Shooting over tall wheat crops

[Target Practice]

Hi all was after some advice please.

 

I plan to shoot on Friday after all the rain clears up.

 

Im shooting on wheat which is very tall. Its probably only 2 weeks away from being cut.

 

so crops are high.

space for decoys is very limited.

and i dont want to damage the farmers crops or lose shot birds.

 

Gereraly where is the best place to put decoys? Space is limited due to hedge rows. Would it be worth putting decoys out in the tram lines at the edges of the fields?

 

im guessing i stear clear of the crops and place decoys on the field edges only? or perhaps on the few adjacent grass patches.

 

this may sound a silly question but i have only ever shot over stubbles and newly drilled land before. so all comments welcome for decoy layouts in confined spaces welcome.

 

Many thanks,

 

Brad

[activeviii]

look for laid patches and place decoys on the edge of it on high bamboo sticks so they are just about the standing crop.

 

be prepared to lose most of the birds unless your a disciplined shot and only shoot birds that will fall in the laid crop.

 

 

if in doubt, leave it a couple weeks if the farmers about to combine it, the birds will build up and you will have good shooting.

[ziplex]

As hard as you try you'll drop some birds in the standing crop, they'll be nigh on impossible to find without doing too much damage. I shot some over a good size patch of laid barley last week but couldn't find some which I was sure fell on target, can be frustrating!

[stace1g]

What i was doing yesterday in a similar situation was only shooting the birds that were comitted to the pattern. This way you knwo they are going to land in the flattened areas.

 

Gaz

[Cosd]

Look for laid patches to decoy, but if not decoys in tall crops are almost useless as they just won't get seen. A magnet or bouncer/s is what you need in long crops but you will always have the problem of finding shot birds.

 

I tend not to bother with long crops unless there are laid patches, this can offer great sport.

[Cranfield]

A lack of laid wheat in our area is a problem (for the pigeon shooters), as the birds are really hitting the wheat fields.

 

Wheat fields with a headland are a bonus at the moment, as are those with a nice tree/high hedge line, as the birds will land on the headland and walk into the crop and you can drop the birds on the headland as they head for the trees.

 

When its like this I use decoys on longer sticks on the margins, plus floaters/bouncers in the tractor tracks.

This year with some of the wheat being shorter than usual I have also used the rotary.

 

You may lose some birds, but if you mark and pick up birds immediately they are shot, you don't need to cause too much damage stomping about looking for them.

[Target Practice]

Cheers all i will take on board all of your advices! it really is appreciated. !!!

[Target Practice]

Thank you chaps. 9 Woodies. 3 lost in the wheat. Used all your tips and kept to the bare patches and field edges.