Unknown delight
Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy pigeon shooting, but there are few people who enjoy it quite as much as Tom Payne does. I asked him, about five years ago while sitting in a hide, what it is that fascinates him so much about pigeons. He thought hard for a while then replied that, like so many fieldsports — whether you’re out with rod or gun or rifle — you never truly know your quarry. After a lifetime in the hide, the woodpigeon still keeps Tom guessing. “I’d say,” he continued a couple of birds later, “that there’s no such thing as an expert in this game. Everyone’s learning.” His words have stayed with me and I’ve heard them repeated by keepers, stalkers and, most recently, a Norfolk taxidermist: “No…
