What ever happened to day time flight lines

[kaiser1977]

I've been watching the fields around my permission for ages now, the usual l flight lines i see which are used constantly whilst I'm looking round, when I take the gun and gear with me they are still in use but when i have the first couple of shots these flight lines stop completely and I mean nothing around for miles, this happened today . I moved 4 times after giving each place a couple of hours, every place I went this happened, has anybody else had this ?

Or am I doing something wrong ? and before anyone says the obvious the hide was perfect there was a good breeze, decoys set out well, just nothing in the air .

By the way grand total for the day a massive 2 and my mate nothing this after starting 8am and finishing at 4pm !!!

Thanks kaiser

[Dr_T]

I've been watching the fields around my permission for ages now, the usual l flight lines i see which are used constantly whilst I'm looking round, when I take the gun and gear with me they are still in use but when i have the first couple of shots these flight lines stop completely and I mean nothing around for miles, this happened today . I moved 4 times after giving each place a couple of hours, every place I went this happened, has anybody else had this ?

Or am I doing something wrong ? and before anyone says the obvious the hide was perfect there was a good breeze, decoys set out well, just nothing in the air .

By the way grand total for the day a massive 2 and my mate nothing this after starting 8am and finishing at 4pm !!!

Thanks kaiser

 

I have had similar days recently. Lifted birds from the field whilst walking across to set-up. Flight lines then drying up. I put it down to the weather and time of day. This has happened mainly from 10am to 4pm, i.e. hottest time of the day. I now shoot early morning or evenings when it's cooler and more birds are active in this heat. Just my observations.

[Jim Sarakun]

I have had similar days recently. Lifted birds from the field whilst walking across to set-up. Flight lines then drying up. I put it down to the weather and time of day. This has happened mainly from 10am to 4pm, i.e. hottest time of the day. I now shoot early morning or evenings when it's cooler and more birds are active in this heat. Just my observations.

 

We find there is usually a lull during the day for a couple of hours or so, but not for 6 hours, then I suppose it has a lot to do with the volume of birds in your area.

 

Today there was no lull, but it was pretty much all over by 16.00, with only a few birds being shot after that time. Started to pack up at 18.00.

 

Total was 105 on a field of mustard, not me, my mate, and I managed 76 on a field of Barley.

[anser2]

If you are shooting too close to the resting wood or feeding field you can soon disrupt the flight line.

[motty]

I have had similar days recently. Lifted birds from the field whilst walking across to set-up. Flight lines then drying up. I put it down to the weather and time of day. This has happened mainly from 10am to 4pm, i.e. hottest time of the day. I now shoot early morning or evenings when it's cooler and more birds are active in this heat. Just my observations.

 

I don't think the heat has too much to do with whether pigeons are active or not. I find at this time of year most of my birds killed are between 10 and 4.

[kaiser1977]

I have had similar days recently. Lifted birds from the field whilst walking across to set-up. Flight lines then drying up. I put it down to the weather and time of day. This has happened mainly from 10am to 4pm, i.e. hottest time of the day. I now shoot early morning or evenings when it's cooler and more birds are active in this heat. Just my observations.

This is the strange thing, although these flight lines are used throughout the day,if I shoot from the morning to the afternoon they dry up,but if I go shooting on a late afternoon say between 5pm and 8pm they stay busy,I just cannot figure it out.

[Highlander]

Pigeons tend to eat periodically throughout the day at different times which are generally dependent on the length of daylight available. At this time of year (longest days) pigeons will be feeding at different times from early morning 04.00 right through until 21.00 or later. They may well avoid feeding during the hottest parts of the day. You can see similar paterns in domestic birds such as chickens and in common garden birds, rest periods followed by feeding then back for another rest. Observation skills...a useful thing to have.

 

At the moment in this part of the country we're under drought conditions and like all creatures the birds will be keeping to the shade and using local water sources to keep cool and to drink. Watch for flightlines to/from water.

[Cosd]

If you are shooting too close to the resting wood or feeding field you can soon disrupt the flight line.

 

 

and if the wind is blowing in the direction where the flightline is coming from, the shot sounds can carry a lot further. This can also put birds off coming in that direction.

 

There are many factors which may be the cause.