Bean stubble

[30-6]

I have never had any sucess over bean stubble, although everybody seems to think it's top shooting. I went for a ride around yesterday to see if i could find a feeding flock and came across this field (which i did not expect to be cut yet) and found no pigeons on it at all, a couple flew over but had no intention on landing.

 

It is actually 4 big fields sort of made into 1, and would be a couple hundred acres now all told and is a difficult place to shoot due to the size and it is not totally flat so a decoy set up even with a whirly going might be missed by passing birds over the field, but it does have its favourite spots which is where i usually shoot.

 

One of the fields had been ploughed, one was being spread with manure and two were still stubble with lots of beans on the floor but no birds whatsoever. By the time i would be able to return next week, it will probably be all ploughed.

 

Three questions:-

 

1 - somebody has suggested to me that because beans are so big and they don't need many, the birds feed first light fill their crop and that's it for the day, so if that is true, is afternoon shooting no good ?

 

2 - how long does it take for a bird to digest a full crop ?

 

3 - if the fields are ploughed will any (or enough) beans be left exposed to warrant a shoot, or forget it ?

[The Essex Hunter]

I have never had any sucess over bean stubble, although everybody seems to think it's top shooting. I went for a ride around yesterday to see if i could find a feeding flock and came across this field (which i did not expect to be cut yet) and found no pigeons on it at all, a couple flew over but had no intention on landing.

 

It is actually 4 big fields sort of made into 1, and would be a couple hundred acres now all told and is a difficult place to shoot due to the size and it is not totally flat so a decoy set up even with a whirly going might be missed by passing birds over the field, but it does have its favourite spots which is where i usually shoot.

 

One of the fields had been ploughed, one was being spread with manure and two were still stubble with lots of beans on the floor but no birds whatsoever. By the time i would be able to return next week, it will probably be all ploughed.

 

Three questions:-

 

1 - somebody has suggested to me that because beans are so big and they don't need many, the birds feed first light fill their crop and that's it for the day, so if that is true, is afternoon shooting no good ?

 

2 - how long does it take for a bird to digest a full crop ?

 

3 - if the fields are ploughed will any (or enough) beans be left exposed to warrant a shoot, or forget it ?

 

 

1- Rubbish……Pigeons swallow whole acorns and they can get very large….

 

2- Depends on what they are eating becuse a small seed crop (rape seed or wheat) must be easier to digest than a large bean or acorn because they have to be broken down (try biting an acorn)

Pigeons will feed in the morning and then sit in the trees some times all day depending on the conditions and the amount of food they can get. Some times they seem to sit around all day then take a late feed.

Their crop is only so big, however if they get disturbed then they leave with out a good feed, they eat out of necessity and together so we take advantage of them spotting birds feeding (decoys) then shoot them!!

 

3-Pigeons will eat all the easy food first as that uses up the least amount of energy for the greatest reward, when that field is all hovered up then on to the next field etc….

It is usually a good sign if there are birds in a field and others are trying to join the ones on the ground because that rings the dinner bell…….

 

 

 

 

TEH

[jcbbracken]

I have never had any sucess over bean stubble, although everybody seems to think it's top shooting. I went for a ride around yesterday to see if i could find a feeding flock and came across this field (which i did not expect to be cut yet) and found no pigeons on it at all, a couple flew over but had no intention on landing.

 

It is actually 4 big fields sort of made into 1, and would be a couple hundred acres now all told and is a difficult place to shoot due to the size and it is not totally flat so a decoy set up even with a whirly going might be missed by passing birds over the field, but it does have its favourite spots which is where i usually shoot.

 

One of the fields had been ploughed, one was being spread with manure and two were still stubble with lots of beans on the floor but no birds whatsoever. By the time i would be able to return next week, it will probably be all ploughed.

 

Three questions:-

 

1 - somebody has suggested to me that because beans are so big and they don't need many, the birds feed first light fill their crop and that's it for the day, so if that is true, is afternoon shooting no good ?

 

2 - how long does it take for a bird to digest a full crop ?

 

3 - if the fields are ploughed will any (or enough) beans be left exposed to warrant a shoot, or forget it ?

whent out on beans stubble wensday got 75 try afternoons

[JDog]

whent out on beans stubble wensday got 75 try afternoons

 

I have just returned from shooting an ex bean field, now sown with wheat. I watched the field for fifteen minutes on two previous afternoons and again today before I set up.

 

There were a lot of birds but I chose the wrong flight line as normal but still ended up with 37.

 

For me bean stubble can be the very best shooting of all crops that pigeons feed on. My advice is to let the birds find the field first and just keep an eye on it. Very often pigeons prefer beans when they have been soaked by rain for a few days.

[sitsinhedges]

I went on to a disced bean stubble field this morning at about 8am and gave up a couple of hours later with one bird shot.

 

Just happened to glance over the field at lunchtime when I was out on business and there were a lot of birds on it so I went home got my kit back out and was set up for 2.30, after a slow start I ended up with 32birds.

 

Strange how it happens like that.