invector
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Posts posted by invector
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You may be joking about the awkward positions iamsparticus
but I take mine out of the freezer the night before and they have relaxed enough by the time I use them and are just like recently shot birds. Flexible and thawed out they fit on my cradles OK and look great. I get a large percentage of birds landing in the decoys and would think there was something wrong if they didn`t. Any flaring and I want to know why. 
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Blame yourself before blaming your deeks!! Is the pattern right? Are you moving about before the birds are committed? Check everything else THEN the colouring of your deeks because it could be a different, or several, problems caused by you before you are ready to shoot. Check my reply to your other post and use dead birds!!
You say they veer off for no real reason. There is a real reason and you won`t shoot many birds if you don`t find out what that reason is and remedy it.
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Don`t use artificial decoys, use dead birds!! Problem solved. Funny thing though, I think my dead birds get a bit darker after a few times in the freezer. I`ve noticed that the birds I shoot on the day, and put out to extend the pattern, are lighter coloured than my ex-freezer birds.
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Pigeons DO feed near to woods, but if you try to think like a pigeon, some may still be anchored to nests at this time of year and are intent on getting to squabs or their mates. If you had a full crop would you drop into decoys when all you wanted to do was digest and rest?
Decoying under flightlines, and not where birds are actually feeding, is a hit and miss affair at the best of times. Some people can only shoot at weekends and will go to any old field on the chance of a shot when there are no pigeons feeding in that area. I`m lucky enough to be able to shoot all week and I spend as much time with binos scanning the fields as I do shooting.
At weekends when there are more people shooting pigeons they are more transient and may be dropping in for a very short while before returning to their favoured field. Weekday shooting is a lot more settled and steady, with pigeons quietly feeding in small numbers and much easier to tempt down. Things are of course different in early December when they flock up!!
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I try to stay away from the edges of woods because I think that once birds are committed to landing in the trees they will rarely drop into decoys. The exception to this rule is when the wind is from the right or left and birds are skirting the wood before they drop in. Of course any birds that are leaving the wood from behind will have their eyes set on distant fields and will miss any decoys close to the wood.
If the woods are being used as a background, after feeding, you can often make something from nothing by setting up and catching them as they return from fields you don`t have permission on. Once again set up away from the woods and tempt them as they return to digest and rest.
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Been a bit quiet here too but I went out this afternoon and saw a small group hoovering up the wheat dropped when this ex lupins field was sown yesterday. I shot 26 pigeons, (10 adults and 16 juveniles!) a magpie and a rabbit. Not a big bag but much better than it has been for the past few weeks. Perhaps they have been anchored to nests for a while? Roll on December when they flock up properly, then we`ll all be moaning that there`s too much OSR about.
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Further to the post on linseed, all of my rape fields are next to field turnips and both crops are well greened up and look almost identical. What I would like to know is if pigeons might be attracted to the field turnips when they start on the rape? Has anyone out there experienced pigeons eating the leaves or roots of the field turnip? Sheep will be folded over the turnips and the roots will be uncovered and eaten in stages and I wondered if the pigeons might come in for a feed?
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Will, I agree about the lupins. I`ve shot them during the Spring sowing, and again after harvest. Problem is how quick pigeons seem to fill up with the large seeds and how soon my lupins are drilled for Winter wheat!!
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Same here!! Pigeons in twos and threes flitting about between the trees but not seriously feeding. Some of my OSR has greened up well and stands a few inches high with some just showing on other undersown fields. The binos show most of these small groups are adults and juveniles, probably straight from the nest. I was bunny hunting with the rifle the other evening and one young pigeon dropped into the tree above me and was looking curiously at me from about 12 feet. You`ll learn young `un!!
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A few months ago I had a muntjac about six feet away, in front of my hide, obviously wanting to get through a gap in the hedge. It just turned away and continued up the hedge. Muntjac are well known for being bomb proof.
Surprising what you see when you spend a few hours in a draughty hedge!!
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Some old timers used to crush rat skulls the same way!!
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The first mistake I made was to buy hide poles WITHOUT kickers!! WRONG!! :<
Many moons ago I made my hide poles from conduit, with kickers. Drape some ex MOD tank netting over them, (if you could lift it!!) and Bob`s your aunt`s husband. Happy days, before pigeon magnets etc. were ever thought of. :thumbs:
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Don`t know why you`re laughing, you can`t spell CATCHES
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Plenty of drink. Lift your kilt. FIRE OUT!!!
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So tight they banished you to Scotland eh?? :(
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You know what they say about Jocks??
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:( Closest I`ve ever been to a deer is on a dinner plate!! :blink:
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Until now I haven`t felt the need for a rotary but I`m going to get one ready for the winter. I realise this may have been discussed before but Iam asking for advice on which model to buy? Does anyone have lots of experience with rotaries, do they go wrong, best prices, dealers etc.? Any advice on who to deal with to get the best and most reliable rotary would be appreciated. Don`t hold back people!!
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Horizon, go to WWW. BASC.org.uk and all will be revealed about the General Licence to shoot certain pest species. You don`t need to apply for the licence but must comply with it according to EU rules.
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Highlander I think you ought to look up the average earnings of British farmers over the past several years!!
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Being secondhand I didn`t get a manual for mine but I`ve emailed RUAG to see if they can get me one.
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Now you all know what to do with your crows!! :blink:
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Cheers Plexer I knew you wouldn`t fail me.
Thanks for the attachment, as you can appreciate I didn`t get a manual. :o The container marked Armi Beretta must have been a replacement. :blink: At least I now know that the unmarked choke is cylinder. -
Mossy no reason to be complacent!! I have copies of my SGC and FAC plus permissions in the pocket of my gunslip just in case. I`ve been stopped by police a couple of times with a fullbore rifle and a deer in the boot and having the proper documents soon explained my bona fides.
here's one for the pizz takers
in Guns & Equipment
Posted
I use 1/4 and 3/4 chokes in both of my guns for general shooting and pigeon decoying. When I used side by sides I always opted for imp cyl and 1/2 but seem to shoot better with 1/4 and 3/4 these days.