Shoot at the flock or not

[Cosd]

Have read many variations on this subject and the answers vary from one extreme to another, so I present the question to the experts of the PW Forum to see what is most favoured.

 

Being it's the time of year where the Woodie likes to hang about with some pals, if you have a large flock of them drop into your decoys, do you take a shot or three? Or do do you refrain from taking that shot allowing them to disperse and hope they come back in smaller groups, on the theory that this may make for a bigger bag at the end of the day?

 

Some people say never to shoot at large flocks, the latest Sporting Gun article applies this rule for the morning shoot, others will argue that a bird in the bag is what it's all about!

 

If you are one that would leave a flock alone to land then disperse, what sort of numbers does there need to be before you won't shoot? Is it more than 10, 20 50, 100?

 

What say you on the matter?

[Catamong]

No, No, you're there to shoot pigeons, not go birdwatching.

 

If a bird comes in, be it 1 or 100, shoot it, it's that simple.

 

The trick is not to panic when you do get a mega flock descend on the deeks, stay cool and pick your target, despite the fact there's other birds whizzing across your field of vision in all directions.

 

Cat.

[Highlander]

Depends...if the flock is just flying over and unlikely to decoy I'd leave 'em on the other hand if some drop out of the flock to the decoys then I'd hit 'em.

[JamesLeic]

Have read many variations on this subject and the answers vary from one extreme to another, so I present the question to the experts of the PW Forum to see what is most favoured.

 

Being it's the time of year where the Woodie likes to hang about with some pals, if you have a large flock of them drop into your decoys, do you take a shot or three? Or do do you refrain from taking that shot allowing them to disperse and hope they come back in smaller groups, on the theory that this may make for a bigger bag at the end of the day?

 

Some people say never to shoot at large flocks, the latest Sporting Gun article applies this rule for the morning shoot, others will argue that a bird in the bag is what it's all about!

 

If you are one that would leave a flock alone to land then disperse, what sort of numbers does there need to be before you won't shoot? Is it more than 10, 20 50, 100?

 

What say you on the matter?

 

My view point is your there to shoot them so shoot them, if your shooting for a farmer and he see a flock of 3 or 4 birds land in your pattern and you not taking a shot when this happens i have a feeling you wont be protecting his field (how he sees your role) much longer, he gets you to do it to protect his field if all he sees is large groups landing and getting stuck in he will go ape, what he wants is to hear lots of bangs and to see lots of dead woodies (and maybe the occasional bothersome charlie).

Edited February 2, 2010 by JamesLeic

[danddo]

No, No, you're there to shoot pigeons, not go birdwatching.

 

If a bird comes in, be it 1 or 100, shoot it, it's that simple. :blink:

 

The trick is not to panic when you do get a mega flock descend on the deeks, stay cool and pick your target, despite the fact there's other birds whizzing across your field of vision in all directions.

 

Cat.

Totally agree if they are over the decoys - shoot

[George1990]

That'll be the day... a flock of them on my decoys. We can but dream

[Cosd]

Just to clear something up, I have never resisted temptation to shoot at a load of birds dropping in or flying over, I am putting the question out to see if anyone actually does resist.

 

Yes I know the objective of why we are there, and I do remember your advice Catamong which I respect, but the theory does makes some sense.

 

To play devils advocate, surely it would be better (if the theory works) to tell the farmer at the end of the day that you shot 70 birds rather than 6, let alone the enjoyment factor for the shooter.

[Nial]

That'll be the day... a flock of them on my decoys. We can but dream

 

 

What, you don't get flocks of one like me then?

 

 

 

Nial

[Nial]

Just to clear something up, I have never resisted temptation to shoot at a load of birds dropping in or flying over, I am putting the question out to see if anyone actually does resist.

Yes I know the objective of why we are there, and I do remember your advice Catamong which I respect, but the theory does makes some sense.

To play devils advocate, surely it would be better (if the theory works) to tell the farmer at the end of the day that you shot 70 birds rather than 6, let alone the enjoyment factor for the shooter.

 

 

Is the reasoning not...

 

If you shoot at the flock you'll scare them all away.

 

If you walk them off and get dribs and drabs coming back to your decoys you're likely to

end up with many more in the bag.

 

?

 

Nial.

[Cosd]

Is the reasoning not...

 

If you shoot at the flock you'll scare them all away.

 

If you walk them off and get dribs and drabs coming back to your decoys you're likely to

end up with many more in the bag.

 

?

 

Nial.

 

 

Yes

[JamesLeic]

Is the reasoning not...

 

If you shoot at the flock you'll scare them all away.

 

If you walk them off and get dribs and drabs coming back to your decoys you're likely to

end up with many more in the bag.

 

?

 

Nial.

 

That is correct but what he is on about is if he has already walked off and set up wether he should hold fire if he gets a "large" group land in his decoy or if he should just shoot as many as he can.

My opinion was shoot as many as you can as the farmer isnt going to thank you if he sees you not shooting and a load of birds are having a red letter day on his fields right in front of you (he has then said he usually shoots them but he wanted peoples opinions- as ive said earlier mine is shoot as many as you can reload and wait for the next lot, your red letter days will come keeping the farmer happy is EVERYTHING)

Edited February 2, 2010 by JamesLeic

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

I dont know if anybody truly know was is the best thing as there are so many factors from day to day.

 

Trying to work whats going on in a womans head is easier than trying to work out what the modern overshot harrased pigeon is thinking.

 

I know I always shoot be there two birds or two hundred near the deeks.

 

I can see why some belive the dont shoot at big flocks reason but if the birds are hitting the field hard it would not have no affect on the birds shot on the three biggest bags I have shot birds where over the deeks in hundred for most of the day.

 

And if I had used the dont shoot at big flocks reason I would have shot nowt.

 

 

Regards OTH

Edited February 2, 2010 by Over the hill

[Cranfield]

My general rule is that I walk off feeding birds when I arrive at a field (don't fire a scare shot) and once I have set up, any bird(s) that come within range are shot at.

I don't tend to take dodgy shots (leaning over backwards, etc.,) as I hope the birds may turn into the decoys and present an easier shot.

[deny essex]

Now then Cos I know your reaction and results when a flock come to your decoys

But on saying that i shot at any flock that comes within my kill zone , be it a flock of 5 or a flock of 500 that flock maybe the last one of the day you see so you have to go for it

[Catamong]

Yes, if you walk them off, they may not return, this is very likely over rape, where they're usually spoilt for choice with plenty of other fields in the area.

 

Cat.

[turbo33]

Am glad you asked this question Cosd. I have shot over rape in particular for many yearsd now. Seen some huge flocks and have rarely had a "good" day over it. I have explored almost every angle and am non the wiser really. I have let them get really stuck in for several days on one particular field and then hed a go..from before dawn to almost dusk. I agree that you are there to shoot pigeons but its finding the most productive way of doing it. I have been watching a field now for 4 days and the pattern is like clockwork. Gas guns on all the other fields so they are hitting this one big time.

Unfortunately the flock is so huge that when they get up and go, thats it. I walked this lot off. An hour later they were back and I managed to bag two as they all came in like a tidal wave...then that was that for the next two hours!

My own view is that when they are in such huge flocks, they make each other much more edgy, and literally stampede at the slightest thing. Can't wait for the flocks to break up.

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...howtopic=113222

[JRS]

http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss236/j.../101_0338-1.jpg

 

 

you need one of these for flock shooting

[henry d]

Is the reasoning not...

 

If you shoot at the flock you'll scare them all away.

 

If you walk them off and get dribs and drabs coming back to your decoys you're likely to

end up with many more in the bag.

 

?

 

Nial.

 

 

Yes, if you walk them off, they may not return, this is very likely over rape, where they're usually spoilt for choice with plenty of other fields in the area.

 

Cat.

 

I agree and disagree, if the birds are spoilt for choice, then you need many shooters on all the local fields, if not then scare the birds by standing up when the first birds drop in and you will split the flock up but not badly scare them like a shot would.

It`s hard to say what numbers I would shoot at as it depends on local numbers.

If the area is supporting 000`s and there are only a few fields in a 5 mile radius shoot when there are 20-50 birds coming in and scare anything substantially over that, however if it is only 00`s in the same scenario shoot at any number, it may be all you get all day !

 

It`s a hard call

[Harnser]

You should be shooting at any bird that is shootable ,not just over the decoys but at the passing birds as well . An experianced pigeon shooter can tell when the birds are 100 yards out whether or not they are likely to committ to the coys by watching their flight path and looking for them to put their airbrakes on . Watch their wing beats ,fast wing beats and they are likely to pass you by ,slower wingbeats and a little bit of jinking about and they will proberbly committ to the coys . The secret with big flocks coming in is to try and stay concealed when taking the shot ,thats why I shoot sitting down so as not to show myself to the rest of the flock .

Harnser .

[MerseaDavid]

We have tried leaving the flock and we have tried shooting them and some times when we have shot at the main flock or what ever the birds have not come back for the rest of the day but then other days we have shot at the flocks and it has broken the flock up nicely and the birds have come in smaller number all day.

 

But then we have tried leaving the flocks just to see them fly off and not come back or we have watched them sit on our neighbours field that we cant shoot lol and again we have left the flock and the birds fly off to sit in the woods and have then come back in smaller numbers so it works both way and doesnt work.

 

But as Cat and other people have said at the end of the day if you have got birds in the decoys you might as well shoot them because you are there to protect the farmers crops and shoot pigeons so take what opportunities you can get

[Evil Elvis]

 

ive only ever had it happen a few times, the one time i did let loose there must have been 1000+ came down on wind flattened barley just before harvest, I stood uip and yelled, using my 5 shot semi auto carefully picked my targets, i homed in on 5 chosen targets one at a time and in the end shot 18 birds with 5 shots!!!! How you ask? the flock was very dense and even by staying calm and choosing my targets, I hiot 5 for 5 and i hit a lot behind them, 4-5 which needed ringing so:

 

Stay calm,

pick your targets ...dont fire indescriminately.

 

Should you do it? I felt bad about the few that were not killed out right but I ended the day on over 100 birds and I was there for crop protection so I was cool with it.

 

 

AND its never happenned since so take the chance when you get it.................

Edited February 4, 2010 by Evil Elvis