Another defeat at the hands of the pigeons.

[JDog]

I have never watched a field for longer without either diving in to shoot it or going off elsewhere in search of decoying opportunities.

 

The field was spring barley drillings and there was so much grain on top it looked as though it had been broadcast deliberately. I arrived at 11:45 and watched for almost two hours, not quite believing that there were no pigeons willing to get the easy pickings. In that time I saw ten birds at the most and obviously no flight line.

 

So I drove a few miles to another field of barley drillings which had been in a week. There was a weak flight line in so not wanting to waste the whole day I quickly identified a suitable spot for a hide and set up. Fifteen shell decoys were all I took. Not that many pigeons came over the field but those that did decoyed well. It was a very pleasant afternoon and in two hours I shot and picked thirty birds.

 

When I drove home via the original field of choice there were three hundred birds on it!

[mossy835]

they do find it in the end,

[fenboy]

I am sure you will still get a crack at the ones on the original field if there was that much seed on top and may get a better bag for leaving it.

[eccles]

Well done JDog nice bag always another day for the others. atb Terry

[steveyg]

two hours...thirty birds..well worth setting up

unlucky with the 300 though...still a nice afternoons sport

Edited April 11, 2014 by steveyg

[yickdaz]

I am sure you will still get a crack at the ones on the original field if there was that much seed on top and may get a better bag for leaving it.

 

 

still a good bag j

I,m with you fenboy looks like they are going on it in the afternoon

[marsh man]

Your lucky to still have some drillings going in , all ours spring barleys are in and already up a couple of inches , the pea drilling was a non event as useual, there been in about a week now and with them being drilled fairly deep it will be another week or so before they poke through the ground. at the moment the pigeons are still on short rape the problem is the fields that have been hit the hardest by pigeons are surrounded by woods and after a few shots you clear the area out .When I go I travel light with just a magnet, two floaters ,hide and 4 dead pigeons , on some fields you get about a dozen and that's it , and other fields where the woods are further away around 20 to 30 is about the norm , although fairly small bags there good sporting shots and I let my dog pick up as I get one so I get a bit of shooting and he get some retrieving a nice way to spend a warm afternoon

[aga man]

Nice to hear you are still getting some sport JDog, Our pigeons have vacated the rape now and simply vanished, presumably to a world of pigeon loving and eating tree buds etc. 100 acres of freshly sprouted peas here and no pigeons

 

Personally i would get back to the drilled barley field asap, depending on the size of field 300 birds will soon clear up the surface seed!

[pigeon controller]

Well done JDog, you had a good day after bird watching. You have the first field to go back to if you want. We did lots of miles yesterday and could not find any on seed, just in the trees. Again thirty is a good bag this time of year.

[kitchrat]

I have never watched a field for longer without either diving in to shoot it or going off elsewhere in search of decoying opportunities.

 

The field was spring barley drillings and there was so much grain on top it looked as though it had been broadcast deliberately. I arrived at 11:45 and watched for almost two hours, not quite believing that there were no pigeons willing to get the easy pickings. In that time I saw ten birds at the most and obviously no flight line.

 

So I drove a few miles to another field of barley drillings which had been in a week. There was a weak flight line in so not wanting to waste the whole day I quickly identified a suitable spot for a hide and set up. Fifteen shell decoys were all I took. Not that many pigeons came over the field but those that did decoyed well. It was a very pleasant afternoon and in two hours I shot and picked thirty birds.

 

When I drove home via the original field of choice there were three hundred birds on it!

Get on it tomorrow and fill your boots!!

[richg]

What time of day did you look at your Barley field? At the moment i am finding that pigeons are just not coming on to feed until after mid day. I recently watched a freshly drilled bean field with beans on the top, arriving at ten o clock i watched it for an hour and only about six pigeons showed any interest. At two in the afternoon the farmers on the phone telling me its covered, i popped over to have a look at three thirty and found over 1000 birds all over it. someone else had arranged to shoot it next day.