cloudwalker Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 Although I have had a few good days on the Rape in the past month, like everyone else I was looking forward to bagging some woodies on the drillings. On one of my permissions the farmer told me they were putting in 700 acres of spring beans. Great I thought!! How wrong could I be. I checked the fields at different times of the day and not a pigeon in sight. I saw the farmer the other day and told him of the lack of pigeons and he told me they had just invested in a new drill and it was so precise that nothing was left on the surface. Does the advent of super drillers mean the end of bagging large numbers of pigeons on spring drillings??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 You need farmers with old worn out tackle, one permission i shoot you wouldnt believe the stuff left on top. At harvest the old combine he uses puts as much out the bottom as it does in the hopper. . Motty will know who i mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin.y Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 In the last few years GPS systems have become common and these are controlling the drills switching on and off. Now a older type drill always used to switch off and on as it was put in or out of the ground so there was always an element of seed dropped on top. Now with GPS the drill switch`s off at a set point and then lifted from ground so 0 on top. Unless you loose signal or forget to put drill in ground!! lol ( or you have some spare seed and just happen to spread it about on the top near a decent hide area) must have an effect on pigeon food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 I do indeed. You need farmers with old worn out tackle, one permission i shoot you wouldnt believe the stuff left on top. At harvest the old combine he uses puts as much out the bottom as it does in the hopper. . Motty will know who i mean. d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 You need farmers with old worn out tackle, one permission i shoot you wouldnt believe the stuff left on top. At harvest the old combine he uses puts as much out the bottom as it does in the hopper. . Motty will know who i mean. I have a Farmer like this too, take some good bags on his land over the year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 There is very little left on the top of the drillings in my area. The birds have been very easy to discourage, one shot and they are gone. They seem to be concentrating on clover and new buds , nothing on the rape, even the short stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 Although I have had a few good days on the Rape in the past month, like everyone else I was looking forward to bagging some woodies on the drillings. On one of my permissions the farmer told me they were putting in 700 acres of spring beans. Great I thought!! How wrong could I be. I checked the fields at different times of the day and not a pigeon in sight. I saw the farmer the other day and told him of the lack of pigeons and he told me they had just invested in a new drill and it was so precise that nothing was left on the surface. Does the advent of super drillers mean the end of bagging large numbers of pigeons on spring drillings??? I fear so.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElvisThePelvis Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 There is very little left on the top of the drillings in my area. The birds have been very easy to discourage, one shot and they are gone. They seem to be concentrating on clover and new buds , nothing on the rape, even the short stuff. Exactly the same for me, tried going out with the hush power yesterday which was a little better but the birds are mostly on hawthorn buds and flowers. Also saw more Foxes than ever before, not sure how they can tell i only have a .410 with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitetail Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 Machinery is getting better there's no doubt about that but around here farmers are taking on more and more land that they end up drilling in less than ideal conditions to get around . The last two springs I've seen some of the worst seed beds I've ever seen and that's with state of the art machinery , heavy wet clay and contract/share farming you have half a chance of enough spilt seed for a shoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben0850 Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 I will post in shooting pics when I get time but I had a good day on Sunday with the crows, when we drill nothing much happens for a week to ten days but once the seed starts to germinate the crows in particular (and a few woodies) love it. Get on a field at the right time and it's crow bashing opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 This evening I walked a field which was drilled with beans yesterday. I had to dig in the slots to find a bean. There will be no pigeon activity on that field until the crop is harvested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dad Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 the peas and beans drilled here with good kit layed every where but they were drilled early before the pigeons split up and they came in vast flocks, on a few occasions tuesday drilling was finished by the week end. wheat and barley seems to go in better though.i have a wheat field that isnt mine pigeons and crows have been on it for 10 days i shot a bird coming from it on monday with a crop full of muddy wheat with half inch roots growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Nothing doing on drillings my way. However, the sheep fields are producing opportunities on clover. A pal of mine has a bean drilling that has an unbelievable spill on top. it looks as if they have been broadcast on the field (they weren't) and not a single pigeon has looked at it! He's devestated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudwalker Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 This evening I walked a field which was drilled with beans yesterday. I had to dig in the slots to find a bean. There will be no pigeon activity on that field until the crop is harvested. I am sure you are right. Roll on October, though us pigeon shooters do seem to wish the year away!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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