Stealth Net

[IEH]

Haven't done a lot of decoying over the past few years due to lack of suitable ground, but one of the local farm managers recently asked my shooting mate and I to deal with some pigeons on a large area of market garden.

 

We've had a few sessions and shot a few but our gear was pretty hopeless, cobbled together from old bits of scrim from years past, poles from the hedgerow etc. so I decided to invest in one of the stealth nets.

 

Used it for the first time today and when I first put it up I thought it looked awful, my mate thought the same! The best background that we could find to give us access to the target crop was some maize which was only 3 to 4 foot high and the net looked totally transparent. From 20 yards or so out I could clearly see my mate sitting behind the net rolling a smoke and I thought I'd wasted my money.

 

However, throughout the day we had birds confidently coming to the pattern and landing among the decoys given half a chance, apparently oblivious to our presence. The only birds that appeared to veer away were those that approached from the rear, where we had no net cover.

 

So, I'm now persuaded that it works but how?

 

I won't linger on the day's bag, we managed a few but we should have taken home a lot more than we did!

[Cranfield]

You were lucky and must have been sitting very still when the birds were coming in.

Normally, if you are silhouetted they spook.

[utectok]

Stealth net works for me barrels and stock don't get caught in it either !

[chrispti]

Use your old bits of net or buy a cheap one, to use as a backdrop in those situations, or use it to thicken up the front of the hide.

 

Also try sticking some surrounding vegetation in the net to help it blend in

 

[BenBhoy]

much the same as chrispti, i always use something that i find in the field to add an extra dimension to the front of the net, never had any problems with it, as long you keep still.

[Redditch]

Yep, as stated, movement is what you mainly have to avoid at all costs, the nets will dim your outline, so add a couple of branches as well to break your outline even more. BUT AVOID MOVING as much as possible.

[IEH]

Thanks all for the advice. I'm not disappointed with the result but still confused as to how it could look so awful yet work well. I'll certainly try thickening up the cover with some of my old scrim and some vegetation etc. and look forward to trying the net against a better background.

[corvid wings]

stealth nets rubbish by them selves ,,,i bought some black nylon from the market coverd the back of the stealth net with it ,,,works great you can move your arms ,,get a cuppa ,pick your gun up without being seen ,,the net comes up to my chin ,then a foot of camo net at the top of the hide to see through,its now a proper net ,,another case of none shooters making shooting products,