A Mixed Bag

[Acuspell 329]

I have a farm with a massive feral pigeon problem. They use complete diet feeding,so they are there all year, but this cold weather brought in a flock of around of the things. The maize silage and the concentrates in the silage also brings in about 40 pheasants.....they are vermin just the same in this instance.

 

It was -4.5 as I drove over, it is only 5 miles so the car hardly heats up. The Rapid was fully charged and I had two mags already loaded and a pouch of pellets, enough. The feed barrier was crawling with birds, magpies, crows various and the ferals,plus a load of small song birds. I dropped two ferals from the car. The second one flapped a bit and the whole flock took wing. There must have been a dozen magpies, but they are wise to me and I had a couple of fleeting chances that went begging, shameful. I didn't miss, I just didn't get a shot away at all. I stopped the yard shooting with 8 ferals taken out of commission, 3 collected and 5 to fetch off the roof if they are still there when it warms up a bit. I expect the magpies will eat them.

 

I wandered off to the wood to roost some woodies, as there are loads of them. I also hoped to get a few pheasants coming in to roost (to hell with sporting ethics, a head shot pheasant is better eating!) As I entered the wood a flock of whistling wings came in from the west. I hugged a tree and they dropped in all around me. I tried to get a bead on one but they were off as soon as I moved. I went and found a better spot within the confines of three tree trunks that are growing together, leaving a yard between each. I scraped the fallen leaves away to the bare earth, so I could move my feet silently without scrunching a leaf or snapping a twig. This is something I do at any stand.

 

Pigeons started to come to the wood from all directions. My position gave good views of some and there were just too many twigs in the way to others,so I had to let them sit as decoys. I dropped 8 altogether. One flew off and I heard it thump to the ground as it towered, 50 yards outside the wood. I picked it later too, on the way back! One shot I was particularly pleased with. I could just see the head of the bird in a Y between two branches. It was settled and I had the two trees to rest my elbow and forearm on. A perfect rest. I guessed the tree at 50 yards, so put the cross on the top of its head and squeezed off. To my utter surprise there was a thwack and the bird just dropped straight out of the tree without a flutter. BB's moderator was doing its job too, because other pigeons round about didn't take wing at the shot.

 

I started to hear the cackling of pheasants coming to roost, and the rustling as they scampered through the frosty leaves. A c**k went up into a tree covered with ivy. I saw him jump up onto the branch, his cackling helped me to locate him. He was about yards away, so i put the dogs at the sit and stalked carefully towards him.My binos picked him out of the ivy and I lined up from about 6o yards. The top of the second ballistic circle down was my aiming mark and at the shot he jumped up and then fell into the bottom of the gorge, about 100 feet down! Bugger.

 

I called the dogs up and sent them to find it. I hoped Tigs might retrieve it, he fetched a couple of pigeons. They found it, but wouldn't retrieve it,so I left the rifle and binos beside a recognisable tree and slid down to fetch my prize. Then I had to scramble back up the steep, muddy side. I made it in the end, burning off a few calories in the process. It was getting dimpsy now, too dark to pick out the birds at any range and we started back. About 30 pheasants took wing with a commotion from all around me! I hadn't seen any of them, despite looking. They are clever at blending with the branches. One hen wasn't so clever though. About 15 yards at most I could see her head sticking up. I lifted the rifle and put the cross on her head - she fell out and flapped and jumped around beneath the tree, getting the dogs all excited. The pellet had gone in perfectly placed.

 

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

nice going fella

 

still havent ever shot a pheasant myself

[falcongit 242]

now thats a good bag bud great shooting

 

symon

[AR177 588]

Great shooting and very good read

 

ATB

 

Adam

[Mawders 595]

Mate that's an awesome outing, your very lucky to have such permission. Awesome rifle buddy and cracking shooting! I really enjoyed that write up, been ages since I've read a good hunting story.

 

Played mate

 

Phil

[darkdd81 36]

As the other guys have already said, excellent post and great bag.

 

All the best

[bigmac 97kt 13,776]

Nice shooting and a nice bag atvbmac

[vizlauk 1,568]

cracking shooting, thought the story was out of a top shelf magazine ! also known as hunting porn ! lol well done

[The one 8,463]

Nice mixed bag there mate

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Some nice shooting and some nice eating! It is very sporting to shoot pheasants with an air rifle, well I think it is!

[j j m 6,533]

Good shooting mate

[porkycrook 466]

Nicely written bit mate.

[Daz 7 563]

Superb haul in this weather bud i've not shot any of My guns in 3 weeks

Due working in the Funny season.

Nice MK 1, is it a Bucketboy Mod as well bud .

 

atvb Daz 7

[Acuspell 329]

Superb haul in this weather bud i've not shot any of My guns in 3 weeks

Due working in the Funny season.

Nice MK 1, is it a Bucketboy Mod as well bud .

 

atvb Daz 7

 

The great man has breathed a bit of his magic on it. Silent as the night it is........not good on shot count though.......

[zini 1,939]

Brilliant read and great shooting on that bag buddy.

 

Si.