Do you shoot while the bird is landing?

[meis]

In U- or V-shaped decoy patterns, most diagrams mention a "kill zone" or "landing zone", the area in the pattern where most woodpigeons will tend to land (and be shot in the process). However, on pigeon shooting videos, few pigeons seem to be shot while landing. What do you prefer?

[jhrg]

If I didn't shoot them as they were just coming in to land, I'd never hit any at all!

 

What you'll find is that there's a wide variety of shots, ranging from the easy (just as they are about to touch down) shot to the very difficult (zooming past like a rocket at 50mph) shot.

 

In my experience, from a confidence-building perspective, you're best starting out by only shooting the birds that have fully committed to your decoys and are coming in to land - once you are consistently knocking these down, then you can start to work on the more challenging shots, e.g. as birds swoop past to take a look at your pattern etc.

 

Remember the point of what is we do is pest control, so it's not in our interests just take the challenging shots.

[steve_b_wales]

I shoot them whenever a safe shot presents itself. I don't mind if they are flying, coming into land or have even landed.

[Fisherman Mike]

If I didn't shoot them as they were just coming in to land, I'd never hit any at all!

 

 

 

If I didnt shoot them after they had landed I wouldnt hit any either.. :lol:

 

They way my eyes are getting I would be better off throwing the gun at them..

[mpk]

I agree shoot the easy ones that are commited then move on to the ones that are having a look. (I'm still shooting the decoying ones )

Edited July 29, 2011 by mpk

[chris64]

Hit them were your most confident of a safe kill,in the bag is in the bag,

we are all there to do crop protection for the farmers,

On the floor in the air it doesnt matter farmers arent botherd about high flying 50yrd shots

numbers are all thier bothered about.

[mossy835]

your there to shoot pigeons,dont matter how you shoot them.

[twitchynik]

Most rewarding to shoot one that's committed and bombing into your pattern You've beaten it by decoying it in and then beaten it again by filling it with lead.

[CZ550Kevlar]

Shoot them whenever, hell i`ll even shoot them when they are taking a poo.

[meis]

So they can reach speeds of 50 mph? OK, that's definitely too fast for a safe shot for me! I'll have to work on the decoying then (or on the shooting ). Decoying here in Norway seems often to be limited to plastic half shells :unsure:

[activeviii]

If one had landed i wait to see if it will draw another, then kill the one coming in and then it gives the chance to swing to the bird that is panicking off the floor and trying to work out which way to go. if a few are coming in i try and watch for the committed front bird, wait till it tries to land then shoot the back bird and follow up with the front bird.

 

if their not really playing ball i will shoot what ever is presented. floor, tree or sky, im not proud.

[Frenchieboy]

If I'm totally honest it makes no difference to me! It matters not if it's a pigeon or a crow on the wing or on the ground, I will take whatever shot is safely available as I am doing it for vermin control rather than sport!

Having said that I do like a "testing shot" now and then just to keep me on my toes!

[imissalot]

I hit a lot of tail feathers, went last night for an hour 3 shots I down 2 tail feathers nicked and that really gets my back up

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

When commited to landing & any flying past that show no interest but close enough for a "hopefull" shot.

[TaxiDriver]

I hit a lot of tail feathers, went last night for an hour 3 shots I down 2 tail feathers nicked and that really gets my back up

Don't suppose the Pigeons too chuffed either

[Dangerous Brian]

As said previously if it's a safe shot and the range is good take the shot (if you are confident enough of a decent hit) regardless of whether it's landing or not. The advantage of getting up to shoot a landing bird is that it is usually concentrating on landing and doesn't see me popping up above the net. That way the flight path is nice and predictable so the bird should be in the middle of the pattern and dead in the air rather than it picking up a stray pellet as it screams past overhead jinking away as it sees me.

[vampire]

I would suggest you shoot at whatever is in range,a slow bird landing doesnt need a lot of lead in,but one on a flight line going over fast needs 3m in front

Thanks to 'hitclays'(Alan) for doing an eye dominance test earlier this year i am now hitting a lot more birds.

[BenBhoy]

If one had landed i wait to see if it will draw another, then kill the one coming in and then it gives the chance to swing to the bird that is panicking off the floor and trying to work out which way to go. if a few are coming in i try and watch for the committed front bird, wait till it tries to land then shoot the back bird and follow up with the front bird.

 

if their not really playing ball i will shoot what ever is presented. floor, tree or sky, im not proud.

 

 

exact same here, any that lands i let him stay there and just keep an eye on him. best case scenario he acts as a confidence builder for another which you shoot and then swing to original. or otherwise, he gets bored and goes to take off again and BANG. as we all know, a real bird is the most effective decoy.

[meis]

When commited to landing & any flying past that show no interest but close enough for a "hopefull" shot.

Maybe THEINVISIBLESCARECROWs approach sums it up; For those commited to landing, wait until they land because the shot will be easier. For those close enough but not showing interest for landing, give it a try if it's a reasonable safe shot. I've tried to follow this logic, but - probably from lack of experience- I'm unable to determine whether a fast passing pigeon is likely to return and land (that some of them do), or never be seen again. Are there any cues

Edited July 31, 2011 by meis

[meis]

I would suggest you shoot at whatever is in range,a slow bird landing doesnt need a lot of lead in,but one on a flight line going over fast needs 3m in front

Thanks to 'hitclays'(Alan) for doing an eye dominance test earlier this year i am now hitting a lot more birds.

Vampire, like you I have an eye dominance issue, cross eye dominance I think. I've adapted the method of closing of one eye to ensure dominance of the eye above the rib, but closing an eye is not what you need when shooting at a flying object. I've just ordered the shotspot kit and hope to hit more birds like you did

[JR1960]

I've tried to follow this logic, but - probably from lack of experience- I'm unable to determine whether a fast passing pigeon is likely to return and land (that some of them do), or never be seen again. Are there any cues

Well you hit the nail on the head with experience, you just get a feel for those that are likely to turn. Having said that you'll still only get it right some of the time. My advice, unless its obviously going to swing round, and you've got a half decent shot take it. Whether you leave it or not or hit it or not its all good experience and that's what counts.

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

Maybe THEINVISIBLESCARECROWs approach sums it up; For those commited to landing, wait until they land because the shot will be easier. For those close enough but not showing interest for landing, give it a try if it's a reasonable safe shot. I've tried to follow this logic, but - probably from lack of experience- I'm unable to determine whether a fast passing pigeon is likely to return and land (that some of them do), or never be seen again. Are there any cues

Obviously my patch Is different to others but the general rule is, depending on location of flight lines & position of sitty trees & feeding hotspots, if a bird is flying past & is in range have a shot, if you ruin a bird that would of returned later so what, it could change it's mind if it's sees a better cafe in the next field & the noise might put some birds in the air from the next field.

For years I've watched activity over my local shoot & one field is a McD's field for pigeon with a sitty tree right in the middle, an absolute gem of an area at time of the year.

I prefer an area that is in a dip, close to a few minor sitty trees & a cross roads for three flight lines.

Why do i prefer that to a hot spot, well the hot spot can be hot hot hot at harvest time but that useually is due to flurries of activities, alternative hot action then very quiet with definate good/bad times to go shooting or totaly dead all day, my awkward in the dip spot sees many flying past through the day, the pattern is even wrong for two flight lines but if the do come in it's a good shot to take.

This awkward method keeps me looking all the time, alert & interested, I still look in the wrong part of the sky at the wrong time as I'm looking 180deg & miss spotting quite a few but it all makes for a lively few hours.

The big bonus is over the years I'm learning activity & think I've spotted a good spot to be virtually under one major flight line.

You certainly learn from watching, you get to learn flight lines & feeding area hotspots in the field etc but if a bird is in range It's time to take a shot not just look, don't worry if you miss, don't worry if you are thinking I might spoil a later returning easy shot, don't panic about near by birds being scared off.

Even if you miss did the bird jink ? it saw you before the shot, did it speed up ? you missed behind, swerve (different from jinking) you missed in front.

After one shot hold yourself ready for a fly past oppertunity & when reloading keep looking at the sky.

You'll get a good idea if the bird is in range or not by size & pigeon travel at three speeds.

Flap rise & glide flap rise & glide, faster than you think, I rarely see this over the fields except when they fly down from a large wooded area on a hill or from phone wires, these are either dedicated to where they land or just daydreaming as they fly. Dodgy & rare as there are many Buzzards locally.

Slow flapping level flight flying faster than you think, plenty of time to see deeks but probably well fed & not interested anyway.

Fast flying, these are doing 45/50mph, these are on a mission & not even looking for food or mates.

If you don't want to waste expense carts why not mount swing & think bang, if they jink they can see you, learn what's wrong so you don't spoil the easy shots later. If you think after your practice mount & swing that was in range & I could of shot that one then It's time for real bangs.

I'm assumeing quite a few beginers are reading posts for bits of info.

Pigeon shooting is full of blank days, missed shots, bad patterns & wrong techniques, other fields full while yours is empty, wrong chokes, wrong carts & every other dissaster invented by man (includeing my deeks are rubbish I need to buy more) while shooting so in short if there is a bird in your field watch it with one eye, swivel your other eye looking for other birds & listen for corvids & as soon as something is in range give it a volly or two.

There is no such thing as an out of range bird for a practice mount & swing !!

[stace1g]

Obviously my patch Is different to others but the general rule is, depending on location of flight lines & position of sitty trees & feeding hotspots, if a bird is flying past & is in range have a shot, if you ruin a bird that would of returned later so what, it could change it's mind if it's sees a better cafe in the next field & the noise might put some birds in the air from the next field.

For years I've watched activity over my local shoot & one field is a McD's field for pigeon with a sitty tree right in the middle, an absolute gem of an area at time of the year.

I prefer an area that is in a dip, close to a few minor sitty trees & a cross roads for three flight lines.

Why do i prefer that to a hot spot, well the hot spot can be hot hot hot at harvest time but that useually is due to flurries of activities, alternative hot action then very quiet with definate good/bad times to go shooting or totaly dead all day, my awkward in the dip spot sees many flying past through the day, the pattern is even wrong for two flight lines but if the do come in it's a good shot to take.

This awkward method keeps me looking all the time, alert & interested, I still look in the wrong part of the sky at the wrong time as I'm looking 180deg & miss spotting quite a few but it all makes for a lively few hours.

The big bonus is over the years I'm learning activity & think I've spotted a good spot to be virtually under one major flight line.

You certainly learn from watching, you get to learn flight lines & feeding area hotspots in the field etc but if a bird is in range It's time to take a shot not just look, don't worry if you miss, don't worry if you are thinking I might spoil a later returning easy shot, don't panic about near by birds being scared off.

Even if you miss did the bird jink ? it saw you before the shot, did it speed up ? you missed behind, swerve (different from jinking) you missed in front.

After one shot hold yourself ready for a fly past oppertunity & when reloading keep looking at the sky.

You'll get a good idea if the bird is in range or not by size & pigeon travel at three speeds.

Flap rise & glide flap rise & glide, faster than you think, I rarely see this over the fields except when they fly down from a large wooded area on a hill or from phone wires, these are either dedicated to where they land or just daydreaming as they fly. Dodgy & rare as there are many Buzzards locally.

Slow flapping level flight flying faster than you think, plenty of time to see deeks but probably well fed & not interested anyway.

Fast flying, these are doing 45/50mph, these are on a mission & not even looking for food or mates.

If you don't want to waste expense carts why not mount swing & think bang, if they jink they can see you, learn what's wrong so you don't spoil the easy shots later. If you think after your practice mount & swing that was in range & I could of shot that one then It's time for real bangs.

I'm assumeing quite a few beginers are reading posts for bits of info.

Pigeon shooting is full of blank days, missed shots, bad patterns & wrong techniques, other fields full while yours is empty, wrong chokes, wrong carts & every other dissaster invented by man (includeing my deeks are rubbish I need to buy more) while shooting so in short if there is a bird in your field watch it with one eye, swivel your other eye looking for other birds & listen for corvids & as soon as something is in range give it a volly or two.

There is no such thing as an out of range bird for a practice mount & swing !!

 

 

Excellent tips ..thanks

[Richie10]

Farmer wants you to make noise and disturb the birds to move them on, hes not worried about hitting them.

[Old Bull]

i think i can speak for all the farmers on here that farmers dont care how they're killed as long as there dead