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pigeons on peas


Edwinmark3
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They are not a miracle crop , keep a eye on them and shoot them if there are birds about .

 

You may get some shooting on the drillings if there are plenty left on top (which is unusual these days ) other than that they can attract pigeon right from the time the chit through to the stubble after harvest .

 

My favorite time is when they are in flower , but depending if they are harvest or vining peas you may require a dog to retrieve birds when they get to that stage.

rooks and crows love them when they are in pod.

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I have always found the best months for shooting pigeons on peas are May and June. Peas can provide top sport, but I have known fields to be totally ignored by pigeons,

Got to agree with that, when the birds want peas it can be hot barrel time but the last 3 years on my club grounds peas have virtually been a miss from drill to harvest,

Recent pea drill has brought some reasonable numbers this year so fingers crossed.

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Me and my mate have a permission that grows peas but we have to stop shooting when they start to grow pods because he reckons that the shot can get stuck in a the pod or pea in the pod, and if that happened and shot was found he could have the lot sent back. Other permissions we have that grow peas we can shoot right through till harvest.

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.......Ive never shot pigeons on peas before.Could someone tell me what to expect .......

 

In my experience you can expect to be spending far more on cartridges than normal very soon ! The best days I have ever had on pigeon have all been over peas. A mate and I once got through more than 1000 cartridges in a day on a field of freshly sown peas, and that was despite having to keep stopping to let the guns cool enough to hold and load. I kid you not !

He and I used to joke "When you spit on your barrels and it sizzles, you know you're stood by some peas !"

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It all depends on the type of peas weather they are viners or mushy peas I have had the best bags on the mushy pea variaty as they are sprayed off and left till the plant is completely dead its at that point the pigeons go mad for them and when cut usually more on the deck for great stubble shooting

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In my experience you can expect to be spending far more on cartridges than normal very soon ! The best days I have ever had on pigeon have all been over peas. A mate and I once got through more than 1000 cartridges in a day on a field of freshly sown peas, and that was despite having to keep stopping to let the guns cool enough to hold and load. I kid you not !

He and I used to joke "When you spit on your barrels and it sizzles, you know you're stood by some peas !"

A 1000 cartridges is alot of shooting. Would you share how many you shot for that?

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peas are the holy grail for pigeons.

 

from drilling to the cultivations after harvest, Just be patient and hit them hard when you go!!

I have had my fair share of good days on peas, but I wouldn't say they are the 'holy grail' of pigeon shooting.

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A 1000 cartridges is alot of shooting. Would you share how many you shot for that?

 

As memory serves it was around 500 between us. Not great stats, but a hell of days fun :) We knew we had used that many cartridges because the day before we had been to BGT and bought 1000 between us for the first time ever. They had been left in the cars overnight, and we ended up finishing the day because we had used what we already had, and had also emptied both cars of ammo.

Our usual M.O. was to carry the kills home in an old post sack, but that day we had to enrol the help of the farmer with a tractor and trailer to get this lot back to the cars and off to the game dealer. It was THE Red Letter Day of pigeon shooting for each of us. Never had it like that before or since.

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I have always found the best months for shooting pigeons on peas are May and June. Peas can provide top sport, but I have known fields to be totally ignored by pigeons,

 

We have had several fields of peas drilled for about a week now. Full of anticipation when were heard they were going to drill peas as we have never had any before.

 

Checked them out twice and not a pigeon in sight. Our only hope is they come when the peas have chitted!!

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We have had several fields of peas drilled for about a week now. Full of anticipation when were heard they were going to drill peas as we have never had any before.

 

Checked them out twice and not a pigeon in sight. Our only hope is they come when the peas have chitted!!

I would say that the plant will be a much better bet for attracting pigeons than the drilled peas themselves. Obviously the pigeons have more time to find the plants.

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Day after drilling...then when they come into flower.....then the morning after harvest......at one time alll the big bags were shot over peas......but now that has changed....i have known fields on my patch that have attracted ziltch over the growing season.....

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One of my permissions is growing peas for the first time in nearly 25 yrs , I shot a canny amount then , so fingers crossed history will be repeated .

Another local farm drilled a huge pea field about 3 yrs ago , not a pigeon to be seen until late May when they really attacked it .

 

Hitman .

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Had some good days on peas but cannot assume they will always pull in the pigeons. Have had fields on good flight lines with lots of peas left after harvest and the pigeons never hit in the 2 weeks before it was ploughed in. Have three fields drilled with peas a week ago and pigeons started to build up on one field within days then farmer put two bangers out!! Very inconsiderate of him. Expect peas to be emerging in next week or two...then expect the pigeons to hit.

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I have had my fair share of good days on peas, but I wouldn't say they are the 'holy grail' of pigeon shooting.

Soooooooooooooooo?

 

what would you rather see being drilled?

 

Clover?

 

In 20+ years of pigeon shooting i have shot more pigeons over peas than all the other crops put togeather.

Must say most of this was pre oil seed rape invasion like it is now.

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Soooooooooooooooo?

 

what would you rather see being drilled?

 

Clover?

 

In 20+ years of pigeon shooting i have shot more pigeons over peas than all the other crops put togeather.

Must say most of this was pre oil seed rape invasion like it is now.

I'm not sure what you mean. Rape has been grown in huge acreages for more than 20 years. I have shot a good amount on peas over the years, but shooting good bags on them is far from guaranteed. I don't think there IS a 'holy grail' crop.

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I'm not sure what you mean. Rape has been grown in huge acreages for more than 20 years. I have shot a good amount on peas over the years, but shooting good bags on them is far from guaranteed. I don't think there IS a 'holy grail' crop.

 

Of course there is , its the crop that the pigeon are pouring into from all directions on the day you go shooting !

I had quite a few pea fields last year , but I would say I shot more on beans and rape all told.

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