Season Over.

[neil cooney 10,415]

How was everyones shooting season ?

I can't curse myself now by saying I was never happier with my aim as I was this season.

Had a L + R on Mallard and a L + R on Wigeon. Missed very few Pheasant and when the Woodcock started going my way I missed few of them too.

Duck were disappointing as there was so much water this Winter they were well spread out and hard to find.

Rabbits were over all scarce and I only fired at a couple of Snipe, not putting either in the bag.

My old springer bitch "Tuppence" was as good as ever and the younger dogs she worked along side did not out do her in any way but as she's 9 this Summer I have to accept it's downhill from here on.

Finding the remains of 3 Short Eared Owls in a couple of weeks I though was very strange at the start of the season and I'm blaming the abundance of Buzzards on that.

Foxes were aplenty and the amount that came out of the ditch beside me was serious. Sometimes 2 or 3 a day and I didn't pull on many. If my shooting partner couldn't see across the ditch I let them run, feck it, they're another sport too.

But, there is a lot around. Between digging and one in a snare this morning I've bumped into 6 foxes in the last few days. One was seen near my house at 10.30 yesterday morning.

The end of the digging season should be busy followed on by some call outs. I've already had 2 farmer loosing lambs and another with a Grey Crow problem as they pecked the eyes out of some new born lambs. First call bird I get is going his way along with a trap.

How was everyone else's game shooting season ?

[fat man 4,740]

Good season,started off well early in the season on the ducks geting shooting most evenings on the ponds but when the rains came the duck seemed to dwindle away but we still got some sport.The pheasants were plentiful this season as we built a new release pen sort of centre in clubs grounds and bought in 600 poults which done very well and when the shooting started they had matured into very good birds that had spread a long way out from the pen with feeders located around a mile radius of the pen to keep them about.The woodcock were the best shooting for me this season with some nice bags shot and plenty missed,brilliant work for the springers as we have ideal ground for woodcock.Season flew by same as the year did and we are another year older,lol roll on march now for a bit of trout fishing.

[Born Hunter 17,622]

Thoroughly enjoyable and a little sad to see it end. On our small syndicate shoot we've struggled to hold birds this year and got fairly poor returns, not too terrible though. I never quite managed to bag my first snipe on any of my walkabouts but then there were not the numbers compared to last year.

 

Beaters day on Saturday, which I certainly made the most of! LOL. Then saw the season out in style on Monday with an invite from a friend to shoot on his beaters day some of the highest birds a game shot is ever likely to see! A proper high bird shoot and too good for most of us.

 

Roost shooting now! Which is looking very promising. A few more stalking trips yet and a few days hunting in the Scottish borders, which will be a new one for me.

[underground 48]

Had a cracker! Dogs worked well on the whole, really pleased with the pup and had a left and right on English partridge! Bring on the pigeon!

[OldCoppice 9]

I had an excellent season on my little rough shoot, I think I shot between fifty and sixty pheasant and partridge , missed a few too mind . Plenty of various accounted for.

Game season is over but I'm onto the vermin now, loads of rabbits and squirrels about , and need to clear up a few magpies .

[neil cooney 10,415]

I had an excellent season on my little rough shoot, I think I shot between fifty and sixty pheasant and partridge , missed a few too mind . Plenty of various accounted for.

Game season is over but I'm onto the vermin now, loads of rabbits and squirrels about , and need to clear up a few magpies .

Flat out on the Magpies now but more so the Grey Crows.

This week alone 2 people looking for Greycrows gone, 2 for Magpies, 2 for Foxes and 1 for Rabbits.

One call was for removing Magpies from a Pitch and Putt course because they were damaging the course.

That's a new on me !!!!

[jok 3,035]

You know what Neil. That has brought back a memory of a long while ago. On an exclusive golf course in Northamptonshire, there was a complaint about a magpie picking up golf balls. What a load of everyone thought, but no, bang on, the beggar was doing it on a regular basis.

[Rabid 1,936]

You know what Neil. That has brought back a memory of a long while ago. On an exclusive golf course in Northamptonshire, there was a complaint about a magpie picking up golf balls. What a load of everyone thought, but no, bang on, the beggar was doing it on a regular basis.

I heard a similar story a good few year back and thought what a load of tosh, now you got me wondering..........

[neil cooney 10,415]

You know what Neil. That has brought back a memory of a long while ago. On an exclusive golf course in Northamptonshire, there was a complaint about a magpie picking up golf balls. What a load of everyone thought, but no, bang on, the beggar was doing it on a regular basis.

I never thought of that. I presumed there was holes appearing on the course, someone seen some magpies and put 2 and 2 together. But maybe that's the problem. They must mistake the balls for eggs.

I just supplied the trap and call bird and who ever's in charge will watch it.