Sportingrodandgun

Afternoon Everybody, As I'm now well into that dull interlude between the end of the shooting season and the start of the cricket season, I've been watching and reading a fair bit of duck related material! In the USA and South America, I've often seen them using a, quite frankly, ridiculous looking decoy comprising of a duck on a pole with battery operated spinning wings. Having said that, it does seem to do the trick in pulling the birds in on videos I've seen. Has anyone ever tried one over here?

Haha Kent! I bet I'll end up talking rubbish to the dog though! Cheers guys.

I just completed my first season and I absolutely loved it. Hooked. Things that caught me out a little bit....... 1. Thought I'd make do in my army surplus gear I used for fishing and pigeon shooting. Was fine in September but I quickly invested in a better coat and sallopettes as the year went on. 2. Also thought I'd muddle through the season with my game gun and look at getting a semi over this summer. Read a few more books, spoke to a few more people, got cold feet about muddy stocks and scratched barrels = Bought a 3.5" chambered pump before the first flight and it works really well. 3. I Don't have a dog. When I went on my own, I have had to let loads of birds go over me without a shot this season because I would have had little chance of a retrieve. Even a well marked fall onto marsh grass isn't that easy to find in the dark with a head torch (trust me). A lab is my next acquisition. Chances are hard to come by and even accounting for some schoolboy shooting by me, I reckon a good dog would have increased the bag. 4. Do it! Join up, get out there. My only regret is not starting years ago. This is the finest shooting sport there is, no doubt about it!

I bought myself one of those Prologic carp fishing combos in a digital reed camo colour. Sallopettes and a jacket with a wired peaked hood. Quilted so it's toasty warm and completely waterproof. Like being in a tent in a heavy downpour. You can also buy them separately I think. £60 from ebay for the lot

Well so far I've had a great season (Still got a good eight flights left to go). This is my first season wildfowling and I've shot my first goose (Canada), my first duck (Mallard) and truth be told not a lot else, although some of that is due to inept shooting rather than lack of chances! I also made full membership in my club. I'm also completely and utterly hooked! Off out again tonight so fingers crossed!

Thanks for all the info guys. Think I'll hang onto them for the time being and give them a go if I ever get out on the pigeons again!

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a job lot of gear from an old fella who had given up and just had it lying around at his house. There was a few nets, a stool, loads of shell decoys, a manually operated flapper (You pull a string!) and half a dozen "Flycoys" (They look like flat decoys with no heads) which came with an instruction booklet. I have never seen or heard of these before but according to the literature, you fling them out of the hide like a Frisbee! They are designed for stimulating the birds during a lull. Google yields no further information on these (I swear I am not making it up). Anyone heard of or used them? Thanks Al.

Please may I have some more details? I'm interested. Thanks

Pm'd

Hi Ditchman, yes I think the problem was that the birds had moved on by the time we got there. I actually had the first decoy in the pattern about 15 yards from the hide so really ought to be hitting anything that comes in!

Hi guys, Just thought I'd share a report from last weekend. So I've shot pigeon before in a rough shoot setting but never decoyed before. A friend mentions that the farmer next door to him is having pigeon issues on his recently sown barley and has given him permission (by calling at my friend's house! most unheard of!). Would I like to have a go Saturday? You bet! I rush out and cobble together half a dozen decoys and a net and pinch some road pins from work to use as hide poles. When we arrive, the farmer who is a top bloke says "lads you should have been here earlier this week they were everywhere!" Due to the good weather the barley has shot up and most of the birds are gone (apparently to some bean crops a couple of miles away where someone is already shooting!). We decide to set up anyway with a traditional U shape at close range (I have seen this online so assumed it was a good start). After an hour or so a bird swoops into the pattern from behind us over the tree line and I dust it with the first barrel! Score! added to the pattern then back in the hide for a long, long wait. a pair land in the far part of the field out of range and start pulling another one that comes over to them! I fire a shot to clear them off but they are to far away. A second bird eventually turns from further out in the field and presents a dead easy shot as it comes into the pattern but I overthink the lead and miss with both barrels. (The more time I have the worse I seem to shoot). A couple of crows pass by but just a little rangier than I'm comfortable with at the moment. We call it quits after four and a half hours and take some of my mate's honey and eggs as consolation prizes. Still had a bloody good day out and we're invited back at harvest time. Just need to work on getting a permission near me as he's and hour and 45 away. Couple of questions. Lots of people have suggested to me you need millions of decoys to be successful but six seemed generally OK as a start. The problem seemed lack of birds in the vicinity rather than the decoys not pulling them in. Any suggestions on an optimal number? Why do I snap shoot with apparent ease (I tend to shoot one eyed and aim at the bird a bit both considered big no nos) but when I have time and try to give lead with both eyes open I invariably miss with the first and sometimes both! Apologies for wasting the time it took to read this!

Sorry I didn't stick around for long afterwards hedge hunter as I had work early in the morning. (I'm also a little bit shy TBH! I was the guy with the long hair and ivory jeans sat at the back of the room.) I'm planning on attending as many of the summer events as possible so I hope I run into you at some point. Genuinely looking forward to being a part of this! Al.

Thanks Dan, I'll be taking you up on that too!

Cheers Reabrook, will definitely take you up on that!

Attended the AGM last night and found it very interesting and informative. Met a couple of the chaps who were very friendly and welcoming and have submitted my application form. So a wildfowler is born....