Cosd Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) Our permisions have been quiet for a few weeks now. Last bits of surrounding stubble going, so I would expect the birds to be on the rape soon I hope. What's the state of play around the country? I'm not seeing many posts of bags, but this doesn't mean much and people could be shooting and not reporting. What crops are you seeing the birds on? Cos Edited October 22, 2012 by Cosd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) i,m curious about the regional difference around the country as well, around our perms i,m struggling to find an acorn this year, last year it was thick with them they were on every oak tree you could find, so the birds dissapeared from the first week of october never touched the rape through nov,dec,jan, so it ended up the leanest winter i have ever had, had a few goes at them in feb this year 52 bag on it but nothing to note after that but a complete difference this year birds are still on the stubbles in good numbers and looks like they are sticking around that can change from one week to the next, but the signs are there for them using the rape this winter Edited October 22, 2012 by yickdaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) This is not a great area for large number of pigeons but I do my best to reduce the numbers that are here. Recently I have seen good numbers of birds, which is earlier than normal for large flocks to descend to this part of the Cotswolds. I saw a flock of 500 on a wheat stubble drilled with rape about two weeks ago and they stayed there for one day only. Of late most of the flocks I have seen have all been interested in barley stubble and I shot a good bag (reported elsewhere) on Saturday when I had the ideal combination of barley stubble in three fields and wheat drilling in an adjacent field. All of the shot birds had stubble barley in them. None had acorns, beech mast or hawthorn berries. Edited October 22, 2012 by JDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garden gun Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 Supply of insect pollenated stuff will be in short supply across the country due to the weather and lack of bugs at blossom time. Our secret stash of sloes is rubbish - no sloe gin to be made this year. Apple trees have no apples at all - extrapolate and I guess rape may take a real hammering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 None around here ! The last pigeon shooting i did was back in february roost shooting ! Nothing all summer ! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 In my area the pigeons are on late drillings, hawthorns, clover and in the last week they have been on rape. Some large flocks about, but the wet weather is breaking them up. No acorns or beechmast to speak of this year. The weather is forecast to get colder (and dryer) later this week and that should concentrate the numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroku moocher Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) plenty of pigeons here. also plenty of rape ,berries, a couple of old stubbles and tree lined beck's. now all i got to do is hit em..lol Edited October 22, 2012 by miroku moocher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tod Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 cant remember the last time i saw a good flock of pigeons, hopefully a few good frosts and they will be on the rape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE AD Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 All the pigeons we had yesterday had beans in the crop,so that says it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE AD Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 plenty of pigeons here. also plenty of rape ,berries, a couple of old stubbles and tree lined beck's. now all i got to do is hit em..lol :shoot: :shoot: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 Pigeons seem to be on farms close to large woodland and just dropping in on the closest area of food, hawthorns, rape, stubble and clover. On Sunday I was in a park within two miles of Birmingham city centre and counted eighty plus birds comming into the trees and dropping down on the clover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 Not one stubble field has been ploughed here so cannot see any winter rape this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swingit Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 I No acorns or beechmast to speak of this year. Same here down in sunny south Wales mate.Terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 Same here down in sunny south Wales mate.Terrible. There's now't terrible about it Pal, the fact is that loads of acorns and beech mast are every Pigeon shooters worst nightmare, the beggars simply stay in the woods and won't venture out onto the fields where they can be decoyed. Anyway, it looks like this year could be a mega year for decoying over rape, if you do your homework and find out exactly where the birds are feeding, and make an effort to block off their alternative feeding sites, you could do very well indeed.... Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Lots of poor rape crops here in the NE but birds are still feeding on the stubbles. If they start on the rape they`ll cause damage quickly ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted October 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 There's now't terrible about it Pal, the fact is that loads of acorns and beech mast are every Pigeon shooters worst nightmare, the beggars simply stay in the woods and won't venture out onto the fields where they can be decoyed. Anyway, it looks like this year could be a mega year for decoying over rape, if you do your homework and find out exactly where the birds are feeding, and make an effort to block off their alternative feeding sites, you could do very well indeed.... Cat. If they won't come out of the woods because of acorns etc and you have access to the woods, a well placed banger rope will do the trick to make them head your way I suppose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Yes, try suggesting that to the Keepers who look after the woods..!! Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 saw some huge flocks up in the Mildenhall area yesterday - couldn't see what they were feeding on though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted October 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 My shooting partner and I will be doing some recce over the next few days over in Hemel, Tring and just picked up some more land near Berkhampsted. I'll report back once we get out and about. Cos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lister1 Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 The best field I have at the mo is direct drilled wheat over last years beens. So basicly the filed is covered in dropped beens and has wheat drilled into the soil, pigeons live it. I had two hours on Sunday and shot 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 saw some huge flocks up in the Mildenhall area yesterday - couldn't see what they were feeding on though Yes, right alongside the A11, I saw them too, I think it was wheat stubble, they were nearly snapping the power lines, there were so many birds on them. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizza22196 Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 saw about 700 birds over 3 joined fields the other day, 300 on drilled wheat, and 400 on 2 fields of wheat stubble also about 150 on driled oats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 i have loads of rape fields agian this year, lets hope them come in better then last year when it was dead, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Our permisions have been quiet for a few weeks now. Last bits of surrounding stubble going, so I would expect the birds to be on the rape soon I hope. What's the state of play around the country? I'm not seeing many posts of bags, but this doesn't mean much and people could be shooting and not reporting. What crops are you seeing the birds on? Cos Are you any the wiser after those diverse replies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highland Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 farmer told me power lines heavy with pigeon got up there early this morning had a real good day non stop action for a solid two hours then came in dribs and drabs still shot quite a few so one happy bunny. all over wheat that has been left to rot to wet t get in happy shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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