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It's difficult to age The Crowman and I wouldn't ask. It would be like asking Joan Collins
if she dyed her hair. But there are a few signs that suggest he's starting to feel the
pace.
The giveaways are: a young jedi is doing a lot of the graft today, he's got some new
hearing aids and lastly he's blagged a hide tray from GMS to save his back from all that
bending down for the Clear Pigeons, his lunch and his squash.
Anyway, let's not dwell - Today Andy is going to show us what's needed to shoot over a standing
crop. Lots of people don't like it but if it has to be done this is how to do it.
I don't like shooting in standing crops. It is one thing I don't like doing because you
can't pick them. In this particular field there is a thin bit out the front. It is probably
40, probably 50 yards long, about 50 yards wide. It is probably bigger than that 60 yards
long, 50 yards wide. You can just see it there are a few peas there but not many. If you
get out there it is open and as you can see right along the headland here I probably shoot
80% of my birds. I let them go past and drop them on the headland where there isn't anything.
The last thing I want to do is shoot them and not pick them up, because that is one
thing that does wind me up, people shooting pigeons and not picking them. Because to me
they are a game bird, they are vermin, but to me they are a game bird. I would sooner
shoot them than anything else really.
So Andy roughly knows where they're going to drop, where the dog will make simple retrieves
and where she might need some guidance. Marking where a bird drops is also important. If you
can't do it mentally - write it down just like they do in the grouse butts.
Standing crops also requires specialised decoying equipment - literally to raise your game.
There's no point having decoys hidden away. Crow uses some homemade cradles and others
from A1 Decoys.
You want to be getting the pigeons up off the ground a bit. I have got two different
cradles here that you can get from A1. This one has got a spring so you can put a big
stick in it, you can have it what ever height you want as you can see from the ones I have
put over there. I put them up higher than the crop. The ones I have got are painted
with white so when you do put them down you can still see them. I have got one over there
which is on a stick but hasn't got a pigeon in it you can see even from here ten, fifteen
yards you can still see it, but if it was a green one you wouldn't have any chance to
see it. So my advice is to paint them white might seem silly but the thing is the pigeons
are sitting on top of it by the time the pigeons have seen it is underneath it is dead anyway
so it is no problem.
We're almost good to go. All we need now are the finishing touches. Keen shooter William
puts together the new Lincoln deluxe for Crow and assembles the hide tray - child's play
- all that's missing is the stair lift, the commode and we'd be in OAP heaven.
Come on Crow - you've got visitors. I said: you've got visitors. let's knock some pigeons
over....
Andy is often asked about the chokes he uses - With his usual single barrelled semi-auto
he tend to shift between half and quarter choke depending on the day but with the double
barrelled Lincoln he can have the best of both worlds- one for close stuff the other
for the second flaring bird.
The gun has got a single selective trigger so you can use the top barrel or the bottom
barrel which ever.I tend to have the open choke in the top barrel so if I only have
one shot I can eject and it is just as easy to stick a cartridge into the top barrel than
fumble about and try and get it into the bottom barrel. If the pigeons are coming a bit quick
you can eject them out and it is easier just to stick one into the top barrel.
It really is a stinking hot day and Crow is also keen to remind people that fluids are
not only essential for the guns but the dogs too. Ruby is panting hard.
I brought the dog today because we have got a few stands, well some of its stands and
I will get a few runners. At least I can get the dog to go through it and make sure you
bring a load of water. The dog has got more water than me as it goes. We always make sure
we take a load of water for the dog. You know what it is like yourself. Look after the dog.
Crow is a little disappointed. Last year he had a bumper day on this field and only 48
hours earlier when he and Will recce'd here the birds were landing at their feet. Nevertheless
Crow is making contact with anything having a look. And those that do fall away from the
thin areas of crop Ruby works her magic - only once does Crow think a bird is too far for
her to find on her own.
I am happy I have shot a few. Tried out the new gun, tried out the new ear plugs. Had
a bit of fun and that is what it is all about. This is one of the last ones we have shot.
It has got peas, a few greens in there, bit of grass and it has got some *** in there
as well.
At the end of the afternoon Crow recovers 68 birds and as far as he can tell none are
missing in action - It's half the bag he'd hoped for but to make him feel better Will
says it's the biggest bag he's ever seen. Well done young'un - you will go far.
If you want to ask Andy anything about his shooting or the kit he's using in this series
why not drop him a line at crow@fieldsportschannel.tv He's a busy man so a quick response is not
guaranteed.