fenboy Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 So as you may be aware yesterday I found a awful lot of pigeons on a maize strip on one of the farms I shoot . In fact it was the most pigeons I have ever seen on a maize strip in the years I have been shooting . More exciting still the field had good traffic going into it on three or four different lines , a couple of which were coming from a long way off. I still get excited thinking about a good day on the pigeon and after a sleepless night I was down the field setting up early morning , I have had a great deal of success starting on maize early before so was full of confidence that I would soon be shooting pigeons left right and centre. I had not been in the hide a few seconds when the first pigeon headed up toward me and straight to the magnet and I was off the mark , it was quickly followed by another couple that did exactly the same. I then had a bunch of 300 or more dropping in , I elected not to shoot at them as Muncher was due to join me a little later and I was hoping some of the bunches would get split up during the day and offer us more chances later in the day. Things were much slower than I had hoped for but I kept getting the odd one , and missed a few too , I was rather rusty after 6 months or so just wildfowling. I had a good few more big bunches all over me and again they were left . Muncher duly arrived and we both expected things to pick up as the day went on , unfortunately that never really happened , we saw quite a few at times but they proved very difficult to decoy , which is often the case on maize , I would usually put my decoys off the maize but could not do this due to cauliflower being grown right up to the strip and a hedge on the other , it also meant we had to let a few chances go as we could not shoot over the cauliflower. We ended up with a disappointing 46 plus a jackdaw , I would not normally be disappointed with that result but I really was expecting a big bag. At Least I had some good company and a good chin wag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Nice one fenboy :-) U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 That's not too bad. You have not shot many over the winter months. I have found that pigeons do not pick up decoys on maize stubble very well and have resorted to putting the decoys in the adjacent field sometimes. I know you were unable to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Had a good day its not always about the bag mate . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 That's not too bad. You have not shot many over the winter months. I have found that pigeons do not pick up decoys on maize stubble very well and have resorted to putting the decoys in the adjacent field sometimes. I know you were unable to do that. Although I have heard this said before, I can't think of a logical explanation why this would be the case. A decent bag FB. You never know, it might shoot better if you have chance to try there again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 That's not too bad. You have not shot many over the winter months. I have found that pigeons do not pick up decoys on maize stubble very well and have resorted to putting the decoys in the adjacent field sometimes. I know you were unable to do that. Still a good day out Fenboy, despite the promise of a bigger bag! I too have found that Jdog. I do sometimes wonder if this put the decoys out is actually a good idea. I, unfortunately don't live close enough/have time to recce all the time. That aside, if the birds have been on a particular spot, in good numbers the previous day, I would expect them to wake up with that thought in their mind and head of for breakfast at the same restaurant! Putting decoys out makes us feel like we are doing the right thing, but sometimes I feel it has a negative effect on the birds...........thoughts on the matter? Of course, if they have foiund an alternative table, no amount of decoys will bring them back from 5 miles away!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveyg Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 still a decent bag..well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 A bag most of us would be happy with at the minute, and good day out with a mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Although I have heard this said before, I can't think of a logical explanation why this would be the case. A decent bag FB. You never know, it might shoot better if you have chance to try there again. I do not find it logical either , they stand out well enough to my eye , but I have always done better when I can place them on some plough or winter wheat at the side of the cover crop. A handfull did decoy very well but mainly to the magnet. One thing I failed to mention in my first post was that we shot two young birds today . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian28 Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Still not a bad day fenboy , at least you saw some pigeons , I had a look at several rape fields today and never saw 46 let alone shot that amount , although I did see a Jackdaw How long did it take you to lay your bag out for the photo ? ..................ages by the look of how neat they look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbietherimmer Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 still sounds like a good day had; theres a few pigeon boys in your area so might be worth looking to see if anyone would take you out with them and show you a few different set ups etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 still sounds like a good day had; theres a few pigeon boys in your area so might be worth looking to see if anyone would take you out with them and show you a few different set ups etc. Thanks , but I have been pigeon shooting 30 years or more so I am not inexperienced and have had my fair share of big bags , sometimes the pigeons just get the best of you and that is what makes it so interesting , you can think everything is on for a big bag and it does not happen or you can go out expecting very little and have a red letter day , long may that continue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Perhaps you should take robbietherimmer out decoying. You may not pick up any decoying tips but the conversation as to how he got his name would be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Perhaps you should take robbietherimmer out decoying. You may not pick up any decoying tips but the conversation as to how he got his name would be interesting. I read somewhere it comes from his School days , but one still has to wonder why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 still a good bag Perhaps you should take robbietherimmer out decoying. You may not pick up any decoying tips but the conversation as to how he got his name would be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Do not beat yourself up, if they do not want to feed then you can not make them. You did well with the days bag. Keep your eyes on the crop as they may decide to give it a go in a few days. We had three days Zandering in the fens some years ago. At the back of us was some ground cover of sunflower seeds . The first two days no birds the third day a good two hundred birds on it all day. You had the further problem of them flocking on you, you shoot two and spook fifty Edited February 23, 2015 by pigeon controller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Columba Grey Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) I do not find it logical either , they stand out well enough to my eye , but I have always done better when I can place them on some plough or winter wheat at the side of the cover crop. A handfull did decoy very well but mainly to the magnet. One thing I failed to mention in my first post was that we shot two young birds today . Yes I concur; a good bag but can sense the disappointment. Like you Fenboy I had a young bird in a bag over 16 over rape on Saturday. Edited February 23, 2015 by Columba Grey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 well at least you got something out of it fenboy . when I shot our cover strip a few weeks ago , I got all ready for the following morning , had one last look the afternoon before and it looked very very promising , however got there nice and early, walking up I noticed it had absolutely ****** it down in the middle of the night got to the cover strip and it was just puddles of water everywhere , the bit that went under water was just thick sloppy mud , I knew it was going to be a waste of time , but sod it was there shoot so I had a go for a hour but soon come to the conclusion I was wasting my time , the next day it was covered with 3" of snow ha-ha so that was that . but well done mate for getting on it , are you sure the crows didn't beat you to it ? there don't seen to be a lot of maize on the ground . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washwildfowler Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Well Done both fenboy and mucher still a decent bag, im pleased i didn't come over now for that small bag lol ..... Edited February 23, 2015 by washwildfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 well at least you got something out of it fenboy . when I shot our cover strip a few weeks ago , I got all ready for the following morning , had one last look the afternoon before and it looked very very promising , however got there nice and early, walking up I noticed it had absolutely ****** it down in the middle of the night got to the cover strip and it was just puddles of water everywhere , the bit that went under water was just thick sloppy mud , I knew it was going to be a waste of time , but sod it was there shoot so I had a go for a hour but soon come to the conclusion I was wasting my time , the next day it was covered with 3" of snow ha-ha so that was that . but well done mate for getting on it , are you sure the crows didn't beat you to it ? there don't seen to be a lot of maize on the ground . There was still plenty of maize on it , even still lots of wheat where feeders have stood thats not been all cleared up yet , I really cant put my finger on why the day was not better. Well Done both fenboy and mucher still a decent bag, im pleased i didn't come over now for that small bag lol ..... You would have had more than I did when I came over to you last Saturday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washwildfowler Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 There was still plenty of maize on it , even still lots of wheat where feeders have stood thats not been all cleared up yet , I really cant put my finger on why the day was not better. You would have had more than I did when I came over to you last Saturday Well there is that lol you missed a good night saturday , uncle albert shot 20 in that wood ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Tidy day. You got it in the right order to my mind. 1. Chinwag 2. Birds As stevo says wet ground will put 'em off. Ideally you want 'em decoying in handful not flocks. I went out rabbiting tonight and our ground was like a paddy field, pretty hopeless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Tidy day. You got it in the right order to my mind. 1. Chinwag 2. Birds As stevo says wet ground will put 'em off. Ideally you want 'em decoying in handful not flocks. I went out rabbiting tonight and our ground was like a paddy field, pretty hopeless. I personally think that's another old wive's tale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 I personally think that's another old wive's tale. nope you just have tougher pigeons , our yellow belly pigeons are a lot posher than your "Thetford Feral " and really don't seem to like getting there feet mucky . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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