ramblings from a trip to the pheasant feeder
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:56 am
So I have been meaning to get down to the pheasant feeders for a while now but never quite making it. Always a reason that got in the way but finally managed to get Sunday afternoon set aside.
Headed out mid afternoon and took up position behind a large oak tree that sits about 25 yards from the feeder. It is fairly open but for squirrels it is far enough away, and there is even a small sapling perfectly positioned to lean back against just behind the main tree!
As I walked up a grey scampered off so I hoped it would be a productive session, it was just a question of waiting to see how disturbed the critters had been by my arrival. About 5 minutes later I saw it, or one of its friends, scampering down another of the trees behind the feeder so I thought it shouldn’t be too long. And sure enough about 20 minutes after I got settled, the first victim showed up. Sat obligingly still in the open and took a clean shot to the eye.
I was in two minds whether to leave it lieing next to the feeder or break cover to remove it but decided to stay put, until about 20 minutes later when a call of nature made the decision for me! Having got up I thought I would move to one of the other feeders in the woods behind me but abandoned that after about 10 minutes due to savage midges. The cold snap last week obviously didn’t kill them off!
So I went back to the previous position and settled in again. And sure enough not much later there was the flicker of grey through the brambles and number 2 pitched up. This one lurked behind some leaves so I had to wait for a bit before it made itself available, but then it did most obligingly by sitting up straight and looking in my direction whilst still nibbling on the corn. 2 down.
All through the afternoon there had been pigeons and crookdaws flying overhead and moving through the trees but with my position I was not expecting any luck with them as I was sure I was too exposed. So when a pigeon settled about 35 yards away it was too good to ignore. Not easiest due to the haze of small twigs but there was a clear shot to the wing fold, so that brought it down with a satisfying thud. Bonus woodie.
By now I was more than happy with the bag but thought I would stay for a just a bit longer…You know just 5 more minutes, just in case. And would you know it but a third grey started to scuttle towards the feeder but then half way there stopped and scampered back. I had to wait about 10 minutes and it did the same again. By now I had tucked myself back a bit more, and made sure the rifle was up and in position to try and prevent any trigger movements that could catch its eye but it still didn’t commit. Determined to get it I hung on gambling that greed would win out and yep, back it came and this time decided it was happy to go to the feeder. Had to wait for it to settle down and give me a clear shot but finally it made the fatal mistake.
So a nice bag for only 2.5 hours out in the woods. And yet again the TDR proved that it may not win any beauty contests but it is hard to beat for this sort of work. It’ll be interesting to see if I go back next week if replacements have moved in, or whether I need to move onto another set of feeders (preferably with less midges).
Best of all as I was walking back to the car afterwards, I passed the Estate Manager so was able to give him the good news, all helps keep the permission.
Headed out mid afternoon and took up position behind a large oak tree that sits about 25 yards from the feeder. It is fairly open but for squirrels it is far enough away, and there is even a small sapling perfectly positioned to lean back against just behind the main tree!
- feeder_small.jpg (35.76 KiB) Viewed 3667 times
As I walked up a grey scampered off so I hoped it would be a productive session, it was just a question of waiting to see how disturbed the critters had been by my arrival. About 5 minutes later I saw it, or one of its friends, scampering down another of the trees behind the feeder so I thought it shouldn’t be too long. And sure enough about 20 minutes after I got settled, the first victim showed up. Sat obligingly still in the open and took a clean shot to the eye.
I was in two minds whether to leave it lieing next to the feeder or break cover to remove it but decided to stay put, until about 20 minutes later when a call of nature made the decision for me! Having got up I thought I would move to one of the other feeders in the woods behind me but abandoned that after about 10 minutes due to savage midges. The cold snap last week obviously didn’t kill them off!
So I went back to the previous position and settled in again. And sure enough not much later there was the flicker of grey through the brambles and number 2 pitched up. This one lurked behind some leaves so I had to wait for a bit before it made itself available, but then it did most obligingly by sitting up straight and looking in my direction whilst still nibbling on the corn. 2 down.
All through the afternoon there had been pigeons and crookdaws flying overhead and moving through the trees but with my position I was not expecting any luck with them as I was sure I was too exposed. So when a pigeon settled about 35 yards away it was too good to ignore. Not easiest due to the haze of small twigs but there was a clear shot to the wing fold, so that brought it down with a satisfying thud. Bonus woodie.
By now I was more than happy with the bag but thought I would stay for a just a bit longer…You know just 5 more minutes, just in case. And would you know it but a third grey started to scuttle towards the feeder but then half way there stopped and scampered back. I had to wait about 10 minutes and it did the same again. By now I had tucked myself back a bit more, and made sure the rifle was up and in position to try and prevent any trigger movements that could catch its eye but it still didn’t commit. Determined to get it I hung on gambling that greed would win out and yep, back it came and this time decided it was happy to go to the feeder. Had to wait for it to settle down and give me a clear shot but finally it made the fatal mistake.
- feeder bag_small.jpg (38.83 KiB) Viewed 3667 times
So a nice bag for only 2.5 hours out in the woods. And yet again the TDR proved that it may not win any beauty contests but it is hard to beat for this sort of work. It’ll be interesting to see if I go back next week if replacements have moved in, or whether I need to move onto another set of feeders (preferably with less midges).
Best of all as I was walking back to the car afterwards, I passed the Estate Manager so was able to give him the good news, all helps keep the permission.
