magman Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 what do you predict ? With crops being late this year i can see the stubble being here till spring with the wet weather this year . No rape shooting this winter so im predicting a poor winter for the pigeons , what's it like in your area ? Hoping that we don't see dead birds on the ground due to lack of food source Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 The impact of the weather obviously varies from region to region. We have a lot of rape planted and showing , so there will be plenty for the pigeons. The fields that have been left will be mainly spring barley and peas (unfortunately they have been left as ploughed, all stubbles gone). The birds I am shooting now are full of mainly hawthorn berries, with wheat from the drillings and some clover. There are some sizeable flocks building and unless we have a very hard Winter, I don't expect the pigeons to have too hard a time and I do expect some good shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 what do you predict ? With crops being late this year i can see the stubble being here till spring with the wet weather this year . No rape shooting this winter so im predicting a poor winter for the pigeons , what's it like in your area ? Hoping that we don't see dead birds on the ground due to lack of food source Birds building every day on the rape, yes they are on the berries however they wont last that long. The rape on the big farms is quite high and being left alone, but plenty of the crops are patchy. I saw 150 acres which has failed; also some of the direct drilled rape is very behind not showing through the chopped wheat. One good thing is farmers will see the birds hitting the rape so the lads who are looking for a bit of shooting should keep an eye out and then make their pitch to the farmer for a days shooting and go from there. TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Pigeons are still on wheat and barley stubbles in my area of the Cotswolds and as it is too wet to turn the stubbles over I am optimistic that there will be birds feeding on them all winter. The rape is well on but I have yet to see birds feeding on it consistently. Later today I will be shooting a field of wheat which has not ben harvested. Yesterday's recce discovered plenty of birds using the field by two intersecting flight lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Pigeons are very versatile, if there isn't as much rape then they will feed on something else (i.e. berries, beechmast, acorns, clover etc). Unless, as Cranfield said, we have a very bad Winter I think they will be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) Acorns a bit thin on the ground on my patch ,though plenty of chestnuts . All the rape is in and well on its way . I forcast that the birds will be on the rape earlier this year because of the shortage of acorns . I am still of the opinion that rape is a last resort for pigeons . Harnser . Edited November 7, 2012 by Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Out of the 36 I shot yesterday, shooting over standing unharvested wheat, almost all had wheat exclusively, some had a few hawthorn berries but none had any rape, beech mast or acorns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazsl Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 south of doncaster not had any hitting rape yet and very few in woods but they are on wheat stubble especially where the combine couldn't get because of boggy ground and the wheat is still standing but all the stubble is on the farm next door so i can't wait for them to plough it in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 noticing everytime i drive the backroads to the shop, im seeing more and more birds on rape and earlier, for the first time in a long time we had a good day on the rape last week...something im not used to. Its usually flighting along hedgerows where there are plenty of acorns and stuff............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guvnor68 Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Went for a drive round today and seen plenty of pigeons attacking the rape, Will be back tomorrow to ask for permission it was rotten with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 No stubbles left in our area, they're all ripped up and re-drilled within days of harvest. No drilling at the moment as it's now too late in the year. No acorns at all this year, even the influx of Jays from Scandanavia are struggling to find any, but plenty of pigeons now feeding hard on the rape, also in the hedgerows on Hawthorn berries. I predict the best Winter for pigeon shooting for several years, the last 4 outings for me have resulted in 348 in the bag, this time last year there were literally none around. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bevs Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 there are alot of birds around in devon at the moment,i hope thay dont move on as the rape not looking togood, and not much acorns about,im normally shooting birds full of acorns where i shoot,this time of the year,but still lots of stubble to feed on makeing it easy to find the pigeons, so if the farmers dont work the feilds then moor food for the pigeons for the moment. bevs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawntredder Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 i was out at farms in n.yorks were i shoot at wkend the rape is shown and in some fields it is 6inch high already,ev'thing else is drilled apart from a wheat stubble which has still got some standing as farmer could'nt get on as it was to wet,all pigeons were try to get on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted November 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Every field on my main permission is still stubble so no rape to shoot over this year acorn's seem to be thin on the ground to looks like you lads could all have my sport this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcatcully Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 seeing many large flocks here in sw Dorset, mainly feeding on maize stubbles, most unusual, haven't seen flocks like this around here before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) Had a call yesterday from a farmer complaining they are hitting the rape hard will have a look friday or sat weather and work depending KW Edited November 7, 2012 by kdubya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Every field on my main permission is still stubble so no rape to shoot over this year acorn's seem to be thin on the ground to looks like you lads could all have my sport this year don,t bank on it 2 weeks ago they were on the stubbles and rape around here and chances of a bag on either of them was on the cards then i went game shooting last weekend on the same land the pigeons were on the previous week on rape and only a handfull of birds in the area, shot 2 on our walk round and they had beans and wheat in them so they must still be on stubbles at the mo going off the crop contents just not on our land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthunter49 Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Im on the out skirts of leicester and theres some massive flocks about but feeding on different things every day depending on the weather. Iv got alot of drillings being hamered.barley stubble. Maize. And the just starting on the rape.im sure its going to be a good winters shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMMER BURT Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 iam in the fens of cambridgeshire, the rape is knee high already but no pigeons on it as yet, they are still drilling wheat with some birds showing interest on the drill so may give the drill ago this weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) In my area of N Norfolk the pigeons are already hitting the rape in good numbers. I had my first day of the autumn this morning and though the birds were difficult to decoy over 1000 were feeding on the field when I arrived. Only 15 in the bag , but its a start , though my time pigeon shooting this time of year is limited as wildfowling is my priority. I did shoot a couple on the marsh a few days ago stuffed so full of hawthorn berries that the crops burst open when they hit the ground. I recon it could be a bumper year for pigeon shooting , good numbers of birds and poor acorn\berry crops should mean they have one choice this winter for their main food - Rape. Edited November 9, 2012 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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