petera

The pigeons have been on the rape for the last 5 weeks. Not in vast numbers and the maximum I have shot is one session is 15. At least it is a bit of practice before they hit the rape a lot harder. Went out earlier today and even though it was quite foggy they were still on the rape. Only shot 2 in 30 minutes but then gave up as the fog got a bit thicker

25 - 40 metres maximum. I want as far as possible to have a clean kill each time and would be out of my comfort zone at ranges greater than 40.

The farmer where I shoot has just phoned to say that the only work he has done this week is to keep the pigeons off. He said he has never seen anything like it. For the first time he has set the gas guns to go off every 30 minutes, with 3 bangs but they don't even move. He reckons there a couple of thousand at a time. I posted a reply last week highlighting that it has been like this for the last 6 weeks and the rape looks like it has been grazed by sheep. I will be out again in the morning but after about an hour they tend to move on and all I do is go to another of his fields and start all over again. It is a shame I have to work otherwise I would be out every day instead of just the weekends, but this probably applies to most of you as well.

I am in mid Norfolk and the pigeons have been on the rape for the last 6 weeks in their hundreds. Lowest daily total has been 18 and highest 54. The farmer even sent a text Friday night saying there had been thousands of pigeons on the fields all week. All but one of the fields look as if sheep have been grazing on them and they are really in bad shape. 22 today in just over two hours before they decided to clear off.

last week when I returned to the car quite late after shooting rabbits with the rimfire there were two police officers waiting for me. First time I have ever been out and seeen any police officers. They were very polite and friendly but they did inspect the certificate thorougly even checking that the silencer was listed on the certificate. It was obvious by the questions they asked that they had already run checks on me via the registration number of the car. I did ask should I inform the police if I am out at night shooting and they said that this was not necessary (Norfolk).

Went on the bean stuble yesterday and shot 66. Returned today and shot 101 (My first 100 and with only six cartidges left). I only went out yesterday morning to re-zero my rimfire + Nightvision and noticed a few pigeons flighting in. Fortunately I was only 2 miles from home so it was a quick trip to get all the gear.

My local gunshop received a supply today. I have bought 3 boxes of the pigeon decoys and will try them out tomorrow. Also bought a box of the crow decoys and will try these out as well.

The first one I bought, the plastic clip broke the first time I used it. It was replaced but exactly the same thing happened. It is now tied together with a bit of string whuch has lasted 18 months - a lot longer than the plastic clips. The bottom has now just started to fall out.

I used to think the same as some previous comments and left the magnet at home. I started to use it more over the last 4 months and tried placing it in various positions. I tend to place it 5 yards to one side and no more that 5 yeards out from the hide. If they do decide to flare off, on most occassions it will be too late for them. I had been using the conventional magnet on which you can use dead pigeons. I have invested in the ultra lightweight from UKShootWarehouse which only takes the hypa flap sillosocks. As the arms are far more flexible you get a lot more movement up and down in the wind than with the normal magnets. (Also a lot lighter to carry) I was out this morning and the pigeons were flying to the magnet, not into the decoy pattern which inculed floaters and a flapper. I shot 23 this morning and most were picked up not too far from the magnet. The advantage I think I have is there is not much pigeon shooting around the area I shoot and therefore the magnet is a new experience for them.

To confirm the earlier post it pays to move around. Spent the first two hours this morning and only shot 5 over the rape. Packed up but drove past another two field half a mile away on the way home on which there were hundreds of pigeons (None there the previous day). Set up again and shot 8 in the first 10 minutes. Only spent an hour at the second field but ended up with 23 in total. The magnet worked well this morning and if it had not been turning round and round I think theywould have landed on it. Just shows how different each day is as I went out yesterday and only shot 2.

Went out yesterday and used the magnet and 3 floaters. Brought the magnet close to the hide, just 5 yards out and the birds came in nicely. A few tried to flare off but they were well in range and it was too late them for them. This is the first time I have had the magnet so close to the hide and will try agin using this layout this weekend. Ended up with 27 in 2 hours but up to Christmas the most I had in one day was 13, therefore things are improving.

Don't tell the wife you are buying another shotgun!

I'm in Mid Norfolk and the pigeons have been on the rape for the last couple of weeks. Not just ones and twos but in flocks of 50+. Usual problem though is that I can have a good hours shooting but as there are 4 big fields of rape they move on after a while to one of the others. They are causing a lot of damage and the farmer already has the gas guns in operation.

Just had a phone call from one of the Farmers where I shoot highlighting that there are over a thousand pigeons on one of the rape fields. He was phoning from the cab of his tractor as he is currently putting some fertiliser down and said that as the tractor was approaching them they took off but as soon as he went by they were landing again. I shot this field last week and only got 12 and it was a case of one shot and off they went for most of the day. Will go tomorrow but same thing may happen. Perhaps I should borrow his tractor and ride round the field on that? Just for information, in mid Norfolk they are still in large flocks and most of my shooting over the last couple of months has been on poisioning myself on the edge of the rape fields under a flight line, which has at least meant I haven't had any blank days but conversely havn't had any great days with the maximum being 27 in one session over the last couple of months. Finding it very hard to get them to commit to the decoys. Are the pigeons still in large flocks in other parts of the country?

In the AL391 auto I use Skeet for the decoyed pigeons. Decoys set out with closet and 20 yards and furthest at 40 yards and only shoot within these ranges. Have tried various chokes on the auto but skeet at the ranges I use have given me a higher percentage of clean kills. I think it comes down to confidence and success in whatever choke you decide to use.

Unfortunately for the local farmers there are still many hundreds on the rape. On the 600 acres I shoot the farmer has 3 large fields of rape and it is hard work trying to keep them off. He has gas guns in the two of the fields closest to the farm and I tend to take the furthest field away. He helps as much as possbile by periodically firing few shots during the day to try and keep them moving from these two fields. I am very lucky as the the farm where I shoot is only 4 miles away and as I quite often work from home, I can pop out for a few of hours during the week as well. The major problem is there are also a lot of rape fields surrounding the area I shoot and the the farmers only seem to put out the gas guns. Have not heard anyone else shooting. It needs a few other people out there shooting to keep them moving. Shot 27 yesterday (in 5 hours) and went for an hour this morning and shot another 8. Unfortunately couldn't spend too long out as had to fetch my daughter from Ipswich. Just got home and there is a message on the answephone from another farmer who has got problems with pigeons and asked if I could help. My name was passed onto him by a friend of mine who doesn't shoot but knows I go whenever I can. As a matter of interest the farmer of the land where I shoot commented the other day that he can never remember there being so many pigeons about.

Same as previous reply. Even though I do not have many crows on my shoot and do not set out to shoot them, I always put out about 5 crow decoys in a group away from the pigeons. I am sure I picked up this tip from this site and I think the reasoning behind it ws that crows are far more suspicious than pigeons therefore if the pigeons see the crows they may think it it safer. Whether this is true or not I don't know but it certainly doesn't seem to do any harm.

Went out yesterday and at about 7:30 in the morning there were about 150 pigeons on the rape. Crept up behind the hedge and shot 2 immediatly. Set up the decoys and as I was putting up the hide a few pigeons were already trying to land amongst them. Decoyed in about 7 others immediately but after this it was very slow as soon as I shot they just moved a few hundred yards away and had to wait quite a while before they came back. Ended the day after about 3 hours with 27. Went out early this morning and couldn't believe how many pigeons were about. The most pigeons I have ever seen in the air at once. At one stage there must have been over 500 in the air. Unfortunatey they were feeding about 3 fields away and I was at the extreme of my shoot. At one stage they all took to the air at the same time and even at this distance there was an almighty 'whoosh' as they all got into the air together. Could not decoy them into the rape as they stayed about 4 fields away whch looked looked like it was still stubble. Stood in the flight line and still managed to pick up 19 as they flew over.

Went yesterday and shot 15 without decoys, just on a flightline. When walking back to the car a flock of about 150 got up from one of the fields where the rape is just coming through. Went out early this morning, no wind and clear blue skies and shot 37 in an hour and a half. They were coming in extremely well into the decoys / bouncers and a flapper. Also started with a magnet but took this back in as they started to flare off.

Have also shot 3 rabbits with one cartridge. However, I have also shot 2 rabbits with my .22 rimfire at about 80 yards. Didn't even see the second smaller rabbit behind the first. This does highlight the danger of the .22 and ensuring there is a back stop as not only did the bullet go right through the first rabbit it went all the way through the second as well. On a separate note one of my farmers cut his first field of rape on Thursday. 26 pigeons on Friday and 19 yesterday. Didn't use the rotor but used the decoys, flapper and bouncers which brought them in nicely.

Went out this afternoon as I saw some coming in on one of the sugar beet fields. Only managed to decoy one in but there were a few flying about. Got fed up and went for a walk around instead which at least made the afternoon a little better. Ended up with 3 pigeons, 2 rabbits, 2 crows and a squirrel. A slightly mixed bag! This is my first entry therefore hello to everyone. Find the site and comments extremely useful. Peter.