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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 ).

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.

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.

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 ?

Thats a pile of pigeons

127 wood pigeons for 162 cartridges

Way ta knock'm down Cran That's a 78.4% kill rate. I'd be happy with that...eye surgery or not.

excellent. I enjoyed reading your report.

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.

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

Nice shooting Cran. As always I enjoy your wing shooting reportss.

Good read, Cran. But you need to work on that poor 78% average.