roadkill Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 pigeon shooting s just like fishing , sit there all day and either end up with loads or none. Today we went to a large estate we met at 9 and off i went dropping off the other four lads in different fields and then got my self set up ready for a good day. The rape has been having a good hammering for the last month . So i thought between the five of us we would have some good numbers , but to my surprise it turned out a bad bad day . I gave it five hours of my time and then called it a day not one bird even came near the decoys they were flying over all day but about 100ft in the air and not wanting to stop on the rape . I rang the other lads and they two had not even shot there guns only two of them had shot a pigeon so the total was 3 pigeons. I need help as it got on my nerves a bit today i take it we missed feeding time or they were feeding later in the afternoon ? any help would be good . On the plus side i spotted a fox near the pond at 9.30 so im up in the morning with the rifle cheers roadkill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 It mabe a few things ,on our estate they have just about moved off the rape and on to the game cover strips with only a few rape fields seeing birds . It may of helped if you could of setup before first light as this seems to help this time year aswell . Ive just got the go ahead for a few hours tomorrow on a maize strip so hoping to bag me a few Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 i also think it was down to the time , i have had some good days at first light and i have also seen a lot of feeding just after 1500 hrs . Im going to be paying the place a visit in the morning and late afternoon to see if i can work out a pattern in feeding times. One thing i did get out of today is that my kit is far to heavy as i had to walk about a mile as the electric gate was closed so couldnt get the car in . So im on the look out for some new lightweight kit and also some kind of trolley to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzrat Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Yep, know the feeling. set up on the rape this morning, stood there for about 2 hours watching birds flying about dodging airliners. Sat down for a sandwich, the missus puts her gun up and I'm thinking she's bored and making sure she can swing over the net (short a**e). Bang, Bang and the only pigeon that came in to the deeks all day departed without a feather ruffled used to be the same with fishing, flask open with cup balanced on knee and the only bob of the float all day some you win and some you dont, just gotta keep going back and trying again Fuzrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
point and shoot Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Good point about the time. I've noticed an upturn in the action about 1500. Also makes for a bit of a lie in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 same here. I was out yesterday morning about 10am. Saw loads of birds. Set up and by 12.30 I had only managed to down 2 high birds. They just were not interested. However, we had a frost on Friday night and I reckon the birds were simply waiting until the ground defrosted. About 2.30pm the wind picked up a little. Two of us set up in the middle of a field of cabbages (yep you heard me correctly, we set up right in the middle of the field) and in an hour a half we had just over 30 in the bag. Just goes show you how funny the old pigeons can be!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 To be honest I don't bother on the rape over winter, it's just not worth it. I'll gladly go and stand by the edge of a wood for the last couple of hours, just me and the gun, but dragging a ton of kit over fields so it can be ignored by an oversized flock of woodies that can just drop anywhere in the sea of rape leaf available to them. Been there done that Flightlines and roost shooting for now and decoying at harvest when there are loads of naive young pigeons to shoot who will come into the deeks in small groups or pairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy518 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 To be honest I don't bother on the rape over winter, it's just not worth it. I'll gladly go and stand by the edge of a wood for the last couple of hours, just me and the gun, but dragging a ton of kit over fields so it can be ignored by an oversized flock of woodies that can just drop anywhere in the sea of rape leaf available to them. Been there done that Flightlines and roost shooting for now and decoying at harvest when there are loads of naive young pigeons to shoot who will come into the deeks in small groups or pairs. It is one of the most frustrating times of the year. Big flocks that sometimes just dont want to know, one bang and they go elsewhere. I agree that Winter rape shooting can be a real pain. We carry on persevering with it because the farmer wants the birds to be shot whilst the Rape is growing, its his profits being gobbled by the blue hoard. Its by showing the commitment in the Winter that allows us to shoot come the harvest time , when the farmer don't really care about the pigeons as they arent causing him any loss then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzrat Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Very true, not good for us but farmer is pleased that you have kept them off his field and on someone elses for the day. Fuzrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 high pressure;very little or no wind; misty; all them factors agaisn;t us this weekend had an hour in a hide yesterday never fired a shot looked for some today and they just weren;t flighting so didn;t bother setting up at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 It is one of the most frustrating times of the year. Big flocks that sometimes just dont want to know, one bang and they go elsewhere. I agree that Winter rape shooting can be a real pain. We carry on persevering with it because the farmer wants the birds to be shot whilst the Rape is growing, its his profits being gobbled by the blue hoard. Its by showing the commitment in the Winter that allows us to shoot come the harvest time , when the farmer don't really care about the pigeons as they arent causing him any loss then. I agree with what you say but see no real benefit from sitting looking at an empty field. I tell my farmers that I will be there if there is something to shoot but that the best thing at this time of year is gas guns and scarecrows. It's not ducking my obligations, it's just being realistic. If we get the opportunity to shoot good numbers at harvest they simply aren't there to eat the rape leaf in winter and that is where the biggest difference will be made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzrat Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 farmers have very short memories when it comes to how many pigeons you have shot for them. could shoot 6000 in the summer but 20 birds feeding on their rape in january and they throw a fit :lol: Fuzrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 I still have a theory based on the crop contents, that the pigeon do feed at first light and then sit, stuffed and bloated for the rest of the day. I just don't think they are hungry again untill just before roosting, when they will have a top up. I can't remember how many times I have set up, even at first light, and have had an hour of excitement, then from 8.30 till 2.30 it goes quiet. From 2.30 ish till 3.30- 4 at the moment seems to be the most productive. I passed a field on friday at 3.45 and they were pouring over the hedge into it and the same on another today. Its a short window of shooting opportunity. Apart from the unusual good day, I would say 2 hours in the afternoon is the best bet at the moment. Get there 8.30am and pack up at 2pm and its highly likely you will see naff all, let alone shoot any. Have made that mistake so many times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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