pigeon controller Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Picked up DB at 08.00 at zero degrees, the first comment of the day "Are we mad" made our way out to some fields we had seen on New Years Eve. When we got to the actual field it had approx one hundred birds down and the same number in the trees. Up the road the local shoot were gathering and we knew they would be banging around us all day. With the birds being spooky the other day we set up on a hedge between two rape fields with our main decoys in front of us and the magnet behind us in the next field. We had talked about this on the way home the other day, as the day went on sport was sporadic as the shoot kept sending us birds from all directions. We ended the day with 124 pick up. We then noticed that approx 12 to 15 birds were very thin and we wondered if these could be migrating birds who had used up the breast meat flying south to get out of the snow fields. Then rose the old chestnut when is sport unfare when the birds are struggling to survive. I f the farmer say's he wants them shot do you make a lame excuse or do you shoot regardless. I leave you to make the desicion. Can I wish all viewers a Happy, Healthy and Profitable New Year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 ............ We then noticed that approx 12 to 15 birds were very thin and we wondered if these could be migrating birds who had used up the breast meat flying south to get out of the snow fields. Then rose the old chestnut when is sport unfare when the birds are struggling to survive. I could well believe it, we have had snow here since 17th December. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smig4373 Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Nice shooting again PC...are you sponsered by Eley or something..... I saw 1000's on the M42 corrider a few weeks ago.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted January 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Nice shooting again PC...are you sponsered by Eley or something..... I saw 1000's on the M42 corrider a few weeks ago.... Hi Smig, Sponsered, I WISH!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 (edited) If there getting that thin I think its time to give it a rest I shoot the same numbers of birds you do it would apear from your posts and am not having a go . But its a long time since pigeons and even in my short life we have had winter like this so early plus we could have another 3 months of this . I know from a farmer point of view they want them shot but it does no good for the image of shooting if we shoot hungry thin birds. Just out of intrest have you weighted the birds ,I am blessed in oxfordshire area no snow and no thin birds and plenty of feeding rides to keep the birds in good coindtion. All the very best OTH Edited January 2, 2010 by Over the hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 We have had a reasonable falls of snow in Kent and I haven't noticed any thin birds, in fact the opposite and they still seem to be preferring the ivy berries to the rape. I doubt we will ever get back to the long snowy, freezing months we had in the 60's. I use to find more pigeons dead under the trees from the cold, than I ever shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitfreshairagain Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 surley it going to be the thinest hungriest birds that do the most damage..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookiemonsterandmerlin. Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 surley it going to be the thinest hungriest birds that do the most damage..... It not about damage when birds get thin it about respect for your quarry . Time will tell in 3 months time if the cold is still here then we may see a large drop in numbers . Regards OTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 been out looking for birds up here, to much rain or snow to set up and stay comfortable , so just been watching, still snow on the ground inland, but birds about in huge flocks, so they have not gone south it seems, hopefully monday should get me amongst them. KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 I've been noticing some rather more desperate and 'tamer' birds round here of late. I shall give them a rest. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 Despite the cold and snow, pigeons appear to be ok in my area. There's still plenty of food around - it's not as if we've had three feet of snow and all of the fields are covered. Alot of the birds i've shot and checked have had a decent layer of fat on their breasts, with crops packed full of berries, maize, rape and wheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitfreshairagain Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 It not about damage when birds get thin it about respect for your quarry .Time will tell in 3 months time if the cold is still here then we may see a large drop in numbers . Regards OTH I do understand the respect thing but the farm is an arable bussiness not a lesson in morality. Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benelli montefeltro Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 I do understand the respect thing but the farm is an arable bussiness not a lesson in morality.Lee you must be one hungry miserable farmer lee are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 I think it's ok to have respect for your quarry and give it a sporting chance, but at the end of the day this is just pest control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 (edited) Just to lighten the thread a bit, I was out on saturday and shot 50 flighting into woodland. We have had frozen ground here with a dusting of snow here and there since before xmas. I would guess that two maybe three birds were lean, not thin though, but the rest were amongst the largest fattest pigeon I have ever shot. Way more plump than summer birds. Whilst breasting them, there was a huge amount of yellow fat surrounding the breast meat, more than I have ever come across before. Interestingly, we have a lot of rape around here, but the crop contents were, I would guess 75% ivy berries, the remaining being equal proportions of rape, maize, and strangely wheat. I can only assume that is from the keepers spreading it out in large quantities for the pheasants. Just looked at your post Motty....could have saved the typing! Edited January 5, 2010 by turbo33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 I think it's ok to have respect for your quarry and give it a sporting chance, but at the end of the day this is just pest control. Dont kid yourself.....WE all shoot pigeon because we enjoy it as a sporting pleasure. Its not pest control at all, if it is we are not doing a very good job of it with record pigeon numbers recorded by the BTO census ( including me) over the last 20 years. Hands up how many of us actually get calls from the Farmer on a regular basis to shoot over troubled feilds.? Hands up who amongst us would leave the warmth and comfort of a fireside armchair thinking " Oh I must go and do some pest control on that 40 acre rape field." We are fortunate that we can go out get a permission, and happily enjoy shooting pigeon under the regulations set down by the general licence because thier numbers are currently at epedemic levels, the number of pigeons shot anually is a **** in the ocean as a proportion of the resident population. If Pigeon numbers do falter over several seasons to the extent that they become on the Orange list of declining bird species the BTO will lobby DEFRA and they will be removed from the General list in the same way that House Sparrows and Starlings have been.......It could happen....so its about time we all woke up to that fact instead of burying our heads in the sand (snow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitfreshairagain Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Dont kid yourself.....WE all shoot pigeon because we enjoy it as a sporting pleasure. Its not pest control at all, if it is we are not doing a very good job of it with record pigeon numbers recorded by the BTO census ( including me) over the last 20 years. Hands up how many of us actually get calls from the Farmer on a regular basis to shoot over troubled feilds.? Hands up who amongst us would leave the warmth and comfort of a fireside armchair thinking " Oh I must go and do some pest control on that 40 acre rape field." We are fortunate that we can go out get a permission, and happily enjoy shooting pigeon under the regulations set down by the general licence because thier numbers are currently at epedemic levels, the number of pigeons shot anually is a **** in the ocean as a proportion of the resident population. If Pigeon numbers do falter over several seasons to the extent that they become on the Orange list of declining bird species the BTO will lobby DEFRA and they will be removed from the General list in the same way that House Sparrows and Starlings have been.......It could happen....so its about time we all woke up to that fact instead of burying our heads in the sand (snow) and by the time there removed from the general list we will all have moved on and be shooting those bloody red kites lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 you must be one hungry miserable farmer lee are you? That's the sort of thing you will be saying the the next one you ask for permission, I'm sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benelli montefeltro Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 i got loadsa shooting ground, so i dont need to approach any miserable farmers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 i got loadsa shooting ground, so i dont need to approach any miserable farmers Glad to hear it, but things can change. "But a pharaoh rose who knew-not Joseph." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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