ROY Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Was planning on decoying over rape stubble tomorrow! However i have just found out the field has been ploughed! Will it still be worth sticking the deeks out??? There is a flight path to the woods at the top of the field so should see a bit of traffic but will they come to the decoys is it worth using a magnet Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 I have shot plenty on ploughed fields , its the traffic you need , personally it is one of the occasions where I would just use static decoys or dead birds in my case without the magnet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 The farmers dont seem to be losing a lot of time turning the fields over this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) i had a 90 odd bag last year on the plough and this was just down to the traffic as fenboy says. I'm pretty sure we didn't use a magnet either as it goes,but we did use two bouncers...im sure a magnet may still work though,take it and give it a go if it doesn't work bring it in!aint no harm in trying! Edited August 30, 2012 by tomhw100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 If it is ploughed and not just disced there will be no feed value in the field as the seeds will be turned under and the birds will know this and will not be looking to land. Try a few decoys out by all means but you might just be better getting hidden along the flight line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) If it is ploughed and not just disced there will be no feed value in the field as the seeds will be turned under and the birds will know this and will not be looking to land. Try a few decoys out by all means but you might just be better getting hidden along the flight line. they could be landing in the field to digest or just to scratch around i wouldn't right it off at all! don't get me wrong i thought it was strange when we shot that but i have had the odd 20 bags on plough as well! Edited August 30, 2012 by tomhw100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROY Posted August 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Thanks for the advice I'll have a go and see what happens!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixhills 69 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 our fields have been turned as well could not believe the amount of pigeons on there the other day teaming with the blighters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filzee Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 i shot a ploughed field the other day right next to a field of wheat stubble. they weren't interested in the wheat but came to the ploughed field and i shot 37 i did use a magnet but it did seem to put a few birds off. there were two other blokes shooting somewhere not too far away from me and they helped to keep the birds moving around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 I think this gets complicated! If the field is very well ploughed, the seed will be covered and you are snookered. However, I have found that poorly ploughed or just cultivated fields are BETTER than pure stubble. I THINK this is because the chaff cutters on the combines tend to cover lost seed with a layer of chaff, and pigeons cannot scratch (don't ask me why not!). So a light cultivation actually uncovers more seed for them. Of couse, a few weeks of wind and rain and some seed germination makes for a good combination on a stubble, as well as letting the birds "find" and become accustomed to using that field. However, in my area , Essex/Herts border, the farmers are obsessed with getting the ground cultivated ASAP, again don't ask me why, they then do nothing for weeks. So, hope your ground isn't well ploughed but poorly cultivated....... JK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 I think this gets complicated! If the field is very well ploughed, the seed will be covered and you are snookered. However, I have found that poorly ploughed or just cultivated fields are BETTER than pure stubble. I THINK this is because the chaff cutters on the combines tend to cover lost seed with a layer of chaff, and pigeons cannot scratch (don't ask me why not!). So a light cultivation actually uncovers more seed for them. Of couse, a few weeks of wind and rain and some seed germination makes for a good combination on a stubble, as well as letting the birds "find" and become accustomed to using that field. However, in my area , Essex/Herts border, the farmers are obsessed with getting the ground cultivated ASAP, again don't ask me why, they then do nothing for weeks. So, hope your ground isn't well ploughed but poorly cultivated....... JK The cultivation excercise immediately after harvest is to achieve what is known as 'seed to soil contact'. This helps the seeds to germinate early so that they are not viable when the next crop (which may be something completely different) is drilled. It is irritating to turn up to shoot only to find that a field has been cultivated but the field can still be shot. If it is deep ploughed that may not be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filzee Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 sorry my post above was wrong the field had been cultivated. the farmer where i shoot cultivates immediately after combining but they seem to produce some birds and a lot of rooks and croms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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