Putting shot pigeons in pattern

[955i]

I usually put my shot pigeons out to increase the pattern and know that a few others do. It usually seems to work.

 

While shooting the other day I did this as usual but noticed that the more birds placed out the less came to the decoys.

 

Has anyone else found that putting shot birds in the pattern has caused birds to stop coming in?

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

I think once you go beyond 50 birds be it dead or deeks the area gets too busy for them to join at close range for you to be able to shot them.

Dont forget when feeding in there hundreds they can be spread out over a large area of the field what you are trying to get is the birds in the a kill zone.

 

Regards OTH

[shakin stevens]

I think once you go beyond 50 birds be it dead or deeks the area gets too busy for them to join at close range for you to be able to shot them.

Dont forget when feeding in there hundreds they can be spread out over a large area of the field what you are trying to get is the birds in the a kill zone.

 

Regards OTH

i find this very true it gets to crowded and they stop landing in the kill zone, plus they get blown with flies this time of year

so its best to keep some covered up in the shade.

[Maidment78]

I swat the plastic with the shot birds then go for a maximum of 15 birds, couple of bouncers and a flapper, more than this either makes my kill zone crowded or the area is too big and does not focus the birds in.

 

Thats just me though and other people/areas might find different approaches work.

 

Try going shooting without the gun, set the hide and decoys and then use different patterns every hour and see what happens, o this a few times and you will know what works and also what does not. If you take te gun you will be too tempted to use it and not watch properly.

[yickdaz]

yeah but like has been said if to many placed out the birds have limeted space to get in the pattern and over shoot the decoys i only have about 20 dead placed at the head of the pattern so they have space in the shell decoys still

[UKPoacher]

I don't swap dead birds for plastic deeks. It confuses the dog if I put dead ones out.

[motty]

I have used up to 100 decoys (mostly freshly shot) in the pattern before. Usually every bird that then enters the field will show an interest. This isn't necessary though. If you've put out enough dead birds so that you are confident that most pigeons are committing well, there is no need to put more out.

[turk101]

I have used up to 100 decoys (mostly freshly shot) in the pattern before. Usually every bird that then enters the field will show an interest. This isn't necessary though. If you've put out enough dead birds so that you are confident that most pigeons are committing well, there is no need to put more out.

 

 

I agree with motty, I to have had large amounts of fresh shot birds out, sometimes I don't come out of the hide unless I'm 100% certain there are birds upside down or there are winged or live birds!

Sometimes if it goes quite or I see the birds are struggling to get in to the pattern or are flareing badly then i'll go tidy up.

Otherwise I'm not really fussed how big the pattern is.

Just my opinion

 

Turk

[mossy835]

i put out 13 sillo socks and 8 dead birds, works ok for me

[woody swacker]

I don't swap dead birds for plastic deeks. It confuses the dog if I put dead ones out.

change your dog!

[The Essex Hunter]

I think once you go beyond 50 birds be it dead or deeks the area gets too busy for them to join at close range for you to be able to shot them.

Dont forget when feeding in there hundreds they can be spread out over a large area of the field what you are trying to get is the birds in the a kill zone.

 

Regards OTH

I aggree with OTH,

If you wanted to put out lots of birds, then the patten would be very large, and then as i have found they start to drop in away from the kill zone.

Getting the right balance is not easy i use around 20/30 and then top it up with abt 10 dead birds max.

I try to leave a couple of good paces between the decoys to pad out the pattern and quite offen a bird will flutter over the space i have left.

 

One thing is if it was easy then they would all be doing it

 

TEH