midge28 Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 i shoot 4 farms in the north kent area and seems to be a lack of pigeons about , spent a few hours today looking and walked the rape fields and they have not even been touched yet and there not on the stubble, anyone in the north kent seen any on the rape yet , i cant find any , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiiithy Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 In October was knocking on farmers doors asking if I could shoot rabbits with the air rifle or pigeons when my SGC comes through. One farmer said he already has somebody doing the rabbits and he had planted rape and would probably be needing a gun in the winter. I went back on Friday and spoke to him again. He said he's not having any problems with the pigeons at the minute but asked me to come back and speak to him at the turn of the year as when he has planted rape in the past this is when he's had problems with the pigeons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 i have farms with rape on them, not seen any on them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 i have farms with rape on them, not seen any on them yet. too many berries and not enough cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 I had 14 pigeons this afternoon, ALL of them were stuffed with berries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabbitbosher Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 I had 14 pigeons this afternoon, ALL of them were stuffed with berries Yup we had 10 the same last weekend , shot on rape But we think they were just flighting past and came in to look BANG THUMP We have had some Belting nights on the rape shootin Wabbits tho Wb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Go back through some of last years posts and the year before that and the year before that...it's always so at this time of year most of the birds are on acorns, berries etc etc and are not feeding on the field crops. They will start on the rape soon enough when the current food supply runs out and we get some hard weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George1990 Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Saturday we had hundreds and hundreds on the wheat stubble which hasn't been ploughed yet. Shame they didn't come back though. Otherwise not seen any on crops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midge28 Posted November 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 bring on the cold weather then , may have ta switch ta the bunnies for a few weeks . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 I don't believe colder weather makes a big difference, the fact is, rape is not their food of choice, they don't like the stuff, they'll only start feeding on it when other preferred foods have been eaten. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petera Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Sarakun Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 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. They are flocking here in Cambridge now, for the last 4 weeks even. One Rape field, about 20 acres, is getting well hammered. This year the Rape has been planted mostly along the River on our shoot, where the copse and large wooded areas are. This is where the Pheasant shoots are mostly held, consequently, us Pigeon shooters are not allowed near them until February, the end of the season. No bangers allowed either, to move them on. Rape in the prarie fields has produced low kill numbers, as the not so stupid Pigeons seem to know we can not shoot where the Pheasants live, so congregate there or am I just imagining this? The first gun out on the 2nd February should have a good day. It's a Tuesday and I think it might be me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snozzer Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Nothing up in Warwickshire yet, they are still on the berries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy1 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I live just outside Gravesend and on the fields that I shoot over,mostly rape and wheat,the pigeons are very few ,but the ones that have been taken are stuffed with berries. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 This yearhas been planted mostly along the River on our shoot, where the copse and large wooded areas are. This is where the Pheasant shoots are mostly held, consequently, us Pigeon shooters are not allowed near them until February, the end of the season. No bangers allowed either, to move them on. The first gun out on the 2nd February should have a good day. It's a Tuesday and I think it might be me. I dont understand any farmer and keeper should know that a well trusted gun not before a shoot day of course. Will never upset the game birds I have many a good discussion with keeper over this lucky I normally win and get to shoot. Most keeper are plonkers and think they own the farm themselves around here farmer and landowner are king and dont get told what and where than can do on there own land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurrasicway Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 On the Northampton / Warwickshire boarder they are still stuffed full of berries too. Out beating last week I noticed that there are still loads of sloes on the trees too. Lots of food still about for Mr Woody.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) the fact is, rape is not their food of choice, they don't like the stuff, they'll only start feeding on it when other preferred foods have been eaten. Cat. Not sure on that one cat otherwise why are huge amount of birds shot on rape . At the moment we have vast number feeding on maize cobs and right next to it the rape is being hammered . So if they did like the stuff why would choose to eat when lovely sweetcorn next to it. Edited November 20, 2009 by Over the hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willy1 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 I was on a pheasent shoot yesterday and asked the farmers/landowners about pigeons on rape,the answer was that the ones that had been shot were stuffed with acorns and berries,the rape was untouched,BUT,wait until the colder weather sets in and then they will be on it. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastSussexLad Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) One of the farms we shoot has got 4 big fields of rape in, not one pigeon on it at the moment. Most the birds we have shot when having a walk about have been stuffed full of acorns and berrys Edited November 20, 2009 by EastSussexLad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24230 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Just come back from some land I shoot, on the rape there must have been at least 500 feeding at 15:15, so hopefully the wind stays in the same direction but a little stronger so I dont have to setup a rota ( I hate them) I will hit them Sat and Sun, so wish me luck. let you know how I get on later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 the fact is, rape is not their food of choice, they don't like the stuff, they'll only start feeding on it when other preferred foods have been eaten. Cat. Not sure on that one cat otherwise why are huge amount of birds shot on rape . At the moment we have vast number feeding on maize cobs and right next to it the rape is being hammered . So if they did like the stuff why would choose to eat when lovely sweetcorn next to it. I didn't say you can't shoot huge numbers over rape, I've done so myself on many occassions, all I'm saying is it's not their food of choice, otherwise they'd be hitting it every from the moment it sprouts. :blink: It doesn't provide much nutritional value, that's why they have to fill up a couple of times a day in Winter. That's what it's like in my area, (Herts/Beds/Bucks), in other parts of the Country where there are fewer acorns and beechmast about they may well be on the rape already. I've shot good bags of Pigeons over rape some years from mid October onwards, I can also remember years when you didn't see a bird on the rape until the first week in February, it's entirely dependent on what other food is available. My observations are based on about 35 years experience at Pigeon shooting, (but I'm still learning ), I can even remember when there was no rape being grown anywhere in my area, the Pigeons had a real tough time of it then, and we used to have proper Winters then, with regular snow fall..!! Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Just come back from some land I shoot, on the rape there must have been at least 500 feeding at 15:15, so hopefully the wind stays in the same direction but a little stronger so I dont have to setup a rota ( I hate them) I will hit them Sat and Sun, so wish me luck. let you know how I get on later. I do wish you luck, you'll certainly need it if you're leaving your magnet behind when decoying over rape. Why have you got such a downer on them..?? Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby dazzler Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 this week i have seen large amounts of pigeons on the rape one field i was watching in stroud the other day while having my grub was blue with them thousands on there so i went and found the farmer who owned and stuck one of my cards through the letter box fingers crossed might get a call u never no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Saw my first really good flock of birds on rape the field was drilled later than most and is patchy in places . There was also a good few around 200 on another field of rape on another farm ,the first flock was i would say size wise 1500 or so did not count tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) I had a half serious recce this week looking for a few on OSR. Up in North Norfolk Holt, Bodham area nothing doing. On the way back dropped in a few places along the Holt, Norwich, Cromer roads nothing. A few birds working weed stubble but zilch on the rape. A funeral Thursday took me to Suffolk. Through Norwich, Bungay, Harleston there is shed loads of rape along the roadside. Nothing doing. Cut across to the A140 and checked our fields same result. The rape looks really well in most place, which is good news for the farmers? To be honest i'm not suprised the birds aren't interested. The temperature has been 14c. We've had no frosts worth a mention. We shot a few birds at roost last weekend and they were brim full of haws and other berries. Like Cat i've had a few years at this game and all you can do is keep looking and wait for the weather to turn! I'm off to Lakenheath for a few clays over the weekend. Edited November 20, 2009 by Whitebridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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