food decoys???

[unapalomablanca]

I was just having a beer and thought up something which is probably nonsense but i wonder what others might think. We all spend ages with decoys with often limited success, we spend a fortune simulating the woodpigeon to get him to an area of rape that in the scheme of things and with the amount of rape he's got to choose from is bloody hard. Why cant we find a foodstuff that is VISUALLY irresistable to a pigeon and scatter our area where we shoot with this foodstuff, maybe it could be a plastic decoy type foodstuff, so instead of having 100s of acres for him to give us the runaround we can channel him into a small exclusive area with maybe no need for pigeon decoys or maybe use the two together. I know it sounds silly but maybe just maybe there is something that could work in this way!!

[Blunderbuss]

We are permitted to shoot wood pigeons under the general licence if they're damaging crops and other means of deterring them have been tried and/or have proved to be ineffective. IMHO baiting pigeons to shoot them is unethical and possibly illegal or against the terms of the GL. Also, I doubt if any farmer would be too chuffed if you were drawing pigeons onto his fields with food!

Edited January 28, 2011 by Blunderbuss

[unapalomablanca]

We are permitted to shoot wood pigeons under the general licence if they're damaging crops and other means of deterring them have been tried and/or have proved to be ineffective. IMHO baiting pigeons to shoot them is unethical and possibly illegal or against the terms of the GL. Also, I doubt if any farmer would be too chuffed if you were drawing pigeons onto his fields with food!

not what i asked, i was asking people if it could work, try reading instead of sermonising

[TJ91]

it could, anything 'could' work

 

it would be no fun if it were easy

[Blunderbuss]

not what i asked, i was asking people if it could work, try reading instead of sermonising

Yep you're right, my apologies. It'll work fine, you're a genius! I wonder why no one has ever thought of this before? Crack on and let us know how you get on.

Edited January 28, 2011 by Blunderbuss

[FalconFN]

To be honest you would have to use an awful lot of 'food decoy' to have any effect as I can't think of any food woodies are fond of eating being visulay bold enough for small amounts to catch their eye. Plus it does sound a bit, well, wrong. Sorry.

[unapalomablanca]

A ******* great pile of sweetcorn would bring em in.

[Cranfield]

Some posts have been removed, so now play nice.

 

This is one section we don't usually have to moderate tightly, don't spoil it.

[Jim Sarakun]

 

I was just having a beer and thought up something which is probably nonsense.

 

Yup, I agree with you there.

 

Baiting Pigeons with some kind of artificial food, albeit a crazy notion, would also have a detrimental effect on any of the other wildlife that may eat it, as I am sure you would not be able to clear it all up before you left.

 

Using seed or anything else organic, would only attract other undesirable vermin when you are at home drinking your beer.

 

The place where the farmer wants you to shoot, is abundant with Pigeon food.

 

Most of us only decoy Pigeons to known feeding hot spots, as this is where the problem lies and our services are required.

 

It wouldn't work either. Again, most of us sit well hidden right in the middle of their larder so why add something artificial?

 

Or something organic? When it is already there. A heap of yellow sweetcorn in the middle of a Rape field would probably just put them off.

 

Here's a better idea. When you have discovered where they are feeding, go there.

 

Don't be too eager to set up, watch where they come in from and where they go out to. Watch for an hour as this pattern may change in that hour. If it doesn't, then your chances are good so set up under that flight line. If it does change, then keep watching until you see a pattern.

 

If you did this watching the day before, then you will know roughly where to start to look on the day. If they are not there when you arrive don't waste time setting up in a field with no birds, but if you have all day, and you are pretty sure they will appear, then wait till they do before you set up as they still may not show, or go home and get stuck into that beer.

 

Sermon over..... Think I need a beer now..

[UKPoacher]

I was just having a beer and thought up something which is probably nonsense but i wonder what others might think. We all spend ages with decoys with often limited success, we spend a fortune simulating the woodpigeon to get him to an area of rape that in the scheme of things and with the amount of rape he's got to choose from is bloody hard. Why cant we find a foodstuff that is VISUALLY irresistable to a pigeon and scatter our area where we shoot with this foodstuff, maybe it could be a plastic decoy type foodstuff, so instead of having 100s of acres for him to give us the runaround we can channel him into a small exclusive area with maybe no need for pigeon decoys or maybe use the two together. I know it sounds silly but maybe just maybe there is something that could work in this way!!

 

Yes. You are right. It does sound silly and it is nonesense. It is also unlawful. If you don't like this answer please feel free to post a sensible question.

[unapalomablanca]

i love you all really

[Jim Sarakun]

Yes, and we love you too, in a Rugby kind of Beer Drinking way.

[Dr D]

it's called wheat!!!! you grow it in a field and then you don't harvest it. sit back wait til it drops and then in December bob's ur uncle. no self respecting pigeon in the parish will be bothering with rape. damned expensive way of shooting pigeons though. Plus it will attract vermin from miles around.

[HW682]

There have been a couple of replies which suggest it would be illegal to bait woodpigeon with food. I am interested in this because, when giving advice about shooting corvids, I have often read people advising to use a cut open rabbit or eggs as a bait - and I don't think I have ever seen anyone suggest it would be illegal. Isn't this classed as food?

 

So, can anyone point me to any legislation which would permit food as bait for corvids but make it illegal for woodpigeon?

 

Please note the question isn't whether you think it is morally correct or not.

It isn't whether you think it is sporting or not.

It isn't what you think the law should or shouldn't be.

 

The question is about what current legislation actually says.

Can anyone help?

 

Cheers

HW682

[HW682]

There have been a couple of replies which suggest it would be illegal to bait woodpigeon with food. I am interested in this because, when giving advice about shooting corvids, I have often read people advising to use a cut open rabbit or eggs as a bait - and I don't think I have ever seen anyone suggest it would be illegal. Isn't this classed as food?

 

So, can anyone point me to any legislation which would permit food as bait for corvids but make it illegal for woodpigeon?

 

Please note the question isn't whether you think it is morally correct or not.

It isn't whether you think it is sporting or not.

It isn't what you think the law should or shouldn't be.

 

The question is about what current legislation actually says.

Can anyone help?

 

Cheers

HW682

 

 

Any thoughts?

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

100% against the law trying to prove it is another thing altogeter though.

 

I think feedrides is your answer yes feeding corn works just go to a quality shot who are spinning tonnes of corn.

 

Cheers OTH

[HW682]

100% against the law trying to prove it is another thing altogeter though.

 

Cheers OTH

 

Are you saying woodpigeon only or corvids as well?

 

Cheers HW682

[UKPoacher]

There have been a couple of replies which suggest it would be illegal to bait woodpigeon with food. I am interested in this because, when giving advice about shooting corvids, I have often read people advising to use a cut open rabbit or eggs as a bait - and I don't think I have ever seen anyone suggest it would be illegal. Isn't this classed as food?

 

So, can anyone point me to any legislation which would permit food as bait for corvids but make it illegal for woodpigeon?

 

Please note the question isn't whether you think it is morally correct or not.

It isn't whether you think it is sporting or not.

It isn't what you think the law should or shouldn't be.

 

The question is about what current legislation actually says.

Can anyone help?

 

Cheers

HW682

 

There are differences in how you can take various species.

Read the General Licence issued by Natural England. Click Here

[Jim Sarakun]

 

 

I think feedrides is your answer yes feeding corn works just go to a quality shot who are spinning tonnes of corn.

 

Cheers OTH

 

EH? :blink:

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

EH? :blink:

 

Sorry if was not clear my reply is would baiting woodies yes of coarse it would with time.

 

Just go too one of the game shoots feedrides where the keepers spin tonnes of corn a day .

 

There will be thousands of birds on the corn meant for the pheasants on the rides in woods.

 

So baiting a field area for a period of time would work and I know it to have been done by well know shooters to attract a large bag FACT.

 

I can take to a field in the 90s where a certain guy well know was spreading whole corn on cob on a field in feb/march after it was drilled with barley.

 

He shot that field and made a huge bag .

 

Will food decoys work I think no, as birds are attracted by many factors and taste will be one along with a viusal affect but it takes time for a number to return to a field on a regular basis.

 

Cheers OTH

[shoughton]

My friend did something along these lines last year.

 

On an empty field he has spread oats to attract the pigeons (at the gamekeepers suggestion). Two of them did two large patches at each end of the field. After a day or two the birds were well onto it.

 

They set up a few lofted decoys at each end and a pattern of decoys on the field. They had, from what I remember, a fantastic day. So good that they went back the next day too. I recall it was 175 one day and 200+ the next day.

 

These are both very experienced guys who rarely take small bags - but I know that this is not their usual approach. I thought it was something I must try - but Phil advised me that their success those days was more from being where they needed to be. They had identified the flight line whilst working nearby (they're roofers). But the field was empty. Putting something down to attract the birds was the solution to that. Because the land is so flat there apparently the lofted birds work wonders too as birds see them from a long way away.

 

The sad thing is that they both have little respect for shot birds and so many got wasted by poor handling. When I saw them the very next day all of the birds shot were piled up in the back of a 4x4. You can imagine the shape and quality of the ones at the bottom :(

 

So I think the technique can work - but only where the birds are already flying over close by and you need something to tempt them down.

 

Good question though.

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

My friend did something along these lines last year.

 

On an empty field he has spread oats to attract the pigeons (at the gamekeepers suggestion). Two of them did two large patches at each end of the field. After a day or two the birds were well onto it.

 

They set up a few lofted decoys at each end and a pattern of decoys on the field. They had, from what I remember, a fantastic day. So good that they went back the next day too. I recall it was 175 one day and 200+ the next day.

 

These are both very experienced guys who rarely take small bags - but I know that this is not their usual approach. I thought it was something I must try - but Phil advised me that their success those days was more from being where they needed to be. They had identified the flight line whilst working nearby (they're roofers). But the field was empty. Putting something down to attract the birds was the solution to that. Because the land is so flat there apparently the lofted birds work wonders too as birds see them from a long way away.

 

The sad thing is that they both have little respect for shot birds and so many got wasted by poor handling. When I saw them the very next day all of the birds shot were piled up in the back of a 4x4. You can imagine the shape and quality of the ones at the bottom :(

 

So I think the technique can work - but only where the birds are already flying over close by and you need something to tempt them down.

 

Good question though.

 

Oh dear on two parts against the law to bait woodies

 

and a real shame about the birds being spoiled by lack of respect a sad story to say .

 

Cheers OTH

[shoughton]

Oh dear on two parts against the law to bait woodies

 

and a real shame about the birds being spoiled by lack of respect a sad story to say .

 

Cheers OTH

 

I'm not sure about this being unlawful. Can you point us to the legislation that says that? If pigeons are a problem in the vicinity and require controlling then I believe (and I accept I could be wrong) this would be perfectly reasonable.

 

No law states that you have to control the pigeons directly on the patch they're causing a problem. Controlling them in the next field that you have attracted them to (with decoys or a patch of oats) is perfectly reasonable, in my view.

 

If you can point us to the specific section of law that says this is unlawful then I stand corrected and educated!

 

Yep - terrible shame with the waste of good meat. I've seen this duo do the same with muntjac and rabbits too - it's a real shame and quite unacceptable. My wife and I were invited to a social gathering there once but neither of us ate anything in fear of poor handling!

[UKPoacher]

It is not cut and dried in the terms of the General Licence that you can't bait wood pigeons. There are sorts of anolomies;- roost shooting and shooting over stubble, etc. If you are shooting over standing or drilled crops using deeks I can't see there being a problem providing you can evidence what measures you have taken or considered to deter them. If you introduce food to attract pigeons to a crop then in my opinion you are crossing the line of legality. Taking them from feed rides or around feeders is perfectly acceptable in my book, but not putting feed down to attract them.

 

This is not law, just my opinion or interpretation.

[Harnser]

Baiting pigeons with food does work very well I can assure you . A farmer friend of mine who was also a very keen pigeon shooter used to throw the drilling seeds ,cereals , peas , beans , maise on top of the freshly drilled fields to attract the pigeons . We would then set up a hide and have a good days shooting . Not to sure if this would be legal or acceptable now .

 

Harnser .