decoy formations

[danimal]

so i have little in the way of experience in decoying pigeons, i have always just slung the decoys out there, how much do you guys think that the pattern/formation of the decoys affects their effectiveness? and what is your favorite formations?

[deny essex]

so i have little in the way of experience in decoying pigeons, i have always just slung the decoys out there, how much do you guys think that the pattern/formation of the decoys affects their effectiveness? and what is your favorite formations?

 

Like most sports there is a set method for the basic's.

With pigeon decoying observation pays dividens with or without a gun.

Decoys should be placed under or as near as possible to a flight line (an in the air highway for woodpigeon to or from a field or wood)

Hide sited to blend in as best as possible with natural surroundings.

Decoys placed faceing into the wind as a general stance, the horse shoe pattern being one of the easiest and most common to use.

Place the decoys in a horse shoe shape on the ground, the nearest decoy to the hide depeding on the direction of the wind 15 to 20 mtrs the furthest 35 to 40 mtrs if you have enough decoys, on winter crop keep the dec's within 1mtr of each other a greater distance apart in summer.

The pattern is to attract birds within shotgun range not nessesarily to land, the "open" style of the horse shoe pattern gives the birds a land zone and the gun a within range kill zone as they approach.

The basic approach for the birds is into the wind ,the open end of the horse shoe being downwind primarily a land zone and kill zone, it is in principle the same for whatever decoy pattern is used , it pays to watch and adjust the pattern for the day.

Everyone on here will have their favourite pattern that they use , but all will change the pattern around as they feel it nessesary by observeing the birds reaction to the pattern.

No doubt someone will link you to the many pattern topics on here but a good decoy book or CD will help.

[doodie doo]

The advice above is very well said and laid down!!! All I can say is get out there and try diffrent patterns eg: horse shoe, J pattren, L shape pattern. Its trial n error. One day decoying patterns work diffrent from the next day? Good Luck!

[stubby]

the trouble with just bunging the deekd down, is as stated above, if there is not a landing area, they wont come in, they aint stupid

it therefore makes sense to follow one of the tried and tested patterns, thus giving yourself a better chance

[dead eye alan]

been out to day and used usual horse shoe p[atern slight wind from right to left put magnet on end of firthest arm pigeons comeing in befor i got in the hide!

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

Also spend time watching birds feed I mean time not a half hour I think a couple of hours how they feed varys at time of year crop type etc.

 

I belive birds are wiseing up to decoy pattern shapes have you ever seen a horseshoe shape flock of birds feeding I have not.

 

I have been using some diffrent patterns and they have been working well in overshot areas.

 

And I think the days of magnets drawing mass bags are near the end and a return of good fieldcracft and recce are back.

 

In the last few year too many shooter want a quick bag with little input to time spent recce the birds .

 

Kepp trying diffent things and dont be stuck in your idears .

 

All the very best OTH

[MerseaDavid]

the trouble with just bunging the deekd down, is as stated above, if there is not a landing area, they wont come in, they aint stupid

it therefore makes sense to follow one of the tried and tested patterns, thus giving yourself a better chance

 

 

That is not quite right, you dont see pigeons out in the field all sitting in a horse shoe shape when feeding do you lol ?

 

They are in groups, clumps or what ever you want to call it and the other birds still come in and land with no trouble. I quite often just spread my decoys out in a large group to make my pattern look like a feeding flock, poniting each bird in a different direction to make them look like a feeding flock and it works well but at the end of the day you try what you think works best and yes the horse shoe shape does work well but it is not realistic though.

[Quickshot]

http://www.pigeonwatch.co.uk/tips.htm

 

QS

[Pipmoff]

http://www.ukshootwarehouse.co.uk/ look at Articles and Advice there is some patterns and info on there.

[chris o]

i agree with merseadavid. i have try different ways and methods with my decoys and the best way i have found is to have them the head of the pattern faceing in to the wind and face them all in different directions and pretty close to each other and work them in to a shape were it gives some were for them to aim to land.

best thing is to play around with your patterns and find what works for you and exsperament with your deecs. thats best thing to do.

[ratman]

I shoot a lot of pigeons over decoys each year and have several thousand acres to protect. My last 4 days have both been in excess of a hundred bird days, the best being just over 200, and all to the same decoy pattern. I favour a small clump of decoys, seven or eight is ok. Place them 15 yards to the left of your hide and 25 yards out. Place the magnet on the right hand side of the clump and don't forget to angle the birds wings inwards slightly to represent birds landing. To the right around the same distance out and again 15 yards to the right of the hide, place a larger clump of decoys. I normally put 20 or so dead birds or rubber decoys to start with If I have no recently shot birds. The pigeons will head towards the magnet and see the larger clump which entices them straight across the front of the hide towards them, intending to land on the inner edge of the larger pattern. You effectively have a 30yard gap in the middle which is the killing ground. I add the shot birds to the right side pattern and slowly decrease the size of the killing area, this usually forces them straight at you.

I speak from experience and hope this helps.

[vampire]

That is not quite right, you dont see pigeons out in the field all sitting in a horse shoe shape when feeding do you lol ?

 

They are in groups, clumps or what ever you want to call it and the other birds still come in and land with no trouble. I quite often just spread my decoys out in a large group to make my pattern look like a feeding flock, poniting each bird in a different direction to make them look like a feeding flock and it works well but at the end of the day you try what you think works best and yes the horse shoe shape does work well but it is not realistic though.

 

I use this method,after watchin them in the field that backs on to my garden,i will give Ratman's method a try.

[Robbly]

I shoot a lot of pigeons over decoys each year and have several thousand acres to protect. My last 4 days have both been in excess of a hundred bird days, the best being just over 200, and all to the same decoy pattern. I favour a small clump of decoys, seven or eight is ok. Place them 15 yards to the left of your hide and 25 yards out. Place the magnet on the right hand side of the clump and don't forget to angle the birds wings inwards slightly to represent birds landing. To the right around the same distance out and again 15 yards to the right of the hide, place a larger clump of decoys. I normally put 20 or so dead birds or rubber decoys to start with If I have no recently shot birds. The pigeons will head towards the magnet and see the larger clump which entices them straight across the front of the hide towards them, intending to land on the inner edge of the larger pattern. You effectively have a 30yard gap in the middle which is the killing ground. I add the shot birds to the right side pattern and slowly decrease the size of the killing area, this usually forces them straight at you.

I speak from experience and hope this helps.

Do you use bouncers/floaters....and where would you put them?

Robbly

[here iam]

I shoot a lot of pigeons over decoys each year and have several thousand acres to protect. My last 4 days have both been in excess of a hundred bird days, the best being just over 200, and all to the same decoy pattern. I favour a small clump of decoys, seven or eight is ok. Place them 15 yards to the left of your hide and 25 yards out. Place the magnet on the right hand side of the clump and don't forget to angle the birds wings inwards slightly to represent birds landing. To the right around the same distance out and again 15 yards to the right of the hide, place a larger clump of decoys. I normally put 20 or so dead birds or rubber decoys to start with If I have no recently shot birds. The pigeons will head towards the magnet and see the larger clump which entices them straight across the front of the hide towards them, intending to land on the inner edge of the larger pattern. You effectively have a 30yard gap in the middle which is the killing ground. I add the shot birds to the right side pattern and slowly decrease the size of the killing area, this usually forces them straight at you.

I speak from experience and hope this helps.

Sounds ace this i am going to try it tomorrow i do not have a magnet though will this make much differance if i use a couple of bouncers in stead to look like landing birds also i will be over rape does it matter?

 

Great advice thanks roll on tomorrow

[Lez325]

I too use the two group pattern with around 12 birds in each- leaving a large gap in front of the hide- Ideal if the wind is blowing from your back and they fly towards the hide ( into the wind) I also place a couple of bouncers close to the hide as the incoming birds seem to target them or a magnet with Hypaflaps / dead birds seem to work well

 

above all- have a good shoot and play around with patterns is my advice

 

Les

[ratman]

Do you use bouncers/floaters....and where would you put them?

Robbly

 

I do use the Chris Green floaters occasionally. I tend to put them a long way away from the pattern as purely an attractor. If I am off the flightline then I will put them in the most prone positon so the pigeons see them and at least show a bit of interest. If I use floaters near the pattern then I will always put them at the rear of the decoys to simulate a bird flying in to land. I do have reservations about flappers though and will only use them if there is a good breeze. Nothing looks more suspicious than a pigeon 4ft of the ground and not moving I reckon.

[death from below]

Like most sports there is a set method for the basic's.

With pigeon decoying observation pays dividens with or without a gun.

Decoys should be placed under or as near as possible to a flight line (an in the air highway for woodpigeon to or from a field or wood)

Hide sited to blend in as best as possible with natural surroundings.

Decoys placed faceing into the wind as a general stance, the horse shoe pattern being one of the easiest and most common to use.

Place the decoys in a horse shoe shape on the ground, the nearest decoy to the hide depeding on the direction of the wind 15 to 20 mtrs the furthest 35 to 40 mtrs if you have enough decoys, on winter crop keep the dec's within 1mtr of each other a greater distance apart in summer.

The pattern is to attract birds within shotgun range not nessesarily to land, the "open" style of the horse shoe pattern gives the birds a land zone and the gun a within range kill zone as they approach.

The basic approach for the birds is into the wind ,the open end of the horse shoe being downwind primarily a land zone and kill zone, it is in principle the same for whatever decoy pattern is used , it pays to watch and adjust the pattern for the day.

Everyone on here will have their favourite pattern that they use , but all will change the pattern around as they feel it nessesary by observeing the birds reaction to the pattern.

No doubt someone will link you to the many pattern topics on here but a good decoy book or CD will help.

 

Great advice above - I've used this similar pattern for years and it's worked fine for me - it's all down to experience and what works for you. I use the horse shoe, although in the summer I tend to clump them together a bit more. Also once you've tried what works for you, there's a shed load of other kit that you can invest in(depending on your bank balance). I have a rotater for putting a couple of woody's on and that has always(well, almost always) brought the birds in.

 

Good luck.

Edited February 14, 2010 by death from below