First Hunt

[ciaran 2]

Hi guys, going on my first hunting foray Thursday. Been called in to help reduce corvid numbers for a farmer with lambs.

 

Was going with the s200 in .22 for main rifle but also bringing a Springer, so do I go with another .22 or bring a .177 boinger instead?

 

The plan is to sit in a hide for morning, then try walking round the farm fields later.

[davyt63 1,845]

hi buddy

bring both cals

[mark williams 7,561]

I would stay in the hide for the day Ciaran.

Use a couple of dead Magpies mounted on cradles with a dead rabbit at their feet with the entrails out and about.

Use whichever rifle you shoot best with,( or take both),also make very sure your very well camo`d up (head,face, hands especially) and aim for head shots only.

Whenever i am short of a dead decoy or dead rabbit i will simply use three broken eggs and or bread slices, then introduce a shot corvid or two on cradles.

 

Good luck - let us all know how you get on

Edited April 6, 2015 by mark williams

[ciaran 2]

Cheers guys, got camo gloves and face covering ready, good idea about the eggs and bread.

Might just bring all three guns and decide on day. Fingers crossed some birds take interest and visit

[random 659]

I'm hoping to do this soon and am thinking stay in the hide,covered up and keeping still is the plan,I'll take a couple of eggs and a decoy or two and see how it goes,where do you set up your hide mark? My task is ridding some corvids that are pinching feed and messing the water troughs,but these have sheep round them more or less constantly so do I set up close to these and take super safe shots,which could restrict the amount I can take,or somewhere further up the flight line and try to tempt them down?

[Rez 4,961]

Hide it up with the S200 and have a wander when the legs get bored with the springer

[mark williams 7,561]

I prefer to lye prone for corvids at troughs with even my rifle camo`d up on a bi- pod , my back/ legs under some camo netting, hands, body, legs,- every part of me under camo` and then in and amongst the hedgerow.(gillie suit would be ideal). Sun behind you.

Make sure you are in your hide "before" the feed is put in the troughs as the corvids will see farmer Giles leave and think the coast is clear as they cant count after one .

When the sheep first feed you will notice the corvids will hang back and walk the grassland close by, - shoot them then, you will get a good hour on them but stay "stock still", patient and choose with very slow movement indeed.

Only leave your hide if a corvid is dead and on its back with wings open, then place him back looking normal, like he`s feeding.

 

Hope this helps you a little.

 

p.s Head shots, heart lung, between the shoulder blades only mate. Make sure you, your scope and rifle can" strike a match " most times at up to 35 yds maximum "before" your first hunting outing.

 

atb

Edited April 8, 2015 by mark williams

[random 659]

I'll bear these tips in mind I think as soon as I can get on them,thanks.

[RodN 41]

Hint.... on the drive to your perm, always look for roadkill.

Just about anything will do to attract the corvids.

[ciaran 2]

OK guys, no road kill on way up:(

Set up some decoys with bread slices, but nothing landed.

 

My brother was close by in the morning think the shotgun going off sporadically probably didn't help. Once he left to stalk the fields further away I had more luck getting a couple of jackdaws from tree top.

 

Good day all in all, might give a shotgun a go next time, just for a change.