carpentermark Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 for what its worth i see both sides of the debate. on as growing crop then yes let numbers build. but as cranfield say the stubble may be gone very soon with todays farming methods. probably best to liase with the farmer although he will be a bit busy at the moment and find out whats happening in the said field and also make sure no one else is sniffing round to beat you there Fair comment duk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 dont need to 'trust you', Never asked you too ? i shoot pigeons every weekend over 6000 acres.Good for you if you cancover 6000 acres on ya own i couldn't ever since i started shooting ive been told, and read, and watched fellow shooters saying "let numbers build" seems to make sense to me?! and me on laid wheat or barley but not on stubble just passing on words of wisdom from some very wise, very experienced and much better shooters than ill ever be. Take it or leave it, im not here to argue. Not here to argue myself mate just trying to pass on some knowledge Shoot straight and may all your bags be full Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpentermark Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 Not here to argue myself mate just trying to pass on some knowledge Shoot straight and may all your bags be full And let that, be that! Game over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) 2 years ago a rape field was cut and disced in the same day i went the day after and shot 58 in a few stolen hours, next day went back with the old fella and shot 110 from same hide site edit for typo Edited July 27, 2012 by yickdaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 If they are combining wheat today, I would be looking at it tomorrow morning. The birds will find it quick enough, especially if it is near to woods. You will not shoot any more birds by waiting and the Farmer could be discing/ploughing that in on Monday. Load of rubbish! Its the same as fishing, if you can pre-bait a swim and let the fish : 1. find the food and 2. become comfortable and group up then youll catch more. Watch the dvd's and listen to the experts including the late, great mr. Archie Coates and they will all tell you to let the numbers build and youll achieve bigger bags. If you think pigeon shooting is like fishing, you may have a few problems. The "let the numbers build up" debate has been going on for years and as many "experts" think its not necessary, as support it. Modern farming methods mean that stubbles don't stay around too long. In Archie Coates days they were still around at Christmas. Tell a Farmer today you are "letting the numbers build up" on his growing crops and he will probably find someone else to shoot the pigeons. I have shot for very many years and for the last 10 years, about 4 or 5 days a week. I will back my experience against most peoples. All you can do on this Forum is give advice as you see it, not call other peoples comments "rubbish". You leave your fields for "the numbers to build up", I will go out and shoot pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonblasterian Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 If the pigeons are there shoot them.You might only have a week before the field is ploughed.Make the most of it while you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted July 27, 2012 Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 If you think pigeon shooting is like fishing, you may have a few problems. The "let the numbers build up" debate has been going on for years and as many "experts" think its not necessary, as support it. Modern farming methods mean that stubbles don't stay around too long. In Archie Coates days they were still around at Christmas. Tell a Farmer today you are "letting the numbers build up" on his growing crops and he will probably find someone else to shoot the pigeons. I have shot for very many years and for the last 10 years, about 4 or 5 days a week. I will back my experience against most peoples. All you can do on this Forum is give advice as you see it, not call other peoples comments "rubbish". You leave your fields for "the numbers to build up", I will go out and shoot pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainhastings Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Well I was on site at 6.15 this morning loads of pigeons about and I had my best so far with 25. Missed more than I hit but it was great fun. I had too get away early too go and get some more cartridges for tomorrow. Was surprised when two fellow shooters turned up after me not that is was a problem and nice too see them plus it kept birds moving. Round two tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) I'm with Cranfield on this, on stubbles shootn them when there there tomorrow it may well be a cultivated field. I see the logic in letting them build up to get a better bag under different circumstances, but my experience of recent years on seed fields is that if you hold back to let pigeon numbers on that crop increase, by that time any spilt grain hass been cleaned up. Sprouting peas, beans etc will still be attracting pigeon in several day's time, unless the farmer has moved half a dozen gas guns to the field. Blackpowder Edited July 29, 2012 by Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asa Bear Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 If the pigeons are there shoot them.You might only have a week before the field is ploughed.Make the most of it while you can. Probably the best advice. Get out shooting. Bag 100 or 1 you're out doing what you love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainhastings Posted July 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Well glad I went yesterday tried again this morning and only 1 pigeon just the odd one about. I think the two chaps yesterday stayed all day and gave them a battering. I will give it a couple of days too regroup and try again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 dont wait if they are there, go and shoot them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 No combines showing in my part of fenland yet. Been out for two hour drive this afternoon, havnt seen one, and only one field of rape stubble. Really chomping at the bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of a gun Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 malkiserow funyest thing I've hear in a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchie the white hunter Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Just goes to show if you wait any time after the crop being cut then someone will always be there at your back to shoot it before you !,so my advice would be to shoot the field the next day pigeon shooting is a back stabbing game and every man for himself !! also waiting for numbers to build is not a good idea because all the birds do is hammer a cut field then move onto the next one being cut, they will not hang around very long if new stuff is just round the corner , ive just had last sat on clover 56 pigeon ,watching the barley get cut beside me ,then on sunday (the very next day )shot 84 pigeon for 4 hours on that barley that had just been cut the day before! and then went out on tue and took 136 off the same field ,now the stubble is drying up with pigeon this is only thursday and they are now moving onto the rape that has just been cut so it just goes to show if there is plenty feed around then sometimes you only have a small window so be carefull who you listen to it could come and bite you ,what i will say is that on standing crop this is different because food is in plenty supply so the birds find the windblown bits and slowly but surely make a dent in it and sometimes it is good to wait a while untill the pigeons start telling one another where food is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightymariner Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Around these parts it's more a case of getting on a field before they cultivate! Would love to have the luxury of waiting and letting numbers build up, but unless I know for sure they won't be discing or ploughing then I go for it. Shot 22 on rape stubble today as I know it will be cultivated in the next day or so (if they weren't I might have left it as I know it would produce a big day). I know the farm manager well but even though he tips me off about fields they are cutting, I also know he won't hang around getting next year's seed bed ready. Also, like most people, I have to go when work and family commitments allow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Tom Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 If the pigeons are there shoot them.You might only have a week before the field is ploughed.Make the most of it while you can. Thats what i was thinking. see pigeons get out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Gould Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 i take little bits of everyones methods of bagging pigeons on here to creat my overall method, what seems to work. IMO i let pigeons build on winter rape then shoot them but i have tried it in the summer and gone to shoot them and they have all moved on ! (**** law) so in the summer if they are there i just give them ago, i dont think anyones method is right and no ones is wrong i think if your happy with what you are doing and you feel you have done well its job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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