What is a good bag on rape

[KillStone]

obviously many factors can affect the size of the bag and that it is also about the enjoyment of the day but i was just wandering what you all consider a good bag over rape on an average day?

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

30 to 40 birds I reckon for a lone shooter on a mass of rape in winter upto approx march and then 40 to 60 birds for a month or so before it gets to high.

Having siad that reading posts bird are hit and miss on the rape in my neck of the woods there is very high number on rape.

With bag reports average 100 plus at the moment ,

Regards OTH

[Catamong]

KillStone,

 

It all depends on the time of year and what other food sources are available, in my area yes, some are now feeding on the rape, but there's still plenty feeding off berries, acorns and beechmast, so 40 or 50 is a reasonable bag, you generally won't get big bags of 100 plus until probably late Jan and through February.

 

Once the Spring drillings start in mid March, (if there are any..??), then the birds will abandon the rape overnight and mop up the drillings, they will also feed off flattened maize cover strips throughout February so it can be a bit hit and miss.

 

Cat.

 

P.S. Fill in your profile and you'll get more replies.

[proTOM1]

Like said 30 40 ish is a good bag it also depends what else is in your area . Around me the birds are already hitting the maize strips a bit and there is alot of sugar beat grown so as soon as the lift it the birds move on to it and with the beat being lifted all the way through the winter it means spending more time looking where they are !

[chris t]

I reckon you can generally only get good amounts of shooting on rape when it gets cold and frosty.

When really cold the pigeons seem desperate and if there is few other rape crops about they just keep coming.

 

It's great to go out on a really cold day to find the pigeons just keep coming and they almost don't seem to care about being fired at.

 

Chris

[Catamong]

Hmmm, not sure air temperature has much to do with it..

 

Jim Albone and a few paying guests shot 633 woodies on a field near me a few years back, that was over swathed rape in July and I reckon it touched 25 degrees that day.

 

It's more to do with what other food sources are available, if there's still plenty of acorns, berries and beechmast about, the woodies won't be so suicidal on the rape, but having said that, once those food sources have gone, in late Winter / early Spring, you can shoot some massive bags on rape, 'cos that's all they've got to eat.

 

Cat.

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

Hmmm, not sure air temperature has much to do with it..

 

Jim Albone and a few paying guests shot 633 woodies on a field near me a few years back, that was over swathed rape in July and I reckon it touched 25 degrees that day. :yes

 

Same crop diffrent time of year and diffrent situation.

I think the question was more aimed at what is a good bag on rape in winter rather than what is a good bag on rape stubble or swathed rape.

Swathed rape is now nearly a thing of the pass as roundup has now come off being patented by monsanto there is alot cheaper glyphosates on the market making cost affective to spray off the rape .

We use to swathe all our rape now they just spray and combine I had some mega bags on swathe rape but now looking back on my early years cant see I done alot of good to rape as when walking over it it just chitted.

Could well see that when jim shot his bag that the farmer probley loss £400 to £500 of rape seed as at the time it was in region of £190 per tonne collecting 633 birds over a area.

Regards OTH

Edited December 11, 2009 by Over the hill

[chris t]

Yes your right I do mean winter rape in the winter time... (hope that clears that up)

 

Over the hill is obviously a farmer who knows exactly what I'm on about (as another farmer)

 

Swathing rape I wreckon is just too expensive these days and has little to offer over spraying.

Chris

[Catamong]

I reckon you can generally only get good amounts of shooting on rape when it gets cold and frosty.

Chris

 

Yes, but read the question..??

 

There are so many "Old Wives Tales" spread around in this game, lets face it, our noble Wood Pigeon has to fill his crop every day whatever the weather, OK, if it's a tad colder he may well need to stock up on a few extra calories, but I don't believe it makes that much difference.

 

Cat.

[motty]

Yes your right I do mean winter rape in the winter time... (hope that clears that up)

 

Over the hill is obviously a farmer who knows exactly what I'm on about (as another farmer)

 

Swathing rape I wreckon is just too expensive these days and has little to offer over spraying.

Chris

 

No, i've shot several hundred+ bags of pigeons on winter rape from mid-march to mid april with the temperature well into the teens. I've also shot decent bags in november when it has still been fairly warm. I don't think temperature has too much to do with pigeons and their desire to eat rape.

[deny essex]

obviously many factors can affect the size of the bag and that it is also about the enjoyment of the day but i was just wandering what you all consider a good bag over rape on an average day?

 

On my club grounds in Essex a lone gun without any other local rape fields covered in the depth of the winter shorter days a 20 bag is classed as reasonable.