[Music]
If this solitary oak were a xmas tree - then the decoys would be the baubels, Crowman's
Cousin Gary, The Fairy, with the pigeon hide under the tree packed full of surprises.
BANG BANG
It's a cold morning and Crow has been keen to get out on to this maize stubble field.
When we first arrived, a few thousand pigeons and crows lifted.
It could be a fun day - especially if those lofted decoys catch the eyes of the flighting
birds.
These old lofting poles are pretty flimsy.
We want to get some lofters out of the top of the tree.
These go up to about 20 foot.
You get a 20 foot lofting rod up there, bit of wind, with the weight of the decoy swaying
like that you can't get it where you want.
So what we do, we cheat a bit, we take a ladder and stick it up the tree and get up the tree,
you only need about 10, 15 foot of pole.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you know what you are doing, because it is pretty
dangerous and that is why I send Gary up.
That is the only reason I have invited him today.
Gary works his way squirrel-like around the tree and with pinpoint accuracy he carefully
places the decoys on to the branches.
Over many years Gary has turned this into an art form, getting the angle just right
so as not to put the birds off.
Well, it is cold up there.
We've never filmed Crow using the lofting poles before so why today?
Pigeons have been shot at a bit and this tree is right out in the middle of the field.
It is a bit of a flight line up through here, it just helps out with the decoys really.
If I can get up ......if Gary can get up the tree at this time of year I always stick him
up there so....just get them right up the top.
Will you put decoys on the ground as well though?
Yes, we will spread the decoys out.
What I have found at the moment I am probably going to put a whirlie out to the right hand
side of us, back behind us more just for a bit of movement.
What I have been finding is they haven't been wanting a whirlie or a flapper.
Other people might be finding it different.
Different birds, but in this area they just don't want too much movement.
But today it is quite a lumpy field and I am going to put a whirlie out just for a bit
of movement just to try and attract their attention and see what happens.
But they might want it or they might not.
If they don't we just take it in and carry on with just a few floaters and the cradle.
The field is scattered with fallen maize - a high protein diet and important to the birds
as all of a sudden the temperature has dropped.
You can tell which birds have been feeding on the cobs by the way they peck at it.
Pigeons tend to pull the grain out whereas a crow will peck like hell at it and just
take the insides out.
They will take it whole but a pigeon prefers to take it whole.
Because the maize is such a good food source Crow expects that the now "pigeon free field"
will soon be bringing the birds back, both pigeons and crows.
Even though pigeons are the name of the game today, Crow wants the pattern to look natural
so he sticks in a few plastic crows as well.
Right let's get this show on the road.
The chances are that we've pushed the pigeons on to Andy's neighbouring rape crop which
is actually what he's trying to protect - but the maize should bring them back - and they
do return in large numbers..
BANG
The birds are dropping in from the front and from behind.
The lofted decoys attracting them as they fly down the centre of the field.
Both Andy and Gary are making some good shots - not everything is passing just yards in
front of the hide.
The cousins have been shooting together for more than 30 years and they have a system.
Gary calls the shots so they shoot in unison.
This means the birds don't flare.
Say when
Now...now
I hit that....
Say when
Now.....
Gary always calls, he says now and that is when we both shoot, you usually only hear
one shot like then.
He says now and we both shot the same time, two pigeons came down.
It doesn't always happen because Gary usually misses, but, no he doesn't, he is a good shot.
Just means the second one won't flare.
Yes that is right.
All you hear is just one shot.
If I can't get on a pigeon and Gary says now then Gary takes the shot.
He is the conductor.
Yes, he is the conductor.
It works better that way.
The thing is if I start calling and he misses it is my fault.
At least if I let him call.......
When there is a quiet moment, the crows look tempting but Andy will not be distracted and
stays with the programme.
There's plenty of time for him to get into the Crow zone later in the week.
Over the course of the day there's a regular stream of pigeons and by the end of it the
boys account for 189 pigeons, three crows and two jackdaws.
He gives in to tempation after all.