decoying with dead birds

[kevin15]

I always use dead birds when decoying 15 or twenty to start with then add anthing i shoot to the pattern. I never put single lines of birds to make the shape of the pattern but prefer it 2,3 or 4 deep depending on amount of birds i have also about 1 in 3 birds i put in a cradle or prop up under thier beak with a kebab strick. If i'm using a rotary device i always keep it as far away from the pattern as possible and up wind so the birds have to fly over the pattern first. What methods do other people use and why

[BigDave15]

I sometimes put dead birds in the frezer and use them as decoys for my next trip because some decoys are really shiney and the sun sun shines right off of them and it makes them look 100% fake to birds flying over. But the bloke I go shooting with has fluffy ones that look as real as the real thing. I try not to leave the hide but some times if a pigeon vears off you decoy pattern its because one of the birds you have shot has landed upside down so if this happens I always check my pattern.  

[Cranfield]

kevin, my wife is not that understanding and so I don,t keep loads of dead pigeons in the freezer for decoys.

 

I keep 3 or 4 , for my rotary device and my floaters, although I have recently bought 2 foam decoys, that can be used with either gadgets.

 

I like the standard horseshoe shape decoy layout, positioned according to the wind.

I place my floaters about halfway along each "side " of the horseshoe and my rotary device at the end of it.

 

Since using the flock covered decoys, I haven,t bothered to replace my decoys with dead birds.

I am very impressed with flock covered decoys.

[Guest Keith]

When shooting pigeons over stubbles I usually put some dead birds into the deep freeze on cradles so when I go shooting my dead birds are frozen into the shape of the cradle.

[lazza]

Welcome Keith...........good idea.........mine usually look like they've been break dancing when I take them out...

[daveman]

Real birds used as decoys are always preferable- after all they're the real thing. And as someone else said, they don't glisten in sunlight. If you're using artificial decoys, replace them with dead birds after you've shot a few.