Slow, slow, quick

Peter Theobald says that his experience and that of his shooting partner Paul helped them stay the course over rape fields that eventually produced a bumper harvest

- Peter Theobald

Regular readers will know that I often extol the benefits of having a shooting partner who not only shares your passion for pigeon shooting but also goes about the business of decoying in the same way as you.

I was lucky when Paul won a BASC auction for a day’s pigeon shooting with me some 13 years ago. We soon found we shared like-minded views on how to shoot pigeons, even to the extent of debunking the various theories that so-called experts expound. We have undoubtedly both benefited from our alliance, pooling a combined 100 years’ worth of experience and knowledge, not to mention the fact that we share the numerous permissions that we have built up over time.

Numbers 

This knowledge was never better illustrated than a day we shared recently on oilseed rape. This was a 250-acre group of fields criss-crossed with numerous busy footpaths. Because of the glut of acorns the pigeons had completely vacated the area, with only 100 or so locals showing any interest for the past 10 weeks. The numbers were certainly not enough to bother the farmer on such a large acreage, nor excite us enough to give it a go. Latterly, however, this changed, and Paul reported a distinct increase in numbers to the point where he thought there were enough to warrant an outing.