When is Best Time to Shoot?

[kippylawkid]

Here is a good one for all members to ponder. I am keen to find out your opinions as many of my mates differ on this.

If you are out on recce' one afternnoon and you find a field, with all the pigeons in the area using it. Take it for granted you are able to shoot the following day, do you:

a. Turn up at sparrow's **** the next morning, ready to blast them as they arrive first thing.

 

or

 

b. Return say, mid morning, having let the birds back on the field in the hope they will return more confident later in the day.

[Cranfield]

Assuming a lot of factors throughout the day, such as weather, pedestrians, farm work, etc are constant, my next consideration is the crop.

 

If its a "crop protection" job, then I would appear first thing and expect to stay late.

If its stubble or a few spilt peas on drilling, I would shoot the morning one day and the afternoon another day.

Or have a few hours in the morning and reappear mid afternoon.

Being able to shoot all day, every day, means I look at it slightly different than those that have to go to work.

[ernyha]

Personally Dave I prefer the mid morning approach.

 

 

a) I am not the earliest bird in the flock myself.( I like a lie in)

 

:unsure: On the odd times that I have been persuaded to go out early, the bag has not been any better than when leaving them alone to get settled in.In fact the early starts have been worse as the birds just go and find the next best field to settle on for the day.

 

Thats my theory anyway.

[.223]

I agree with ernyha and take the mid-morning approach,

 

I used to always get there before fist light but since starting getting there mid-morning the bags have not changed if any thing they have grew.

 

I do however get there before first light if i am crow shooting.

[supergame]

I've always been a sparrow **** fan. Without doubt my bags are better for it. I mainly shoot first light in autumn, winter and early spring. The pigeons day is much shorter during this period, so why halve your chances.

Time and time again when I have used the mid morning approach I have kicked myself for not getting there earlier.

During the summer months I tend to just shoot from early afternoon onwards. Sometimes I may only get to the field at 3-4pm if its a scorcher, the pigeons won't flight to much in the early afternoon due to the heat.

[fifer]

i am a morning man as well

[Buzzer]

I am usually in the field and set up at around 8 am, unless I have to do my reconnaissance that same day.

I find that an early start works best around these parts during the winter months.

Come summer then my tactics change, its usually a lunch time start, unless I get a phone call from a keeper or est manager with a pigeon problem, then I will make it an all day attack starting at about 9am.

 

All the best

Buzzer

[Hammergun]

At the moment, I'm doing an early morning (7.30am) session, doing some work, then doing a little roost at 4pm.

[brooktrout]

On summer corn, I,m convinced that it depends on the locality. If there are many fields in the area with a food supply, the slightest disturbance on a particular field will usually put them off for most of the day. Where these feeding fields are sparse though, I find that they will feed throughout the day,but I have noticed a distinct lull in the action often around about mid-day for a few hours.

[Tony]

"Sparrow's ****", I like that!

 

I'm a morning man myself although it's normally a bit of a struggle. I just like to get the deeks and hide set up without creating too much disturbance during 'pigeon time'. Of course, this approach starts to slip a bit as it get lighter earlier!

[neil]

If i'm after crows etc,its an early start every time,for pigeons i'm not usually to worried if i set up a little later

[MadSpringer]

The best time to shoot for me is when the wife suggests shopping!

 

I like to be setup for around 8.00am

[old rooster]

Only problem with a "sparrow **** start" can be that the pigeons may not come to your chosen spot throughout the day. If you've plenty of recon time beforehand you can get a good idea of feeding patterns etc. when on drillings at this time of year they may be there one day and gone a couple of days later. A lot of it is down to modern crop drilling techniques I think, leaving in most cases very little for the pigeons to glean.

 

They will also come to a field later in the day which in the early to mid morning period can be totally devoid of activity. Found this recently on a couple of bean fields; they came in well when it was windy and dull right through the day but during the sunnier weather went off and only came back for an afternoon feed.

 

Like most things it varies with time of year, crop type and even location.