Optimal conditions?

[adam f]

What do you find is the best weather conditions / time of day etc for decoying?

 

Adam

[Cranfield]

The "best time" depends on so many things, that its hard to be precise.

Weatherwise, I prefer dull overcast, dry days with some wind (but I have also shot loads on bright sunny days without a breath of air).

[Sinistercr0c]

ditto....

[adam f]

OK - put it another way then.... what conditions do you find really bad for decoying??

 

Or is it just not that simple?

[Lez325]

Not that simple Im afraid- I love a sunny day with gusty wind- make the sillosocks move in the decoy pattern- its not whay condition prevale at the time- its what the Pigeons prefer is more the point trail an error works well - do some observation over land you have permission on is a good place start

 

Ive shot pigeons on wet days dry day even on the snow- who knows waht pigeons think about when selecting at time / place to feed

 

Les

Edited July 20, 2010 by Lez325

[Cranfield]

The basic thing is that pigeons need to feed, so sometime in a day they will feed.

All you have to do is work out on what are they going to feed,where and when.

Easy ain't it ?

 

Knowing your shooting land and building up experience all helps.

[Highlander]

If you wait for optimum conditions you’ll be on here a lot more than you’ll be out shooting!

[adam f]

Thanks for the replies. Ive always been prepared to put in time for field or watercraft (when fishing) etc...

 

When I'm off fishing - I'll look at the weather and pick a day that suits what I want to catch - wondered if the birdies were the same?

 

So I guess it's good news in that any day is worth a bash at them - rain or shine!

[UKPoacher]

As Cranfield says; they need food every day. They will also maximise intake of food against expenditure of energy getting it. So, a warm southerly slope would be preferred in winter to a cold northerly one all other things being equal. They also lose heat by wind chill so often in colder weather they will feed closer to the lee of shelter such as woods or tall crops. On hot days in summer wheelings give shade and prevent thrm getting too warm.

 

Then you have to dial in elements such as security. They will only feed where they feel safe.

 

Taking all this into account you should find pigeons feeding somewhere every day no matter what the weather. However, that somewhere might not be on your shoot or might only be a few birds here and there.

 

Last Wednesday I set up in a thunderstorm and in the two hours between the rain stopping and dusk I shot over twenty birds. A couple of hundred had got up just before the rain started. Since then I've only seen a handful of pigeons feeding in wheelings on the whole shoot. The big flock along with the rooks have gone elsewhere. They may have discovered a neighbouring farmer harvesting or some swaffed rapeseed. They will be back as soon as we begin the harvest though.

 

You can't predict them totally, but you can maximise your chances if you research the habits on your shoot. They tend to follow set patterns most of the time.