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Shooting over cut maize


birdsallpl
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We have had a lot of maize cut since Thursday last and we have given it a go on Friday and again today covered by three guns on both days in two areas probably about 3/4 of a mile apart. On Friday one area was mainly Pigeon with few Corvids bagged, today it was the complete reverse. Needless to say this was a bit of a surprise. What is the main quarry in your area on new cut maize?

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Stuy, after I left you on Wednesday I saw fields and fields of freshly cut maize. You will have seen the tractor traffic as we shot. I stopped to look in one field and I could not find a single grain of maize let alone cobs. Either the maize was sown too late for cobs to grow to maturity or the harvester was too efficient.

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Stuy, after I left you on Wednesday I saw fields and fields of freshly cut maize. You will have seen the tractor traffic as we shot. I stopped to look in one field and I could not find a single grain of maize let alone cobs. Either the maize was sown too late for cobs to grow to maturity or the harvester was too efficient.

There are quite a few cobs left on our fields plus spill spots every now and again. Looks like a chain saw has been in action.

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There are quite a few cobs left on our fields plus spill spots every now and again. Looks like a chain saw has been in action.

 

Then you should have some pigeon/crow interest for a while yet. It is still OK to drill wheat after maize if the weather is suitable.

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I had a drive round on Saturday and found very little activity on maize stubble until a farmer directed me to a small field I rarely visit as at the dead-end of a long rough track. Whan I arrived there were about 400 birds feeding. As by this time it was 2 pm I decided to return the next day to have more time. I was set up by 9 AM and had very little traffic all day. I would have packed up but thought they may appear at any time! Finished at 3 pm with 19 pigeon and 3 ferals. The wind made for some good sport and bagged a 3 from one flock with an o/u with a quick reload. The third pigeon obviously could not identify the source of the shooting and swung round to join his mates. Saw plenty of big flocks on the move and whilst waiting for some action I did identify the flightlines in this location...so not wasted time. From my limited experience, this time of year pigeons seem to flit from field to field quite quickly so large numbers seen on one day can be followed by very few the next day

 

I checked this field and very little evidence of what to eat except for the odd spillage and the odd broken cob (but don't see how pigeons can feed on kernels still attached to the cobs).

 

And to answer JDogs query - still OK to drill wheat after maize and often done within days as when conditions OK to harvest maize then also OK to drill and opportunities to drill wheat get less and less as we get into winter (and the yields next harvest will be lower as well).

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Field I shot on Sunday was ploughed and drilled by this afternoon. Drove round another couple of maize fields on same farm, both had good numbers, about 200 on one and 400 on the other. Watched for awhile and pigeons came and went in big flocks but maybe worth an hour or two if the wind picks up again?

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