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

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.

