supergame Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 Over the past two weeks the pigeon numbers have declined considerably in lancashire and I'm wondering where the hell they are. Wouldn't mind knowing which counties are seeing plenty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 supergame, perhaps someones baited up a field near you and has nicked all your pigeons. :laugh: :laugh: We are seeing some larger flocks in Kent, some on meadows, some still in the woods. The rape is still largely unmolested. Because we have so much woodland in this area, the pigeons have to flock up in reasonable numbers, before you get an appreciation as to how many there are about. I have often looked about and seen none flying and nothing on the crops. The woods seem reasonably quiet, but as you walk through, small groups of 3-4 birds sneak out of the trees. Put them all together and you would have a big flock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 They're over here in North Yorkshire hitting the rape like it's going out of fashion. There's a lot on the tatty fields also. Yesterday I checked a rape field and found it was so badly eaten off that it'll probably have to be ploughed in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergame Posted February 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 Cranfield you may of been joking, but I think your dead right regarding the baiting. I shot several birds last weekend that contained fresh wheat. The birds seem to have moved out of my area due to shooting pressure just recently, I cant complain though I Did shoot over 300 in January, mainly decoyed on a stubble that the birds were tracking over en route to a uncut wheat field half a mile away. Looks like it will be clover shooting next for me then onto the spring sowings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daviddjlloyd Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 :( One of our farmers rung up and said pigeons were there in thousands.We had heard this before anyhow we showed our faces and shure enough there were a few hundred about.At the end of the day we managed aboout 35. but the large fields to cover needed 4 or 5 shooters to keep them on the move. What had happened was that they had got used to the BANGERS going off and were hardly moving far ,that was when he needed shooters to deter them by shooting.Yes I think they are begining to appear in their regular areas again. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.223 Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 There all here around me in leicstershire over the past week the fields have came alive with pigeons nearly every rape field is grey with them the only problem is you turn up at the field take a couple of shots and they clear of to the nearest rape field and spend the day there the only way to stop this is to get about 5 guns all on seperate field in the same area but they will still find another field somewhere in the area. the increase in pigeons can be shown from the roost shoot i went to on saturday the total bag of pigeons was 93 it is normaly about 40 between the 12 of us who normally turn up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergame Posted February 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 This winter has been one of the worst I can remember in 20 years of pigeon shooting in Lancashire. I'm pretty sure the lack of rape being grown in our area of the county is the reason. If it wasn't for an uncut wheat field or two We would'nt of had any sport this winter. There are one or two rape fields within a 10 mile radius of my home,but due to relatively mild weather the pigeons are not concentrating on them. The birds we have shot this winter have been feeding on Wheat,Ivy berries and clover mainly. Having said this I never used to shoot over rape that often,but tended to cut them off en route to the rape fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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