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Pigeons on Drillings ?


old rooster
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Anyone else finding very few pigeons on the drillings ?, realise it's a bit early in some areas for peas and beans but they seem slow to pick them up round here (south Northants).

 

I noticed recently some worrying health warnings on seed sacks; can cause irritation if touched, do not eat etc. wonder what effects they have on the pigeons that eat them ?. Does it harm them and more to the point does it harm us when we eat the pigeons that have been feeding on the treated seeds ?.

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i also have found very few pigeons on the drillings, come to think of it i have found very few pigeons any were else in my area.

 

all winter the rape fields have been hammered around here with more than a 100 on most fields. Then again they were slow to pick up on the rape so maybe it will be the same with the drillings.But for now there are non about around here.

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Shot a few on drilled beans 2 weeks ago but the birds cleared them all up within 3 days flat. They certainly wanted them but a pal had them on rape as well in the next field at the same time. Don`t there have to be peas/beans on the surface to attract them? If they`ve been well-sown or sown too deeply there may be no birds at all. Or the field may have been shot over a lot and the birds frightened off. ;)

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The drillings seem quiet around my area, once the second rolling takes place.

That pushes the last peas/beans under the soil and the pigeons lose interest. Well, I haven,t seen any digging for them. ;)

 

The health concerns about the peas/beans is interesting.

I noticed the warnings on the bags of peas at one of the farms and the peas were PINK.

You certainly didn,t need to be a sharp eyed pigeon to spot them.

The chap loading the drill hopper, had face mask and gloves on.

I can only assume the pigeons must be immune.

I can,t imagine the farmers being allowed to plant seed, that would kill wildlife.

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The woodpigeons in my area of operations are in fantastic condition. Another mild winter has ensured that they have over-wintered very well.

 

At this time of year the Woodies (NORMALLY) have to quickly get themselves in good condition prior to breeding. This normally has them feeding with gusto, especially on any high protein seed that they can find.

 

I have found in recent years that they seem to over-winter so well, they just don't need to build themselves up like they used to.

 

Also...

 

We have had a run of easterly weather for the last week. This is always the worst weather for pigeon shooting, for me anyway. The weather has been very settled and warm. This is great for breaking up the large winter flocks, but it makes the pigeons go into courting and pairing up mode. This has a great effect on their feeding patterns, basicly, they have bigger agendas than feeding all day long.

 

I shot several the other evening at a very good roost. All of them had very little in their crops, even though there is plenty of drilling about, some of the fields with loads of loose seed on top.

 

A change in the weather to some good old westerleys will bring them back on song.

 

Keep an eye on those drilled fields that have yet to produce. Provided that their is still some food value left on the field, they will give up some good sport.

 

In the past, I have waited up to 2 weeks for a field that had plenty of loose seed on it to come on song when the pigeons just didn't seem interested or they had just not found it.

 

I have recorded in my diaries that at this time, the birds are out at first light having the first feed, and then again after 1.00pm. Mostly pairing up, courting, and marking between those times...

 

A client yesterday, had the best shooting from 2.30pm - 5.00pm when he killed 62. He had only shot 5 up to 2.30pm...

 

Good luck...

 

GARY...

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Shot 60 last saturday on a drilled bean field sown the day previous. I think the main reason it went well was that there is an uncut wheat field at the other side of the wood which has kept them happy all winter. Many of the birds shot were on there way back to roost from other fields as well. Several contained new sown barley,rape and clover.

The field I shot has been shot again today by someone else with little success. Even though there are loads of beans on the surface very few birds have tuned in to them.

Many fields have been sown in my area ( West Lancashire ) this week so all being wekll things should improve.

Probably going to shoot the same field saturday because it is on a cracking flightline to the main roost woods from many other sown fields. They should decoy well if last sturday is anything to go by.

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Just read G.I. countrysports post regarding a chap doing well late afternoon. On saturday I had very few in the bag by 3pm, probably 15 at the most and left the field at 5.30 with 60. Prior to 3 pm I watched with disgust as the randy little devils displayed to each other just out of bounds.

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I always look forward to the clocks going on an hour. It means if I pull my finger out and finish work at a reasonable time, I can get a couple of hours of shooting in the evening. Those couple of hours can be very productive. In the past I've bagged as many as forty between 5-7 p.m. High hopes this year as one of my farmers is drilling beans this weekend. Roll on monday.

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Thanks for all the response guys, very encouraging as it's my first posting on the forum. Interesting to hear the comments on late afternoon feeding, backs up what I've seen at times when the fields are empty until after lunch when pigeons will come in to feed. Did well on a couple of early bean fields but with the recent good weather all the drilling seems to be getting done at once thereby giving the pigeons a good selection of feeding venues.

 

I've also been finding pigeons in very good condition and often even late afternoon with empty crops. Perhaps the mild winters of late allow them to have a slower metabolic rate and need to feed less. I don't think there are the number of pigeons about that there used to be, certainly don't seem to be in this area.

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Just got back after spending 3 hours looking for a field for tomorrow must have scanned 10 drilled fields of which only about 2 had pigeons on them the most on one field was 11.only saw about 25 pigeons all afternoon.

 

One field had about 150 crows on though so looks like i'v got an early start tomorrow morning.

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Looks as though both Saturday and Sunday will be balmy spring days with not much wind. Not the best of pigeon shooting conditions and it ain't trout season yet. Think I'll resort to the "little black book" and organise a sporting weekend in bed. :unsure:

 

Guess you probably know of this weather site but I'll post the URL just in case, found it to be very reliable.

 

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/ukweather.htm

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the stuff that should not be touched is a seed dressing but does not seem to affect birds,my brother-in-law has drilled peas and they are setting them at about 5" deep,also he is going to put maize in next month at about 6"deep,the best place to look on drillings is on headlands where drill had to be lifted to turn this will leave seed closer to top and birds will find this easily according to him,watch the rooks on drillings as when they have found the rows that is the call for pigeons,also rooks are as good a sport i think :ph34r:

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We've been shooting drillings for the last 3 days and they seem to be getting pretty keen on it now around here. In the last 3 days we've shot just short of 750 pigeons. Still lots on Rape here mind you. I put one lad out on rape and he had 55 on it. Pigeons seem to be flying VERY high and have been for some weeks. Gary is right about them being in good health. Shot one a week ago and it was thick with fat on the breast meat.

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