Whats wrong - Shooting crows and pigeon

[Big Dog]

Today i started 2 weeks holiday off work. I want to do some good shooting. I have watched an area for a week and the field was busy with crows. Today when i arrived the field was full of crows, grey crows and a view pigeons.

 

I set up and waited for 2 hours. In that time the only birds I saw was when I went out to move the coys face to wind. As soon as I took the hide down to go home the bird started to come in and hung arround waiting to land even with me standing with no cover.

 

What am I doing wrong, I used to shoot C & P years ago with no problems. This is my 2nd time out with new modern kit (flocked coys and a floater).

 

2 things - I saw a Buzzard working the area?

 

It was quite windy. Does this prevent the birds settling down in one area.

 

When I packed up I stocked a view areas and again the birds seemed to keep moving around. Barrely is not cut yet in NI. Will be 2 more weeks. Birds seem to work cut grass fields.

 

Any ideas

[Cranfield]

You don't give a lot of information , but if the birds wanted to come onto the field you had been shooting, only when you were leaving, it normally mean one of two things.

 

They feed on that field later in the day, or they could see you and/or your hide.

I suspect it is the latter.

 

Whilst its important to place your hide where the birds are feeding, its more important that you place it well enough to conceal yourself.

 

Next time you set up, walk at least 200 yards away and have a good look at the setup.

Or better still, get someone else to do it, while you are in the hide.

Do you wear any cammo on your face, like a net, mask etc ?

A white face against a dark background sticks out like a flashing beacon to a pigeon.

 

Being windy is usually an excellent thing.

It keeps the birds on the move and masks the sound of your shots.

 

A buzzard working the area shouldn't put them off that much and the buzzards normally clear of once you start shooting.

 

Best of luck next time, but check your hide and personal concealment.

[Teal]

In a period of prolonged calm, it is sometimes worth firing a barrel into the air, as this can sometimes stir things up.

[Big Dog]

Cranfield My hide was tight to the hedge with a roof section to it. I also use a head/face net.

 

I was out today looking around, talking to farmers and getting some new ground. All the famers I talked to said that although there is plenty of bird around they arent touching barley. They all said this was very unusual. Bird don't seem to be settled in one area. Fire a shot and that it, gone.

 

What I have been noting is that in one area the pigeons are roasting during the day, right beside a field of standing weath. I is going to be cut soon I think they will go for it then.

 

Would it be better to leave it to the evening??

[Teal]

Big Dog - get there before the birds do- perhaps a 5.00clock start set up in the grey light. You will do very well, crows especially like to feed early, I shot 70+ between 6.30 and 9.00 a couple of months ago when i was last in ireland. They also can't see as well at that time of the day, and it gives you a good chance to build up a good pattern- just don't hop out of your hide too much! good luck.

[ROB REYNOLDS UK]

first off find your self a field full of birds the day or the night before you shoot.find the flight lines pick the one with the most birds coming into the field .next pick your spot with the sun behind you so the birds have the sun in there eyes and not in yours if you can and make sure you have a thick back ground behind you like a good hedge keep away from any tall trees if you can unless its next to were you need to set up 30 yrds is ok if you have to then you get to shoot the sitters.the crow is a early bird so get there early if its ok with the farmer as he may have some nieghours who dont like to hear banging in the early morning and like a lie in on the weekend ..your patten of crows want to be 15 to 20 yrds out from your hide and about 2 1/2 foot apart with them sort of faceing in to the wind but use a scaterd patten ,9 plus decks and one flapper should do the job but hold the flapper for a bit till it dies down then use it, any dead birds put them out in the patten but away from the in coming crows so they dont see them right away ,if any of the crows start to turn away after you have been shooting for a bit and all was ok ,take out the last dead birds you put out and see how it goes by 1.30 it will have died off as any crows will have been shot at or dead i would then move or start pigeon shooting in the same place ,,i was shooting crow yesterday and after we moved all the pigeons that had came by through out the morning came back to feed were the crow decks had been ? and when it starts to get dark put your decks away and find the flight lines out of the field that the crows have been useing all day get your self under it with the camo net and away you go all over again..

Edited August 21, 2005 by ROB REYNOLDS UK

[Big Dog]

Thanks guys. Some fresh thinking there for me to take on board and try. Thanks.

[Big Dog]

Teal & ROB REYNOLDS UK .

 

You guys are right about getting out early as the crows feed then. I havn't managed the 0500hrs yet, but did get out and set up for 0830 hrs last week. It was steady until 1130 then stopped (33 crows) I was happy.

 

Today I only had about 2 hrs. I only get set up at 1000hrs, shot 6-7 crow, again after 1100hrs the birds stopped.

 

 

 

The BIG question, do you find that as well? Do the birds just stop at time?

[Cranfield]

Pigeons and crows often ease up or stop late morning and don't come back to feed until mid afternoon.

This does depend on the weather, crops and time of year, but I find it happens on the majority of shooting days.

[Ozo]

yea im havin probelms atm aswell, they seem to b feedin in grass fields and potatoe fields more than grain fields.

[Big Dog]

Ozo , that is so true. Even the farmers in my area are saying the same thing.

 

I was askedy a view farmers to watch their barley fields as it was blown down and normally attacted by crows and piegeons. this year not happening. I watched a flock of about 200 crows one day from about 1/2 mile away through my binocks. The field they were in was grass, the field beside them was ripe flattened barley. A week latter the same thing only this time a stubble field of cut weath, crows in the grass field next door. All summer I have been getting this pattern.

 

The famers are saying they have never seen it like this b4

 

Would like to post a photo of my last day out but haven't worked out yet how to do it :yp:

 

Keep the barrels hot guys, see ya

[paul tony cassidy]

im getting the exact same probs the past few weeks, the woddies have disapearred and the crows are on grass, cant work it out...

[HAMMY]

Guys,

I suspect the barley is too hard for the Crows, they love it when it's soft and milky but once it ripens it shall become too hard for them. If you get a bit of rain the moisture will soften it again and they may have another go at it.

 

 

 

 

Hammy

[It's Rainin White Feathers]

pigeons are on the elderberries round here!!

[Big Dog]

Good to see some ideas as to why the problem.

 

Maybe we should spray sugar on the cerials, you know the way we eat it, that might change it. :yp: