A tale of two fields

Geoff Garrod makes the most of a difficult situation but laments a missed opportunity

- Geoff Garrod

Before we get into the pigeon shooting, there’s news on the steel/lead shot debate that I want to highlight.

We already know there is a five-year plan to move away from lead shot and the National Game Dealers’ Association recently announced that it would only accept fur and feather shot with a non-lead shot from 1 June 2022. That will mean the majority of game dealers will insist on non-lead shot game and I’m sure the rest will follow. We know this change is coming, so perhaps it’s time we all embraced this change and tried alternatives.

I’ve already written about the Eley VIP steel shot with its eco wad, which works really well, and I’m sure it won’t be long before there are many similar offerings from other manufacturers. I am impressed by its killing power and skeptics may be pleasantly surprised too. Remember, you need to check the proof marks on your gun to make sure it’s safe for steel, and remember not to use a choke any tighter than half. If in any doubt, check with your local gun dealer for advice, but do give it a go.

Good-size flock

Anyway. A good-sized flock of pigeons was destroying two small four-acre fields of rape on the farm. I knew I could have a fantastic day’s decoying if I could get at them. There were some major problems, though: there is a footpath up one side of one of the fields; a village backs on to both of the fields; and the motorway runs along the side of the field without the footpath.