Rape

[claybreaker88]

Rape seed has just started coming through in the last couple of weeks no higher than say 2-3 inches above the ground. My question to you all who shoot over rape is do you think pigeons wait for the rape to say cover the field or a certain height or do they simply find the field of rape and return to it each time.

[Cranfield]

They seem to like it from the first shoots, right up until harvesting.

At the moment in my area, there is a lot of drilling going on, which is taking their attention.

Just watch the field and you will see if they are feeding and when they are feeding.

[Catamong]

I beg to differ with Cranners on this one - Certainly in my area Pigeons generally won't look at Rape until well into the Winter period when there is nothing else left for them to eat.

 

Contrary to popular opinion, I don't believe that they enjoy eating the stuff, as they will clean up all of the Ivy Berries, Beechmast and Acorns in the area before they turn their attention to the Rape.

 

You will often see birds "feeding" on a field of newly planted Rape at this time of year, but in most cases they are not actually eating the Rape, but picking up what's left of the Wheat or Barley laying on the surface or eating the Chickweed that often sprouts up with the Rape.

 

Shoot a couple flighting off the field and check the crop contents - you may be surprised.

[invector]

In my area they don`t touch the rape that is well sown and thick. Probably because it is so wet. They seem to go for rape that is sparsely sown. auto cast or put in with a subsoiler leaving 18" gaps. I have fields that have been well sown and are a carpet of green about 8" high at the moment and I bet the pigeons will leave it alone unless it snows. Other fields of my rape that are more sparse and in stubble have attracted them already, but I believe they are taking spilt grain and chickweed etc.

 

I`ll need to watch it ALL, over the winter though!!

Edited October 3, 2005 by invector

[sutty]

Well fellas.

Usually i would agree that they dont bother Rape untill " times get hard" but.

i went out on wednesday last, to a stubble field that my farmer pal told me was atracting there attention.

As i got there i was supprised to see them dropping straight into a Rape field next door.

The rape is about 3 inches high and already some dammage has been caused.

I set up on it at 12 o'clock and by five had shot 29 and a maggie.

i was a happy chappy!

Dont know if it means anything but the majority were young birds, and they were full of the stuff.

Suppose it proves how fickle these birds can be and of course the advantage of a good reckie beforehand.

Regards Sutty

[mossy835]

pigeons will hit rape in cold weather best time is frost hope fully nov dec jan.last year was a bad year no fun at all.had better luck on laid barley.

[Robar]

As a rape grower I can confirm that normally they leave off until its colder however the little ******** are hoovering it up already. I'm told there's very few beech masts around this year, so must be the reason.

[RAMMER BURT]

i have got around 2000 acres to shoot just 5 mins up the road one field is so big you could put 30 guns on it and still not see the next person to you but with only a 1000 pigeons using the field the it's not worth the effort

[Topgunners]

hey rammer

 

put me down for 1 of them 30 guns.

[claybreaker88]

Hi addition to my earlier thread I went out Sat which was a windy overcast day and very mild near the field I was shooting was loads of bushes with berries on and on the field there must of been between 60 to 100 pigeons feeding on the rape on closer inspection looks like they had been there before as the rape was quite badly damaged,looks as if the pigeons will eat in any conditions not just cold conditions with frost anyway for me hopefully even better bags ahead.

 

Paul.

[mossy835]

pigeons have not been on the rape where i am at the moment.

[RAMMER BURT]

you name the day/date and your more than welcome (TG)

[turk101]

RAMMER BURT

Does that include the poor little turk I don't think it would take more than a hour to get to ELY.

Any chance! If i'm welcome as well we could arrange something! many thanks.(whatever your decision)

cheers turk101

[RAMMER BURT]

open to all mate you name the day/date i will have a look the day before and a hunting we will go

[Catamong]

Notwithstanding what I said in my earlier post, I predict that the Pigeons in my area will be on the rape early this year, in marked contrast to last year, when they never really touched it all Winter.

 

My Farmer / Keeper contacts tell me that there are virtually no acorns / beechmast this year and that means that they will soon be on the rape.

 

The earliest that I have shot a decent bag over rape is the first week in November, so who knows this year, but it's still so mild..??

 

Of course the other big problem in my area is that there are literally vast acreages now drilled, probably more than any previous year, so any trip out will have to be well planned.

 

Anybody else finding the same...

 

Double H

[invector]

Although the majority of my birds are gleaning spilt wheat from newly sown fields, I have a small group that has started on the rape fields already! They may be taking chickweed etc. but they`re definitely dropping into OSR. Some of my fields are so well sown, and thick, with rape that I expect them to be left alone in preference to the stubble sown rape.

 

I had 25 plus 3 jackdaws, 1 rook and 6 crows last week and 36 plus a rook and a crow three days ago. They mostly had dressed winter wheat in their crops and one, at least, was finding some rape seed, probably on fields of harvested rape, covered in volunteer rape, that are being sown to beans later.

 

I was out again yesterday hoping to continue decoying in the same area but a big flock of pigeons was wheat gleaning near a game crop so I left them alone!! They have been following the seed drill for the past two weeks or so, and I must now try to estimate their next move Ha! Ha!

[the hitman]

i almost put the car through a hedge the other day watchin pigeons on a rape field i thought i was seeing things .this is well early for my area but as it has been said beechmast seems in short supply .the bulk of the birds i have seen are still gleaning stubbles.