reggie Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Hi guy's ive only been shooting for six months and its been clay shooting, But a friend of mine shoots air rifles on a good few acres of farmers fields in essex and has got permission for me to take my shotguns on this land to shoot pigeons.. He has never shot a shotgun before and i have never shot pigeons either and we are now both well and truly hooked ive managed to shoot about six birds but what i want to ask is what is the best time to be out in the field as we usually get to the field about 3-4 oclock in the afternoon and stay untill around 7 or 8 now we see quite a few birds but is there a best time or worst time to be out as we just dont know and we both want to take this serious and my friend has a hide but we have no decoys as of yet, And is it in our best interest to get decoys as soon as possible to maximise our shooting. Ive been looking at the price of rotary machines and will eventually get one but need to work out how to get the basics sorted first before splashing out and making a total balls up of the whole thing.... Any help gladly appreciated and just gotta say what a feeling when u hit ya first bird! Cheers guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronttuk Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 i find it best to set up just before daylight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamspartacus Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) Hello reggie, pigeons spend the day flying between food and sitty trees (favourite spots to rest between feeds) before going to roost in the evenings. So you can either get them during the day by getting under a flight line, getting to where theyre feeding (decoying) or getting underneath a sitty tree. Then in the evening by getting on a flightline to the roost spot or in the woods where they roost. I think decoying is the best sport but each to their own, if you go decoying then its all about finding the right field at the right time which, in answer to your question can only be figured out by doing some reconnaissance work. Generally I find setting up before dawn is best because the pigeons seem to feed harder first thing in the mornings. The feeding intervals during the day seem to be a bit random but at the moment where i am, it goes quiet from 10ish to 1ish then picks up again. Its a case of going out and learning by doing! Good luck! Ias Edited April 19, 2006 by iamspartacus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Welcome reggie. :blink: I wouldn't be happy setting up a hide on crops, with no decoys at all. You don't necessarily need to purchase all the electronics immediately (if at all). Try to get some good quality decoys, shell type are usually cheaper and I personally prefer these. Spend some time looking over the land you are going to shoot. The pigeons could be about all day, or there might be more in the mornings, or late afternoons. Different times of year, different weather and crop plantings, can all influence the pigeons attendance times. See where the pigeons are coming from and going to. This observation will help you in positioning your hide. Try to make your questions as specific as possible, it helps members to respond with the right answers (opinions). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggie Posted April 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Cheers guys, Im off work for the next two weeks so i think il pop over and study flight lines, times when they are most active and just sit down watch the activity and chill out and enjoy the peace! lol, i live not far from essex gun and the do a pack of 12 shell type decoys for 27 quid, is this the right sort of money or should i scour the net for some mail order jobbies.. Once again cheers guys and must say everyone seems to be friendly and try to help newbie's like me out ! top site and il be on here regularly..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 I don't know what type of material the shell decoys you are referring to are made of. If you don't want to spalsh out on flocked decoys ( and not everyone uses them), try to avoid decoys that are too shiny. They are bad enough when dry, but if they get wet they look awful. Also avoid the cheap ones that are like thick, shiny, plastic/paper stuff. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssexJohn Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 Quick Tip: If you shot 6 birds, and have no decoys, wrap them in newspaper and freeze them - some of the best decoys you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Went out decoying yesterday for the first time in ages, but this time with my new shotgun (walloptastic). Lovely day, and I didn't mind hiding in a ditch for 2 hours. Properly hooked and can't wait for next saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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