Effect of pester power

A farm full of birds was too good to miss but, as Tom Payne and Patrick Galbraith discovered in August, someone had got there first

I’m very lucky to manage pigeons on many farms and estates across the country and have got to know a lot of ground over the years. Years of study, practice and trial and error in the field means I am now at the stage where most of my forays are fairly successful. However, there is one farm that frustrates me time and again.

I imagine some of you read my pieces and think “Oh, Tom’s shot another big day” or “How does Tom consistently shoot big bags” and in the majority of cases, yes, I make the best of the opportunities that arise at certain times of year. But this one farm gets the better of me every time and it has become an obsession to get the better of the pigeons for once.

Located in the home counties, this farm is a haven for woodpigeons. You could almost say it is 4,000 acres that is farmed for pigeons. It grows some of the bird’s favourites and has the potential for phenomenal shooting.

During the winter, the rape is split and you could almost guarantee huge numbers — around 15,000 to 20,000. Because it covers a large area, it is not block-cropped and is spaced out perfectly. The farm is situated near two major towns and many villages; you can’t beat a farm that is near any urban dwelling.

I shoot on many of the farms that surround this pigeon metropolis and all of them shoot really well. Some of the best pigeon spots this year have literally been next door. However, this farm is where they all want to be.

During the winter it was shaping up to be a belter. I would get there, do my reconnaissance, study intently and plan with precision my outing the following day. I would wake up the next morning ready for battle, excited about the prospects for the day ahead. I would arrive in good time, so there was no rushing. I had given the birds a chance to have their first feed and the scene would be set. A good wind to break the flock and I would be away and running.

In the winter, if you get it right, you can usually have between two and four hours of good shooting. Not on this place. All would start well

“You would not believe the numbers — there were thousands of birds committed to just a couple of stubbles”

Standing in the hide, PatrickGalbraith misses a pigeon