ShropshireSam

Just read George Digweed's article on pigeon shooting in "The Field". He states you always need to be standing to shoot as you need to be in the correct position to take the shot. I know what he means but its a lot more effort! Maybe that's one of the many reasons why he is a lot better shot than I will ever be.

I've never really noticed a difference with lofters but not used them much. I think if you have no trees nearby other than a small tree in a hedgerow you can put lofters in that tree and that will attract birds in towards the pattern....but when you have plenty of big oaks round you and you can only loft into the lower branches then does not look realistic and does not seem to help. The only other time I use full-bodied decoys is on top of big bales after harvest. They look realistic and standout on the skyline.

It varies depending on hide set up and how the birds are decoying. Mainly stand but have a high seat and can shoot well while seated apart from on either side when have a reduced swing. On my big bag last year I was in a narrow low hide and shot most birds seated but stood to get second shots at birds going down the sides.

I just seem to learn what doesn't work! I think you need to just get out and learn your permissions at this time of year. Do not expect much shooting. Best bet is to get a set up with a good view of your surroundings so you can learn the flightlines and watch/learn pigeon behaviour and just enjoy been out. As the rape starts to grow and the flocks split up then you can get some action on the rape (next month). Need to keep an eye on the thin patches away from any gas guns.

No sign of drilling round us (Shropshire) ..... expect the barley will be early March.

A cracking day and not many missed. Did you have high winds?? We had 20 mph winds and 35 mph gusts which would make your kill ratio all the more impressive.

I'll take it. I will send PM

Had the first proper decoying session of the year. Have been watching a strip of game maize that was flayed in early February. The strip was left when a maize crop was cut last harvest. Crows were already on the maize before it was flayed and numbers soon built up. Pigeons took longer to find it but numbers built up to about 200 over a week ago and then dropped again despite maize corn still visible on the ground. Last week had few pigeons on the field but good traffic in and out of the field so decided to shoot on Friday when wind had picked up ..... today would have been better but had a busy weekend planned for me. Had 3 local fields of rape that pigeons were visiting that had no gas guns on so put a rope of bangers on each of those to keep the pigeons on the move. Set up by 8 AM with 16 half-shell flocked, magnet and a flapper and 4 full bodied crow decoys. Plenty of pigeons about but very few decoyed in the morning, most were flighting to a neighboring wood, which then moved on after a shot. Plenty of traffic of rooks and jackdaws and started to build a pattern of blacks. By mid-day had about 20 blacks and 10 pigeons. With a bigger pattern stretching along the maize cover crop the pigeons started to decoy well and had a busy two hours on a good windy afternoon. Nearly every flock that went to neighboring wood would decoy into pattern after a shot. Even shot a bird in one flock, the flock swung round in the wind and two birds curled round and came back into the pattern. Had several flocks diving into the pattern from a good height which was great sport. For some reason the pigeons stopped decoying at about 3 pm. They were pulled towards the pattern but then veered off to the side and did not return. The pattern was unchanged, I had just made it bigger and could not see why it had lost its appeal. The pattern was a long J shape with a long line of pigeon on the flayed cover crop and the magnet in the curl and the short tail extended into the maize stubble. I had the crows mainly bunched after the long line of pigeons with about 5 as a small cluster amongst the pigeons. Traffic dried up by 3:30 and finished with 47 pigeon, 32 blackies and 3 ferals.

Pigeons are hard to decoy in any situation at this time of year so best not to worry too much. Just get out there and watch the pigeons habits and find the flightlines. You will get valuable knowledge for decoying later in the year when the birds will decoy much easier.

Returned yesterday to same flightline from which I bagged 34 a week ago. About 300 in trees on a large overgrown hedgerow so returned to same place. Much less traffic...plenty of pigeons returned to nearby wood but they did not return to the field I was on. Bagged 6 from 20 shots over 2 hours. Although it was quiet I had two memorable moments. One was a second shot at a pigeon that turned into the wind and was a very fast crosser about 40 yards out that folded, the second was the sight of a sparrowhawk fly down the middle of the hedge at head height about 1 yard from me. Always amazed at their ability to fly at speed through trees. Together they made the afternoon worthwhile.

Much better than my miserable 3 from 24 shots. Did not seem to have many coming in and all the shots I had were birds passing over rather than coming in to roost. Must do a reccy and see where they are roosting. Did not help that no-one else was out in the parish apart from my mate in the next wood. I think they were all sat in the cosy warm pub watching rugby.

Had a drive round some other fields today. Didn't see many pigeons but found several gas guns .... so that is my chance to try some flightlines into these fields in the high winds gone. Ah well....will have to wait until the pigeons have got used to the gas guns. Will check the field I shot on Monday later in the week and may be worth a second go on that field.

Watch the fields and learn the flightlines and sitty trees. You will not get much success decoying in winter. If the farmer wants you protecting the rape then travel light with a half a dozen decoys in front of a sitty tree. Best chances are on windy days like this week. Once the flocks break up in the spring then they will decoy.

Good to hear that "things are as they should be" and your efforts are appreciated.

Had been watching a couple of rape fields been hit hard by pigeons for a couple of weeks. Tried shooting one last week with no luck...birds were not interested in decoying. Had a look at lunchtime with a plan to shoot them along a wooded hedgerow were many favoured sitty trees. Plenty of birds in these trees with more pigeons coming along the line against the wind. Let off a crow banger - about 700 departed from the surrounding trees. Sat and watched...within 5 minutes a stream started back up the hedgerow. Off I went with 100 cartridges and a hessian sack. Found a gap in the hedgerow with trees front and back of me. Had a busy 2 hours (1:30 til 3:30) with some great sport with birds jinxing in the wind. Finished with 34 picked from 75 shots. Never had much success with flightline shooting previously - previously set-up on wooded hedgerows to get the evening return to roosting and bagged about 10. I have another two rape fields with good pigeon numbers so will have to try to get a flightline on these while the wind is with us.

Only been shooting three years so not had many days like this but have had three memorable days when the pigeons seemed to continually be pulled into the decoys with little time to re-load. Once was on rape stubble, the second on barley stubble and the third was last year on rape stubble. I struggled to get them off the field...there were well over a thousand...in the end I gave up and set up with about 300 still in one corner of the field. As soon as I set up I was busy and shot continually for over 2 hours. Carried on at a steady rate for another 2 hours and then slowed. Packed up after 6 hours with 219 birds picked and a few cartridges left in the bag.

Best way to make sure safe to eat is to get them ready to cook or freeze within a day of shooting them...and in the summer get them cool as quick as you can - spread them out on a concrete floor in a shaded shed/garage. Breasts are fine with the odd pellet but any shot at close range I cook for the dog with the hearts and liver. But any damage to the meat means there will be bacteria contamination - hence wise to cook (or freeze) within a day. I prefer flash frying in butter then make a peppercorn sauce while breasts rest in a warm oven. Breast meat should be pink and tender. Overcook it and goes very tough.

The back of the hide should be dark/shaded as possible so they don't see you within the hide against a light background. A fishing brolly as in post above is ideal for this.

I set up one morning last winter after a hard frost. Pigeons arrived in a steady stream and went straight into a neighboring wood. They stayed there for at least 2 hours sat in the top of the oaks until the sun came up and melted the frost then they started streaming into the field. Completely ignored my decoys and landed across the field from me. I put a shot up, thye flew round and some came into the pattern. Shot one, the rest b******d off and didn't see much traffic again. So yes...I think if frosty and it won't last they will sit it out.

Set up before dawn last Friday. Had a bit of wind and rain and plenty of birds came into surrounding trees but none into the pattern. Played around with the set up but nothing pulled them in. Shot one at 40 yards passing and another after I moved into line of trees along one boundary ...... and then they were gone. Plenty of fields getting hit hard by large flocks now but not much I can do until the flocks break up.

I don't think rape leaves are fatty? The seeds are full of oil but I thought the leaves were bulky but not very nutritious.

Lots of pigeons on rape and sat in surrounding trees in Shropshire (Newport area). Had a ride round three farms yesterday dinnertime. All had good numbers on them. Walked three fields off to see numbers....each had about 500 .... last field had about 500, they flew off to far end of field ....couldn't be bothered to move them off so let off a crow banger ..... about another 500 lifted from surrounding trees and at least another 500 lifted off from a field behind me. Not much value in decoying now but good to see such numbers at start of the year ..... should have some good sessions later in the year. Not in any rush to get out unless some wind about....forecast windy Friday morning but heavy rain as well ..... will get out for an early session if windy but dry.

This thread does not cover the different decoying/feeding behaviour over rape when the birds are in large flocks in mid-winter and when these flocks split up in spring. When in large flocks they are hesitant to come into a pattern but will rather pass by and sit in nearby trees. Later in spring when travelling in small flocks/pairs they will decoy straight into a pattern. Is it in winter they are feeding just to survive and if they have plenty of body fat (as they seem to have this year) and food is plentiful, then they are in no rush to feed whereas in spring/summer they are stocking up more energy ready for breeding/rearing again, and again in the autumn they are re-stocking up the body fat for winter I am sure if food was scarce and the winter hard they would not be sitting around in trees most of the day.

I'll take one if one still available.

Seen two big flocks (500-1000) feeding on rape over last few days (North Shropshire). They congregate in neighbouring woods until the numbers have built up then start a decent into the crop. I moved one flock off on Friday, they dispersed into neighbouring trees and were in no rush to return whilst I watched the field. No traffic in over 15 mins so I moved on. I will keep an eye on them and once we have some wind forecast I will try to get out .... no doubt the farmers will get the gas guns out before I get a chance.