Just like comedy, timing is everything when pigeon shooting. For somebody new to the sport, judging the distance and right time to make your move and mount your gun can make all the difference to the success of the shot.
Standing up too early when the pigeon is still way out from your pattern will almost certainly spook the bird and cause it to jink. A pigeon changing direction at speed and distance is just about the hardest shot in the book. More often than not, this will result in a miss, and the chances of getting a ‘left and right’ are almost non-existent. Mounting your gun too late can see the bird too close for a sensible shot, and can ruin the meat and render the bird unfit for the table. Here are a couple of tips that may help you successfully bag more birds.
Decoying
Many a day’s decoying can be doomed from the first moment you arrive at your chosen field. I’m going to presume that you’ve done all your reconnaissance and have located a good spot to shoot – where the birds are feeding, you know the flight lines and have checked the weather. You’ve built the perfect hide and are ready to put your decoys out. Whatever pattern I use, and where I leave a hole in the pattern for decoying birds to land, can vary depending on the wind, sun and how the birds are feeding. The one thing that won’t vary when I set up is the maximum distance of the decoys from the hide.
There sometimes seems to be a misunderstanding in my book as to what decoying is all about. For me, it’s about fooling the woodies into coming over to your pattern and committing to landing at a distance that gives me the best shot at the perfect range for a good, clean ethical kill.
Bu hikaye Sporting Gun dergisinin February 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Sporting Gun dergisinin February 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Thermal spectrum
Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared
Roe, rucks and new ground
Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades
Fox rot about Charlie
Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane
The sniff of success
Join Ryan Kay as he navigates the fascinating dynamic between a handler and their canine companion
Adventures of Nick & Ted
A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines
The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system
Vet's advice
Gundogs Q&A
No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts
Stop-start!
Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice