kitchrat

The sky on a clear morning is blue. Disagree with that if you like.

Yes, and wound plenty more too!

Brilliant, happy farmer too, a double whammy!!

Round here they are still feeding in small numbers on rape, in the wheel marks and areas where they have (or the flea beetles have) managed) to keep it short. Decoy them down into the turning marks the tractor has left at the end of each run, where they meet the headland wheel marks you often get a big enough area of short crop for it to work. Mid-late afternoon is when they are busiest round here. Good luck!!

Steel is useless on wildfowl and should be banned as inhumane. Better to be shot dead than wounded to die later of blood poisoning as the steel goes rusty. Also, too many people think they are George Digweed and shoot at birds 60+ yards away.

I paint everything with matt NATO paint (except me and the gun) I do have camo tape to wrap round the barrels on a sunny day.

OK, so it's not just down to geography then!! Just an idea to stir up debate whilst I wait to be allowed to drive again. Still there are very few drillings around my patch, I'm waiting for the peas to chit. I can't video pigeons landing in the trees etc, just take my word for it!! Great bag of birds from that hide in the middle of the field - absolutely amazing to me, I have no proof on the eyesight bit, just what I've been told. As for the military operation, I'd be a bit more careful of my lifestyle if you were trying to shoot me!!! Cheers, John

All this winter several of us posters have struggled to agree on what pigeons will and won't do. Now, having see that picture of Motty on his stumps (sorry knees) in the middle of a desert but surrounded by dead pigeons, I will try one more time to shed what I think is some light on this. This (if it works) is a typical view near my house. As you can see, there are trees all around the place - ideal for stopping in before comitting to the field. This is just what they do. I am told that their eyesight is up to 10 x as good as ours so it's like looking around with the binoculars. So, they WILL spot any obvious hide, shooter or bad set-up and go elsewhere. This clearly cannot apply to Norfolk, they would have to hover like a kestrel for 20 minutes to clear to way in. Also, Motty, from these vantage points, they can watch other birds in their vantage points and see what is going on over there. A system like wartime watchtowers can soon cover a large distance, one lot of birds sees happyily feeding birds drop onto the crop, a mile away and they head on over there, others, another mile away see that and follow. I've see birds pulled out of a wood almost out of sight to me, with the bins! Next, with all these trees, woods, copses etc, roosting birds are scattered all over, so when heading out to feed, even if they have a target field in mind, they come from all directions to different sitty trees - so I have no flight lines as such to get near. Lastly, in the 3-mile or so radius from my house that I (or Mrs Kitchmouse on her push bike) can cover, there was only 1 field with a spring drilling (wheat) - 1 day and that was cleaned up. On the (lots) of farms I can shoot, NO farms were going to drill spring wheat or barley - it was all winter st.uff. We do have some beans and peas but they have been quiet so far, really well drilled, no loose seed (when they chit perhaps?). Anyway, round here there is no chance of a decent bag on drillings, it can't be more different from what I read is happening elsewhere. So, enjoy yourselves Guys, shoot a few for me!!!

If there any seed on the surface? Don't forget, pigeons can't scratch so if it's not on top, there's nothing for them.

Watching my local rape fields I do agree, midday quiet, late afternoon is the busy time. They may well be out 1st thing as well, for all I know.

Get on it tomorrow and fill your boots!!

That's brilliant, I hope all PW members read it. I'd never thought about your shot spot placing, makes sense to me.

Could well be, I hope so for your sake. Round here they are still on rape near the edges of the fields and other places where the crop is short or in the wheel marks. Not 100's but decent numbers.

Great Vid and great dog! Any dog I've had with me always picks up the decoys 1st!! However, the vid is from a different part of the country and a different era, towards the end he admits as much. The set up there would struggle to work on my "Essex Birds", except on the occasional magic day.

THIS we can agree on!! It's a very big IF that starts your last line. True though!!

It would be nice to get fed up of having to carry 100+ pigeons off the field of play, day after day, though, wouldn't it??

Thanks MM! Yes, I think they are overshot round here and not that numerous either. I know I am paranoid but after setting all the stuff up I may only get 20 chances to shoot all day I don't want to miss a single chance due to him spotting something he doesn't like!! Never thought of the eyelids.... May not bother with it though!

Don't come back until you have got one!!

I cover everything I can, to the point of being ridiculed by posters on here. Especially on a day when they are giving trouble. (most days round here).My magnet has a kind of loop just below the bearing for the swivel. Long rass goes through here to hide the motor. I hide the battery and the wires. Clear up big heaps of feathers. Hide all kit such as trolleys, pole bags etc. Don't let anything show outside the hide, even spent shells (More riducule!) I'm told pigeons are a bit colour-blind (like me) but don't know how much. Someone posted that they had used a red hide without trouble, that would decoy me too. But they have some colour vision, otherwise they wouldn't have yellow bills. White is clearly important to them - neck and wing marks. I'm also told that UV light is more important to birds - hence the white. Blue also shows up well in UV, so blue shells on the ground??? Don't know but I clear them up anyway, you have to at the end.. I know I will get comments on this but do recall reading Archie Coates' book years ago. He advised hiding the cut ends of branches where you made your hide by smearing mud on the white cut bits... What's good enough for Archie..... OK, on a good day, none of this is required but if you can turn a blank into a 10-20 bag or a 10-20 into a 50, that's justification. During the winter rape season, with all the problems of low bird numbers etc etc, I never blanked this winter, worst bag is 8. QED!!

Don't be embarrassed, we have all suffered this winter!

I might qualify!!!

Great report and great sport M!1 What are house prices like up your way??

And they can't do this dammed "sit in the trees and watch to make sure it's OK." They HAVE to go in!! In the summer they do it on the wires before dropping into the crops. I hate the wires...

Fully agree, but what are the 5 elements again??

Thanks for your concern Guys! I will be able to drive again in 2-3 weeks, then I should be able to get over this "cabin fever". The lone pigeon is still waiting......... Do they mate for life? I don't think so but will kep you posted. I can't shoot it to put it out of it's misery as my garden is only about 30ft x 60ft and the neighbours are a bit "green".