Hairofthedog

You simply did a Jeremy (Clarkson) so there is no harm done !!

Yep a pretty good descriptive of wood pigeon hunting, in a nutshell there ain't no logic to it or the birds. Are you looking for a shooting partner Mark?

Just wondered if you know or might be Nick Cox the famous shooting plumber ? Alice.

Also try, Paul Hart (aca 'thepigeonshooter') at Gowdal, East Yorks - 07903245760 Jim Albone somewhere in Bedfordshire (but not everyone may like) Leroy Buckland - Mate of Albones - 07766950409 Graham@pigeondays in Holmes Chapel - 07773331575 Dave Kay one of the 'TOPGUNNERS'

Try Phil Armstrong in Co.Durham / N.Yorks area. Will give his telephone number if you PM me !!

I think its about £125.00 a year ?

Hey buddy, or any of you on here, try this guy Ray Ward 07508248730 paying .25p a bird for just a few .30p a bird for large quantity, he collects or will meet you, based near Junction 12 on M1. I don't know how far he will travel to collect?

If you follow the other threads - even them with time to look about aint getting more than a few birds

Yes I know the pigeons just prefer that stuff to any other alternative food supply in winter months but how on earth anyone could actually spend time near or on a field with chicken shed spread I can't figure, the stink is revolting it would make you vomit.

HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL

I tend to agree with you, some fields do get a pasting from pigeons but come May time you'd never know!! Several years ago there was some talk of 'mowing' oilseed rape crops in the winter months to generate more seed heads and thus help obtain a higher yield but the one experimental machine + attachment could not cope with the typical winter conditions,mainly too soft and too much ground water.

15foot x 5foot Stealth net, the leaf cut with the black nylon mesh backing - Brilliant, BUT - in some situations, particularly in sunlight it might as well be one of those very thin ones because the pigeons will see every move you make. HOWEVER - take a smaller length 10foot x 4foot of lightweight desert storm netting as well and then you are ready for anything. ps: the both won't be anything like as bulky as old heavyweight army netting AND a stealth net is far more durable. Try the test - throw an army net onto a blackthorn hedge and rive it off, bits of the net will tear off and stay on the hedge, throw your steath net on thorn hedge and rive it off, bits of the hedge will come with it !!!!!!

FUD's are definitely DUD's they're just americano gimickery with the sellers after your funds, same applies to all those other electrickery gizmos!! Use dead birds u can't beat em. If poss try and preserve at least one dead bird from ur previous outing and place it onto a bumstick.*** Find where the birds are or have been feeding, watch it for an hour or so, check routes into field and with that knowledge pitch up near, set out ur bumstick and use the birds u shoot as decoys. If ur lucky u will get more shots than an average punter on any UK driven pheasant day!! *** check out new topic 'floaters/bouncers' - otherwise known as 'bumsticks'

Yes the birds are spoilt for choice but thats what they do they choose, they don't eat from every field for some reason, maybe location, maybe a different variety of rape, maybe some disturbance other than shooting or bird scarers. Its not possible to have all fields, or at least a reasonable number, manned every or every other day say within a five mile radius of anywhere because some land owners are just not interested or willing to co-operate with shooters and thats the problem. Even if someone could muster a large team of guns to span several farms it will only yield X number of pigeons on that day, hardly affecting the overall pigeon population and that growing pigeon population needs to feed every day. All that any individuals can hope for is to walk into a good day and fire 50 - 60 shots, its called sport with pigeons BUT its not pigeon control by any sense of the imagination. I wonder - has anybody ever tried to assess how much the overall UK oilseed rape yield is affected by woodpigeon overgrazing in the winter months and feeding on the seed prior to harvest NOT FORGETTING the huge loss of seed during combining /////// !!??!! \\\\\\\ :-}

Extremely entertaining, I never new pigeon shooting could be sooooouch fun :blink: :blink: I went to Mona's Isle once with my dad, it was full of motorcyclists and walkers.

Direct drilled osr is usually for industrial use/diesel fuel addative when harvested, it is a different variety to conventially cultivated osr for cooking etc/human consumption. - Reply to 'over the hill' pigeons are not frightened of getting there feet muddy or ****ty, I guess you ain't got that much experience.

Teal dear boy your crop watch calendar is slightly inaccurate and has some omissions. Most obvious is that oilseed rape is often swathed during July. Also there is no mention of rape stubble which can be evident in August through into September and which typically offers the most prolific pigeon shooting. Thank you.

That seems rather undecorous William, quite hostile in fact

In a hide camo clothing is not required, country colours preferred but not essential, it is movement, THE SLIGHTEST OF MOVEMENT, that the birds see. Position your hide to give you an advantage over the pigeons, if your decoys are placed right they won't see you when you mount the gun once they are committed to joining them. I bet cranfield is generally a drab person ?

Horses soon become adjusted to there surroundings and noises. There will though always be the exception and sadly it is usually the owners who have a phobia about shot gun use near to their animals. Horse ownership is growing fast, many small farms in arable areas are scooped up by the wealthy and the first thing they do is get a horse or two for their little darlings and noisey spooky shotgunners are not welcome on adjoining land at any price. Get yourself a 20g hushpower pump, one of these can be better than diplomacy.

The best time of day is whenever you can catch him in !!

My bro says try Goldthorpe's at Bridge Farm near Thirsk, soz no tele number.

I'll guarantee you will find em on wheat fields, they are dropping into the tramlines everywhere, they love milky green wheat. Difficult to get at em though, some farmers don't want you trailing about in the standing crop and even with a farmers blessing your dog will miss picking a few and leaving shot birds to fester is not just fodder for the wretched 'antis' :blink: it is against the rules of conduct

Flightlines are definitely NOT carved in stone, they vary greatly. Depending upon the time of year, the birds may come from a different roost location every day, when atmospheric pressure, rain, direction and speed of wind, and not least food source and supply will influence where they go. In summer birds travel much longer distances than when they are flocked up in winter months and a good water supply (river) in hot weather is essential each day. Other shooters in the immediate area AND miles away can often influence summer flight lines without you knowing or realising, some of you will have noted how when you've been pitched up and getting the birds to your pattern, a killjoy comes into a neighbouring field lower down the flightline serving you, which then dries up as the birds drop straight into the killjoy. That's called flightline disturbance . Watch and observe as often as you can, take nothing for granted and remember that there is no logic to woodpigeon or pigeon shooting (my father taught me that when I was knee high to rape stubble :blink: ) OK I know what yous thinking - well, I might be a girl but I shoot a side by side with two triggers and I know which one fires the choked barrel.

If you are right handed, hold the bird in your left hand, then with your right hand span your thumb and middle finger across the birds back just behind and slightly beneath the base of its wings, squeeze hard just for a few seconds - job done - no stress no mess You can apply this method to any bird species, big hands required for geese