Phantom Pigeons

[silentshot1 206]

I think it’s always a strong sign of mutual respect, to be called on by a land owner to help out and give something back to the person who has given me access to almost free reign of their farm.

 

It’s a kind of ‘Stand up and be counted’ moment, when you have the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and experience you've developed by wondering for literally days at a time, learning to hunt among some of the most beautiful countryside I know... Or at least this is what I was telling myself Friday morning at about 06.30 as I sat in a Spinney, waiting for day light.

 

I had had a request from the Land Owner in a furious mood, to go to this spinney in the middle of a field, surrounded by OSR, which backs on two sides to village houses who’s occupants constant complaining had meant that shotguns had been banned from the field, leaving flying Rape robbers to run rife over it’s 100 acres, using the spinney as a Premiere Inn throughout the day.I hadn't seen any great numbers but I was assured in no uncertain terms they were there, smashing through the crop.

 

I set up in a natural hide, on the side at the top of the rim of the bowl shaped wood, surrounded by fallen branches and with my trusty, ancient, Venom tuned HW77 .177 ready to go. I’d noted the pigeon crap and although not as much as I was expecting, prepared for action. From my hide I had a great arc of fire and relatively clear shooting in to the trees. With a flask of coffee, I was ready for the day.

By 08.45, I thought something was a bit amiss, not one pigeon and when I say not one I mean nowhere! Not in the spinney, on the field, in the sky, nowhere... I continued waiting; beginning to question the intelligence I’d been given. By 09.30 I was beginning to feel like George Entwistle at his leaving party and by 09.45 was considering taking a desperately needed leak.

 

Just as I started to get up and the pins and needles shot through my now dead legs, I heard a very small rustle and watched some leaves on the ground move. I carried on watching, sitting down quietly, reaching for the rifle and bringing it to my shoulder, resting the fore end on my right hand, raising my knee as a support. I scanned the leaf litter to my right, through the scope looking for what I thought was a squirrel.

To my surprise a pheasant squawked out of hiding and jumped in to the air flying like the clappers to the middle of the field. I heard another rustle and spun the scope to the same spot, waiting for another pheassy to dash out when the leaves exploded and a rabbit made a mad dash down in to the bottom of the spinney and in to shadow behind a fallen collection of branches.

 

I started searching the area through the scope and was about to call it quits when I noticed an ear twitching slightly. It took me a bit of concentration to make out the head through the twigs, leaves and moss but eventually saw a possible path through for the pellet. The rabbit was only 22ish yards away but a there was a high chance of being the pellet hitting a twig first.

 

Giving a half mildot hold under for the angle, I breathed out, took up the first stage of the trigger, held my breath and BANG, I watched the RWS Superdome thunder straight in to the crop robber’s brain. No twitching, no violent kicking, just rolled and laid still. A morning not wasted after all, freakin’ delighted!

 

I went and retrieved my prize and decided to call it quits. It was clearly not going to be a good day for pigeons. I returned yesterday afternoon at about 13.30 and blanked, again, not one pigeon to be seen. I don’t know what the land owner was talking about but brownie points to me anyhow for being so keen to help and giving up 10 hours! Always a good thing to be seen doing!

 

 

Happy hunting in 2013!

[dtw 42]

good write up.

[milegajo 595]

Good reading there. That HW77 looks like a mean bit of kit. I'd keep at em and try to observe the site at different times of the day to build a picture of their habits. Good luck!

[iana 25]

Pigeons at the minute have far too much feed to choose from. Where as before in the cold weather the food was concentrated to the rape there is now an abundance of food still on offer all over the place.

 

I think next year we will be over run with the buggers!!

[silentshot1 206]

Good reading there. That HW77 looks like a mean bit of kit. I'd keep at em and try to observe the site at different times of the day to build a picture of their habits. Good luck!

 

Think it was the case of see 5, count 1000, on the part of the farmer. He did the same about rabbits on his garden last year, after practically camping there for four nights, I'd seen two and bagged one. There are pigeons about, but nothing like the numbers he fears, that I can see. He has done a fantastic job of continuous daily harassment of their feeding spots, whilst it's seen so wet, that have moved the feathered casserole fillers on, in the main.

 

That said, the rabbit population seems to be very buoyant for the time of year, after the wet summer stopped the hay being cut until October, giving them plenty of protection and time to expand numbers. Brilliant!

[jackinbox99 41]

Good reading there. That HW77 looks like a mean bit of kit. I'd keep at em and try to observe the site at different times of the day to build a picture of their habits. Good luck!

 

Think it was the case of see 5, count 1000, on the part of the farmer. He did the same about rabbits on his garden last year, after practically camping there for four nights, I'd seen two and bagged one. There are pigeons about, but nothing like the numbers he fears, that I can see. He has done a fantastic job of continuous daily harassment of their feeding spots, whilst it's seen so wet, that have moved the feathered casserole fillers on, in the main.

 

That said, the rabbit population seems to be very buoyant for the time of year, after the wet summer stopped the hay being cut until October, giving them plenty of protection and time to expand numbers. Brilliant!

 

Farmers always seem to be like that dont they. Ive had one saying that rabbits are costing him thousands and have eaten half his field - you go to look and your lucky if you see 1 or 2 there.

 

This last year I dont know whats happened but ive seen hardly any rabbits anywhere. The year before id see hundreds everywhere.

[The one 8,485]

Always handy to keep in with landowers and do as they ask mate then ask him to have a word with his neighbours

[woodcote1 88]

Very good mate. I used to have a 77 and it was awesome.

[silentshot1 206]

Very good mate. I used to have a 77 and it was awesome.

 

This one was given to me about 10 years ago and reignited my passion in airguns. I love it. It' stamped 'made in West Germany' so that puts it at 23 years old, plus and has been carefully neglected and abused ever since.

[risingfriend 1,042]

nice write up and shooting mate ATB Aaron