good pie.
Barry
Barry Bevis, Realtor and Owner of BigBendFishing.net
I liked it so much, I bought the company ;-)

http://www.bevisrealty.com
Image
TEAM "Duck Season!"
User avatar
rocket
Site Sponsor
Posts: 3165
Joined: May 2nd, 2002, 8:00 pm
Location: MODERATOR

Post by rocket »

Nice shooting Cran. As always I enjoy your wing shooting reportss.
Stay Thirsty My Friends
User avatar
tin can
Site Sponsor
Posts: 12535
Joined: May 6th, 2002, 8:00 pm
Location: Tallahassee, Florida

Post by tin can »

Good read, Cran. But you need to work on that poor 78% average. :wink:
What was I supposed to do today?
Post Reply