HEATWAVE BOLT-HOLE
Farmyards can be very useful places for airgun shooters to turn to. Not only do they attract a lot of pests, they also provide somewhere to shelter from the elements when weather conditions don’t suit shooting out on open ground.
During the winter, when the weather is cold and wet and natural food is scarce, rats and pest birds home in on the farm as they know they will be able to find protection from sleet, floods and icy winds, and there’s also likely to be a ready supply of easy pickings waiting for them.
When summer comes, the shelter of farm buildings remains an attraction. Pests are drawn in by feed and also by the large, airy buildings which provide cool shade when outside temperatures are climbing.
Although the farmer wanted me to come and help reduce the numbers of the crows, jackdaws and woodpigeons that are causing problems around his sheds and barns, I have to admit that it is the shade that appeals most to me on this occasion.
My session has coincided with a period of very hot weather, and spending a few hours in cool farm buildings is far
