France Hunting Season 2023/2024

[Treeman]

 A farmer asked me to come to his fields to keep the crows off. He pays for the shells so that is a win. Only got a pigeon but hey it was fun.

Cheers
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So many come back lines come to mind. So many.
Read an article about some farm guys $20 000 racing Pidgeon that missing ?

[Methos]

We've finished our driven hunt season - 17 hunts, €850, 3 shots fired and 1 boar for me. Not great. Hope next season is better.

On Saturday it was freezing. _5 when the hunt started. Only saw one boar at around 600m.

On Monday and Tuesday it was warm again - went crow shooting in lunch time. I bought a cheap chinese sports cam that I clamped to the shotgun. Here is a short video. I'm still learning how to film with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXWL1d_cmq8

That pinkinsh building in the background is my daughters high school.

Regards

[Treeman]

The eternal hope of the hunter -Hope next season is better.

[DaavG]

Nice video Methos, looks like great fun!

What camera and how does it mount?

Can you post a pic of your hide please as looking for ideas for simple light waterfowl hide?

[Methos]

Hi DaavG

Here is the camera that I bought:
https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005005907923022.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.11.21ef5e5bA4nHdr&gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

It is not great - The video quality is a bit crappy but at least you can see. I'm wondering if I add a little sticker in the middle of the lens it might look like a ShotKam

As for the hide - I just bought two telescopic poles that sticks into the ground and I hang a camouflage net on it and sit behind it. Lightweight and quick to move. I always make sure that I'm with my back against a hedge or bush. Once or twice I had to build a hide with the two telescopic poles and just lashed reeds onto it and hung the net in front of me and used local vegetation to hide me from above.

https://www.decathlon.fr/p/piquets-chasse-d-affut-telescopiques-x2/_/R-p-10902?mc=8282546

I'm also dressed in camouflage clothes that blends in with the local flora. I also wear a complete face/head mask and a hat under it, camouflage gloves and sit very very still in the hide. I've noticed that when I don't wear the facemask they see me from lots further.

Also noticed that if I move my hands on the shotgun, or basically anything other than very slow movements before they are committed they shy away.

I have around 16 decoys. 8 crow decoys and 8 pigeon decoys - the pigeon decoys has got crow socks pulled over them.

https://www.ducatillon.com/recherche.html#/embedded/query=Lot%20de%2010%20Chaussettes%20Corbeau&page=1&query_name=match_and

I actually need to order another batch because I have a bunch more pigeon decoys that stay in the bag. Earlier this season I got shooting permission from an farmer that asked me to come shoot on his maize fields. I got there at 12 and set out my decoys. At the start things were very slow but each time I shot one I picked it up and added it to the pattern. At the end of the day they were coming in from everywhere, it seems that the more decoys they see the more they trust it and the easier they commit.

I'm also going to make around 30 of these crow rag decoys to add to the pattern. A few years ago I just cut out a crow form out of cardboard and spray painted it back and glued it to sosatie sticks. Worked a charm, but not when it rained or dewed a lot. Should actually make some out of thin plywood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUoeFHvsNpI

Cheers

[oafpatroll]

I've noticed that when I don't wear the facemask they see me from lots further.

I've taken to wearing a buff over my neck and face right up to my eyepro with my hat brim pulled as low as it can be while still giving me good vision. Got to doing it after I saw drone footage of us in a sunflower field. Was like a glowing white 'fly the F away' beacons beaming up at the drone. I'm sure our faces must be visible to the birds from a very long way off as they contrast so much from the background.

[Methos]

Oaf - Yep - I got this one yesterday:

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005005841112624.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.34.2aa25e5bSkOlSL&gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

Have another one as well but I'm going to try this one tomorrow morning before work.

I'm not yet willing to go full on Arnold in Commando levels of face painting to shoot a few crows. At least not with a shotgun - will have to get a Bazooka at least...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-1OYN9HH9c

I'm also thinking of getting one of these:

https://www.meyson.fr/p/22468-12174-fusil-manuchasse-dominator-camo-mobu-mossy-oak-break-up-calibre-1276#/20-longueur_du_canon-71_cm

At the moment I only have 2 shots and a third one might come in handy sometimes.

I have also taken to bringing either the .22 or the airgun along on shoots for runners, shotgun cartridges are fooking expensive!

[oafpatroll]

I've been seriously considering getting a biggish, say 6x6m perhaps, camo net which can be erected on such that the bakkie can be under it and leave enough cover for a couple of shooters to stand completely under it. Had the opportunity to shoot from under one a couple of years back and it was almost too easy as the birds only bokked when we mounted the guns and by then they were fully committed. 

[DaavG]

Thanks Methos, been looking for those poles locally but no joy. Will keep searching.

Agreed on lightweight, we park and then walk to the dams and looking at a camo net about 8m or 12m to give 2sqm or 3sqm hidden space, particularly when the young kids come along or 2 shooters.

[DaavG]

I've been seriously considering getting a biggish, say 6x6m perhaps, camo net which can be erected on such that the bakkie can be under it and leave enough cover for a couple of shooters to stand completely under it. Had the opportunity to shoot from under one a couple of years back and it was almost too easy as the birds only bokked when we mounted the guns and by then they were fully committed. 

Do you step out and clear from underneath it to shoot? Not visible side on from distance if so?

[oafpatroll]

Do you step out and clear from underneath it to shoot? Not visible side on from distance if so?

The guys in my club that use them typically have them slightly nose down into the flight line and up against the edge of the crop line. That way the oncoming birds don't see you until there's movement visible beyond the leading edge of the net. The one I shot from was against a sunflower field and was therefor rigged high enough above my head that i could shoot without having to step all the way out from under it.   

[Ds J]

An old guy told me he used to sit in front of a thick, dense bush when hunting water fowl. He did it because he did not have to move much to shoot over it. Just sit still and raise the shotgun slightly to aim.

I do not know whether he was camouflaged. He said he got many birds.

Otherwise he sat with his back to a bush that the birds had to flow over him to land, and shot them from behind.

[DaavG]

Interesting thanks Gents.

[oafpatroll]

An old guy told me he used to sit in front of a thick, dense bush when hunting water fowl. He did it because he did not have to move much to shoot over it. Just sit still and raise the shotgun slightly to aim.

I do not know whether he was camouflaged. He said he got many birds.

Otherwise he sat with his back to a bush that the birds had to flow over him to land, and shot them from behind.

When shooting on fields in Sasolburg with major power lines used by the birds I've had success by parking my bakkie at do degrees to the flight line such that it throws shadow in the direction of the incoming birds and then sitting on the sill in the shadow till it was time to stand and shoot. Worked way better than I expected but that farm was always thick with birds and it has not worked as well when shooting on the thinner farms in the standerton area that we shoot more often.

[Methos]

Yesterday I was invited to hunt in an area known as Roquemartine It is about 20min from my house. Hunted here once a few years ago but didn't get anything. The land is rented from old "royal" family. Their surname is Beq de lièvre. Harelip

The guy who invited me is Christian from my usual hunt. I have been on 22 hunts this season including yesterday and only shot one boar and saw 2 other boars, not a great season...

We met at 7:15, had breakfast and signed the hunting book. I was then sent into the mountain with a guy, and he showed me my post and explained where I could shoot, where pigs could possibly pass etc. Bakkies drove past me to get everybody to their posts and the trackers came past with the dogs.

The wind was howling and rather cold as well and since I'm an eternal optimist, I thought spring was coming so went with normal pants without the big jacket as well. I heard a branch break in front of me, looked around frantically but nothing moved. Then 5 min later again.

Then a tracker came by with his bakkie and I told him. He then turned around and parked at the top of the ridge then came down from the other side with a dog. I expected to shoot far do scope was at 4. Then suddenly it rustled right in front of me. About 5 m from me. See the troop coming and aimed at the first one, saw a big black mass, shot went a bit high, through the back, but she fell. The others then ran to the left.

Then the one got up and crawled down the hill. Went after her to finish. Almost pressed the rifle to her head and click. Short stroked the 308 again. When the shot went off one jumped up not 5m away from me and ran back into hunting area. Couldn't shoot because it was just too fast.

As I walk back to my post and another three jumped up run past less than 5m from me, but I couldn't shoot because trackers were behind.

The boars must have been within 15m of me since I got here.
At the end of the hunt, we dragged her 20 m downhill into the road and loaded her up. I guesstimated 80KGs. Back at the clubhouse we weighed her, 78kg. In total 6boars were shot. Got home with a nice back leg that will be made into potjie.

Happy to end the season this way at least!