Michael170874 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Rape is the worst crop to shoot over period .i sat and watched several huge flocks for about two days this week flighting out of two big woods on my perm right along a beautiful flight path down a wooded beck then out into the field great i thought today set up at 8 got ready fired 6 or so shots then they just passed out of range and onto my neighbours farm who has 4 rape fields all morning the numbers building till there must have been 3,000 birds by 11 oclock but the farmer next door hates shooters so these birds are in heaven i watched as they just stuffed thier faces then hoped back up into the trees lining the fields then back down all morning till i called it a day at 2 pm ******* i thought i couldn't even lift them with a shot from my hide about 200 yds away .well looks like it's gonna be a hard season on the rape this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 your neighbour looks like he can afford the loose some of his rape you would think he would be glad of you.never have worked that out, had that myself in the past iv'e seen a field totally grazed to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I don't know many farmers who are happy to let vast flocks of woodies graze peacefully for days on end on their rape fields? Perhaps you can suggest to him that he ought to put a gas gun out there? Having said that, I have seen fields literally stripped bare by the end of Jan that grow to 7 feet tall by late July, so perhaps he is of the opinion that pigeon damage at this time of year is not important..? Most farmers will take great effort to keep the birds off once they have applied some fert in late Feb, it really needs protection once the Spring growth starts. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Cat, I spoke with a agri/soil guy about pigeon damage to osr and how its always seems to bounce back and recover-his take was that the oil yield suffers as a result of the early pigeon damage although the plants appears to flourish. always been a handy bit of info to bring up when chatting to potential new permissions. same here, huge flocks that just flit from field to field f. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Cat, I spoke with a agri/soil guy about pigeon damage to osr and how its always seems to bounce back and recover-his take was that the oil yield suffers as a result of the early pigeon damage although the plants appears to flourish. always been a handy bit of info to bring up when chatting to potential new permissions. same here, huge flocks that just flit from field to field f. That makes sense to me. It is amazing how it does bounce back but I can't believe it will ever do as well as a plant 6 inches high when the growing season returns. There is also the question of unequal ripening, pigeon damaged crop must surely ripen well after establised crops. I know they kill, rape off for this reason but shorter growing time must lead to reduced yields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 My garden has some very tall trees and then a large field of osr. The farmer won't allow shooters as some made a mess but I have permission nearby. I often plug them out of the trees when I want a few for dinner with my air rifle but would love to set up in the field as there must literally be thousands in the field some mornings. Whole patches of an acre or two each (must be 80 acre field) have been stripped. (Before anyone asks I'm protecting my veg patch from the pigeons and complying with the gl) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belly47 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I feel your pain, im struggling to get any to decoy at the moment, one shot and they are gone, I set up once the rain had gone this morning about 9, had one shot and missed and then nothing for next 3 hours, I relocated as well and the same story. ill be out again on Thursday for another go though, but will leave it till the afternoon I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Rape is the worst crop to shoot over period .i sat and watched several huge flocks for about two days this week flighting out of two big woods on my perm right along a beautiful flight path down a wooded beck then out into the field great i thought today set up at 8 got ready fired 6 or so shots then they just passed out of range and onto my neighbours farm who has 4 rape fields all morning the numbers building till there must have been 3,000 birds by 11 oclock but the farmer next door hates shooters so these birds are in heaven i watched as they just stuffed thier faces then hoped back up into the trees lining the fields then back down all morning till i called it a day at 2 pm ******* i thought i couldn't even lift them with a shot from my hide about 200 yds away .well looks like it's gonna be a hard season on the rape this year. Sounds like the day I had on Sunday mate, there's far too much rape about that they can go and feed on at the moment, Atb Flynny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 your neighbour looks like he can afford the loose some of his rape you would think he would be glad of you.never have worked that out, had that myself in the past iv'e seen a field totally grazed to the ground. yep me to about 3 years ago they were munching a rape field everyday I drove past it all winter and at the critical stage all through march I was refused permission, but had a wee smile when I saw farmer ploughing in the whole field and re drilled it with barley due to the damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Rape is the worst crop to shoot over period .i sat and watched several huge flocks for about two days this week flighting out of two big woods on my perm right along a beautiful flight path down a wooded beck then out into the field great i thought today set up at 8 got ready fired 6 or so shots then they just passed out of range and onto my neighbours farm who has 4 rape fields all morning the numbers building till there must have been 3,000 birds by 11 oclock but the farmer next door hates shooters so these birds are in heaven i watched as they just stuffed thier faces then hoped back up into the trees lining the fields then back down all morning till i called it a day at 2 pm ******* i thought i couldn't even lift them with a shot from my hide about 200 yds away .well looks like it's gonna be a hard season on the rape this year. You are experienced enough to know that this sort of thing happens throughout the country. Some shooters get nothing but frustration. At least you have had some decent bags already this winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 You are experienced enough to know that this sort of thing happens throughout the country. Some shooters get nothing but frustration. At least you have had some decent bags already this winter. Exactly. It's hardly anything new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photon Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) I would be made up just to be allowed to have somewhere to shoot on, even if there was nothing there, spose we all have different expectations Edited January 13, 2015 by photon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinribz Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Why not try to shoot them on the flightline instead of decoying allday for a few shots. I had the same thing happen a few times over christmas and up to now loads of birds but there gone after an hour. Just take your gun cartridges maybe a bit of net watch the line shoot it if it drys up look for another me and a friend have had some good shooting moving about walking hedges pushing them about its better than getting cold for nothing all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pull2007 Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 yeh join the club been out the last 4 weekends with little to show keep at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longchalk Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) Same old story here. Have been trying for two years to get a perm on a big local farm. Just before Xmas the farmer comes to my door and says he's visiting family in the US in January and can I keep his pigeons down at weekends while he's away. Bingo! And what's happened so far?... Four days out and no more than a dozen shot. There are big flocks touring the neighborhood, but you can't hold them anywhere. Half the County is under rape, so you lug the kit in, set up, get two bangs straight away.... And that's it for the day. Maybe another flypast at 2pm if your lucky and haven't frozen solid by then. Chap will want to hear I've been filling my boots and doing a good job for him when he gets back and I'm going to look like a rank amateur.... Maybe I need to hire in Pigeon Controller for a day. He never seems to blank. Edited January 17, 2015 by Longchalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael170874 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 In reply to the damage they do to rape ,although you think it's recovered because it seems to come back and grow tall it's only the plant your seeing as once the centre bud / stem is eaten when the plant is young there will be no seeds to harvest from that plant .All that will be left is the stem and leaves .my friend was a lecturer at askham agriculture college who pointed this out. This is why you have to hit them as soon as possible . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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