Are pigeons more clever than theyused to be .?

[Jim Sarakun]

We often debate the idea that the Pigeons are getting smarter, and bags are certainly down this last year. Of the 6 guns on the shoot, none shot over 100 on a day out from Christmas to March. This is a first.

 

If the Pigeons are evolving then we too must evolve. To this end we now have very well concealed hides, chopped into a hedge so we just drape a similar coloured net over the front. These are set in traditionally good spots, or under flight lines, and used depending on wind direction. This has been going on for a few years now though.

 

We move around more and this method makes for quicker setting up. Once used they are usually left for a few days before being visited again.

 

We communicate with each other very well and have always done this, so we all know which hides have been used recently.

 

We all try the latest kit that comes out, with varying success, but only on the days that dead birds are not available, as we firmly believe that if they don't decoy to dead birds, then they just aren't interested. Our dead birds are collected regurlarly so in the times of small bags we are sometimes out of dead ones.

 

At the moment the most successful decoys are the rubber ones. The Rotary is working well and doing it's stuff, but with dead birds on it, they seem to shy away from the hypaflappers at the mo..

 

This year we have no hides in the middle of fields. Due to drilling and spraying constraints they become unprofitable, often get knocked down or just moved completely. They are rarely used either because they are always in the wrong place, and we now prefer to sit in the crop on a tramline near to a feeding ground and have had more success this way, than from using a static hide.

 

We have shot more in an hour this way, then in a whole day, in the hide, in the middle of the field, the drawback being the sore knees and backside, the upside being about 60 minutes of pure addrenaline rush.

 

A typical day out is dawn till dusk. Yesterday the first bird was shot at 06.30..... 23 were shot before 09.00. We left at 17.00 due to work commitments. We moved 3 times, and finished up with 64 woodies and a ferral. All over Rape. This is two of us.

 

We thoroughly enjoy it mind and it's NEVER too much trouble, or hard work. We saw more stuff before your average Joe got out of bed.

 

( Beautiful Sunrise, Deer, Muntjack, a Fox, Male Pheasants fighting, a mad Collie, a covey of English, 7 Swans in flight, pairs of Ducks, Ducks and more Ducks, 2 Buzzard, 2 many Kestrel, Rabbits, a flock of what we reckon were Buntins and much more )

Edited April 12, 2010 by Jim Sarakun