Stratts Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Had the afternoon off yesterday so got geared up and off to a friends farm to have a go at decoying. Had a good look around, no real activity on the ground but noticed a few flying along a set line so picked a spot underneath. Set my hide up, placed the deeks out wind behind me in a horseshoe pattern, got the rotary out - 1st mistake, left the arms for it in the garage Even after asking on here how to attach the birds to it the day before!! After cursing myself got settled into position and after only a few minutes a lone pigeon flew over the pattern just to my left and bam, 1st shot 1 down Didn't have time to think about it coz as I looked back another came along the same line and with the second shot put that down too!! Couldn't believe it and what an adreniline rush!! Thought I'd leave em where they were and settled in again but about 10 mins later a farmhand came trundling through the field with the sprayer. My hide must have been good coz he never saw me or the deeks until I jumped out waving my arms or he'd have run em over!! This gave me an oportunity to pick up my 1st 2 shots, but do you think I could find em!! Had an idea why which was to be confirmed later! Anyway after the sprayer departed I settled in again and managed to shoot a total of 3 pigeons and 17 collared doves, which there were quite a lot of! I never actually got any birds to land in the pattern, I think I struck a bit lucky setting up under a flight line because they were all going full pelt when I shot them. Missed quite a few too so need more practice but it was a great afternoon. Here's a pic and you'll see the reason I never retrieved the 1st 2 birds! While I was getting all my gear together 5 ferral cats helped themselves to a dove each (there's one headless in the pic) and the 1st 2 landed right near their hidey hole!! Cheers Stratts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty_Harvo Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Well done mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.I.A Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Well done mate I shot a rabbit the other day and as i was walking up to get it, a bloody feral came out of the hedge row and grabbed it and tried doing the off with it the blooming cheek obviously wasn't bothered by the sound of the shot a few seconds prior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Great write up Stratts, and nice picture too. Pigeons won't always land in the pattern so I wouldn't worry about that too much; What I do sometimes is leave an opening at the head of the horse shoe, we know they don't particularly like flying low over other birds on the ground, so leaving an escape route at the head of the pattern sometimes gives them more confidence to commit but more often I find even when they do a "fly by" they will fly straight down the middle of the pattern instead of around it. Decoying isn't always about getting the birds to land, sometimes when they just refuse to land the skill is getting the birds to fly close enough to shoot as they come over for a nose. I remember telling you how to mount the birds on the magnet, I did forget to remind you to take the arms :lol: Cos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bi9johnny Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 (edited) I remember telling you how to mount the birds on the magnet, I did forget to remind you to take the arms so it's your fault he had a good day hey Edited October 13, 2011 by bi9johnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Good write-up and I am glad it went well. Its often best to pick up dead birds the first chance you get after they are shot. Apart from the risk of something making off with them, if they are not laying "naturally" on the ground they will spook incoming birds (upside down is the worst position). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratts Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Thanks guys some more good tips there I'd forget my balls if they were'nt in a bag!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenBhoy Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 glad to hear you had a good 'un mate, once you get hooked then it really is it, decoying has me well and truly now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 And theres me waiting for the results of your first decoying session on your original post :blink: Well done,and dont worry about forgetting stuff we all do it,there is a thread on here somewhere listing all the stuff that we have forgot to take or bring back. Give em a bit more lead in,if you shoot behind you will always be behind,but if you are in front then a 10' shot string usually interupts their progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratts Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Thanks mate think I wasn't allowing enough being mostly a rifle shooter. I guess it's probably a common mistake pigeon shooting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Had the afternoon off yesterday so got geared up and off to a friends farm to have a go at decoying. Had a good look around, no real activity on the ground but noticed a few flying along a set line so picked a spot underneath. Set my hide up, placed the deeks out wind behind me in a horseshoe pattern, got the rotary out - 1st mistake, left the arms for it in the garage Even after asking on here how to attach the birds to it the day before!! Weve all done it... You wont do it again though....well perhaps when you get to my age.. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon123 Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Well done mate, Great result for your first time out decoying :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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