Pigeons and decoys

[Alanl50]

Hi

I got a phone call from one of my farmers Friday evening, pigeon grief can I take a look:

So I went pigeon shooting yesterday over sugarbeet, got a half decent bag 43, I took rotary, hypaflaps, foamed winged decoys and 12shell decoys, usuall horseshoe pattern for the shell deeks, foam winged deeks on the floaters at the opening of the horseshoe and rotary with the hypaflaps approx 50yards to the left, then right in fact all over the place, it was amazing I had to in the end bring the hypaflaps and rotary in the pigeons did not like them, as soon as they were in bingo.

I even put the Hypaflaps on floaters they still didnt like them!

Each pigeon I shot, I placed in the pattern and with real ones added you could see the pigeons become more confident to commit to a close flypast, they were not that interested in the sugarbeet more of a flight line to a wood.

whether its my lack of skill but Im finding more and more that the rotary seems to put them off.

I have to also thank my missus as well as I having a bit of grief, she helped me carry my gear.

Anybody else had this

Alan

 

I was shooting in Copdock and in the morning it sounded like WW3 coming from sort of Hadleigh way as the crows fly, was that one of you?

[Cranfield]

In some areas pigeons do seem to spook from rotarys on occasions, but other times they will come straight in.

The only thing you can do is what you did, if the layout ain't working, change it.

 

I place my rotary just in front of where I want the pigeons to land, at the rear of my decoys.

[UKPoacher]

I believe that far more pigeons are spooked by a poor hide than a rotary.

 

I've found that whilst pigeons will come and have a look at the plastic deeks on the rotary far more seem to commit when dead pigeons are used. Same with deeks on the ground.

 

My standard pattern for when the wind is from the side is a horseshoe with the far side longer than the near side, a couple of floaters about thirty yards behind them and the rotary about twenty yards in front of the horseshoe. The first two pigeons I get go on the rotary and I put the plastic deeks from that on two more floaters. The next two I get go on frames on short poles so the look like they are landing. They are placed on the far side of the pattern at the back. Any pigeons coming in invariable land at the back of the nearest arm of the horseshoe or fill up the middle. I've never had anything land near to the rotary and use it purely to catch the eye of any passing birds.

[Alanl50]

I know what you saying about the hides no probs there I struggled to find meself lol no theres a definate negative reaction to the rotary I have studied all scenarios for placement of decoying equipment and tried all of them, suggested, written and invented by myself, I went out again this afternoon, with just two floaters, I shot 19 in two hours, and that was over barley, they were just coming in for a look which was next to the sugarbeet I shot over yesterday

More experimenting required!

I have just ordered two terminators pigeon decoys I cant wait to try them.

Alan

[yickdaz]

all due respect rotarys will work most times; could it be you are placing it to close to your decoys on any crop that will happen especially laid barley and wheat they do spook birds that are trying to land on the laid patch if rotary is placed there but place it in front of the patch in the standing crop even 20 yards from the hide they will land behind it into your decoys or normally do.

[Alanl50]

all due respect rotarys will work most times; could it be you are placing it to close to your decoys on any crop that will happen especially laid barley and wheat they do spook birds that are trying to land on the laid patch if rotary is placed there but place it in front of the patch in the standing crop even 20 yards from the hide they will land behind it into your decoys or normally do.

I havent any laid crops, like I said I tried it all positions. I used it last year to good effect with some good bags, when I come up with a solution Ill post, but I know other chaps on here have had similar probs, some dont even like them.

Thanks for your suggestions though.

Alan

[UKPoacher]

I think magnets have been proved to work most of the time. If they are consistently not working for you then itmay be that you are not using it correctly or there is a problem with it - shiny paint or unsuitable decoys for example.

 

The magnet is there to attract attention, not to get the birds down and feeding. They spot the movement, come and have a look and then see the deeks on the ground. That's when they commit to coming in properly.

[Alanl50]

I think magnets have been proved to work most of the time. If they are consistently not working for you then itmay be that you are not using it correctly or there is a problem with it - shiny paint or unsuitable decoys for example.

 

The magnet is there to attract attention, not to get the birds down and feeding. They spot the movement, come and have a look and then see the deeks on the ground. That's when they commit to coming in properly.

I know why we use magnets, it has no shiny paint, nor am I trying to get the birds to feed just close enough to shoot I have no laid barley, Im not putting it too close, my deeks are the best money can buy, I use `hypaflaps on the rotary, read my original post, last year used to good effect!! :blink:

they didnt even like the hypaflaps on the floaters changed to foam winged they came straight in

My placement is pretty much the same as yours, stardard layout.

It will come good thanks for all your ideas

Alan

[proTOM1]

If the rotary is not working bring it in thats what i say and it worked well for you .

Today i used just 2 flappers instead of my rotary due to the fact the birds last time were very wary tho some came in fine so for a change i went with out it and they decoyed very well ,do i think they would of come any better with rotary well maybe might of brought the odd 1 or 2 more in but fancyed a change and it worked .

 

:blink:

[yickdaz]

another debate which could go on for ever. like protoms post stated he used floaters; flappers. and was succesfull. i have said the same in previous posts that i have taken my rotary in sometimes not set it up at all and improved the situation. and i always say it works most of the time. example i was shooting on wheat stubble last year with rotary out and was shooting a few but most were just passing out of range and didn;t even look at decoys so i fetched it in and used 2 floaters instead and birds just ploughed straight in ended up with 104 without a magnet. :blink:

Edited June 21, 2010 by yickdaz

[Alanl50]

another debate which could go on for ever. like protoms post stated he used floaters; flappers. and was succesfull. i have said the same in previous posts that i have taken my rotary in sometimes not set it up at all and improved the situation. and i always say it works most of the time. example i was shooting on wheat stubble last year with rotary out and was shooting a few but most were just passing out of range and didn;t even look at decoys so i fetched it in and used 2 floaters instead and birds just ploughed straight in ended up with 104 without a magnet.

More annoying is the long walk carrying all the gear only to find out you only needed half of it magnets and batteries are not light, I have not tried a flapper at all yet next purchase coming up.

Alan

[yickdaz]

More annoying is the long walk carrying all the gear only to find out you only needed half of it magnets and batteries are not light, I have not tried a flapper at all yet next purchase coming up.

Alan

yeah horses for courses mate :blink: i wasn;t havin a go in previous posts just giving my opinion somtimes might come across a bit serious. just passionate about what i and everybody on this site do.

[bullet1747]

More annoying is the long walk carrying all the gear only to find out you only needed half of it :blink: magnets and batteries are not light, I have not tried a flapper at all yet next purchase coming up.

Alan

i tried a flapper yesterday better than magnet for me anyway ,every one to there own