Decoy pattern advice ASAP

[Mr Rizzini]

What would you do?

 

Hi all need some advice for a decoy pattern for tomorrow as this will be the first time I've used a flapper, floater and magnet on here.

 

The green lines are the flight lines from the woods that I see steady every time I'm there, the red line is showing the field I'll be shooting. I cannot setup on the left hedge as it is facing a house that is about 150-200 yards away.

I would be greatful if you could suggest a pattern using 12 shells, a magnet, a floater, a turbo flapper.

I ave also including the weather forecast and a larger pic of the field if anyone fancies making a drawing

cheers in advance

 

 

 

[Actionpigeons]

I would spend a good hr tomorrow just watching before setting up.

Looking at the pictures I would set up at the bottom of the picture on the flight line with a cheek wind as that way the birds should see you coming and also going back to the wood.

about the middle looks good where that small group of trees drops away from the field. Also that looks far enough away from the house not to get of the people wick.

Have fun.

[Mr Rizzini]

Heres my own thoughts on things

[Actionpigeons]

yes thats what i was saying ...lol but maybe the magnet the opposite side you have your paturn facing with the wind the way you have it set.

so put the shells where your 25yard mark is facing the right, magnet a bit further to the right again in-front of the shells and your floaters coming from where you have the magnet now.

Edited November 23, 2012 by Actionpigeons

[alastair0903]

I would spend a good hr tomorrow just watching before setting up.

Looking at the pictures I would set up at the bottom of the picture on the flight line with a cheek wind as that way the birds should see you coming and also going back to the wood.

about the middle looks good where that small group of trees drops away from the field. Also that looks far enough away from the house not to get of the people wick.

Have fun.

 

 

What he says , just said what I was thinking

Edited November 23, 2012 by alastair0903

[Mr Rizzini]

yes thats what i was saying ...lol but maybe the magnet the opposite side you have your paturn facing with the wind the way you have it set

oops I meant to put them the other way round.

[proTOM1]

I would do the same pattern or 2 groups but i would go for the other end myself .

[Actionpigeons]

I would do the same pattern or 2 groups but i would go for the other end myself .

whys that then because if he sits on the other side he will have the wind in his face.

basic pigeon shooting having a back or at least a cheek wind.

Edited November 23, 2012 by Actionpigeons

[proTOM1]

whys that then because if he sits on the other side he will have the wind in his face

 

Thats just my view wind wont be full on and the flight line runs down the wood then to the field just think the birds would head back that way if going else where also . Hard to say when u dont no the land . Im sure the bottom would be fine too i just would shoot the top end .

[Actionpigeons]

Thats just my view wind wont be full on and the flight line runs down the wood then to the field just think the birds would head back that way if going else where also . Hard to say when u dont no the land . Im sure the bottom would be fine too i just would shoot the top end .

if the wind is as he says it will be on the map if he was to shoot the other end as you say, the birds will swing out and come in from behind him.

shooting the bottom the birds should swing out into the field and up to the right in front of him. cant understand your thinking sorry.

[proTOM1]

Not always the case tho is it . the wind looks to be going slightly ne anyway plus its more to do with the flight line for me . with it running down the wood rather than just out at some point i feel that would change and move more likely than the 1 running down the wood to the field . i would also think of the birds spooking at the rotary and flapper on entering the field at the bootom ,yes things can be changed but that can be said for any spot on the field . put decoys well out at the top if needed but the wind dont look strong .you work it how you want it at the end of the day . this is my view and i expect others to have a different view but this is mine .

[poontang]

Are they feeding on the field, or flighting over to feed elsewhere?

[Actionpigeons]

Not always the case tho is it . the wind looks to be going slightly ne anyway plus its more to do with the flight line for me . with it running down the wood rather than just out at some point i feel that would change and move more likely than the 1 running down the wood to the field . i would also think of the birds spooking at the rotary and flapper on entering the field at the bootom ,yes things can be changed but that can be said for any spot on the field . put decoys well out at the top if needed but the wind dont look strong .you work it how you want it at the end of the day . this is my view and i expect others to have a different view but this is mine .

given the choice I would never set up with the wind blowing into me when decoying and I would think most on here would think the same that do any amont of decoying.

But as you say we don't know the land.

I said in my first post I would always sit for a good while before setting up, watching where the birds are flying and turning using the wind before I decide to set my hide, flight lines change with the wind

Edited November 23, 2012 by Actionpigeons

[proTOM1]

given the choice I would never set up with the wind blowing into me when decoying and I would think most on here would think the same that do any amont of decoying.

But as you say we don't know the land.

I said in my first post I would always sit for a good while before setting up, watching where the birds are flying and turning using the wind before I decide to set my hide, flight lines change with the wind

 

Im going on what i see in the pic of the flightline and with the wind going more north in the day . for me i put myself where the strongest flighline is and what i see as being the best spot for the day and not just for the wind been shooting long enough to no whats what to an extent in an ideal world would always have the wind at my back but if the stringest line is not going to give me this then i will put up with whatever . But like said not knowing the land and the field and if the birds are even using it ,it is hard to say .

 

So to the op sit and watch before setting up .

[yickdaz]

Heres my own thoughts on things

as been said watch first and see were they want to go but thats were i would be inclined to set up with the wind coming side on, and you can shoot at anything on your left and straight ahead of you you can even take shots at birds on your right but wait till they have passed the house in your field of vision. just a few things i would change is the rotary position i would have it more central between the hide and decoys, and open up the decoys on the left hand side not the right and try and get the birds approaching from the left into the wind

[Mr Rizzini]

will keep you's posted on how the day goes and thanks for all the tips and advice.

[Catamong]

If your sketch is to scale then you will have your magnet about 30 yds from your hide, big mistake, it needs to be half that distance, same goes for all of you other decoy settings, bring 'em in a lot closer, and you will then be shooting birds in range, not 40 or 50 yards from your hide.

 

Cat.

[Mr Rizzini]

If your sketch is to scale then you will have your magnet about 30 yds from your hide, big mistake, it needs to be half that distance, same goes for all of you other decoy settings, bring 'em in a lot closer, and you will then be shooting birds in range, not 40 or 50 yards from your hide.

 

Cat.

cheers will keep you posted

[bakerboy]

If your sketch is to scale then you will have your magnet about 30 yds from your hide, big mistake, it needs to be half that distance, same goes for all of you other decoy settings, bring 'em in a lot closer, and you will then be shooting birds in range, not 40 or 50 yards from your hide.

 

Cat.

 

I am with you Cat.

Decoys 10/15 yards from the hide furthest decoy at the 40 yard mark.

Make life easy not hard, you will be shooting most at the extreme edge of your range.

[poontang]

I'd be wary of putting a hide in that spot.

 

Looking at the first photo you've got a house 150-200 yards to right, and a road a similar distance to your left. You'd be seriously limiting your shooting opportunities without possibly dropping shot on one or the other.

 

Find the field on Google Earth and use the measuring tool to get a more accurate idea of the distances involved, you might be surprised.

[Mr Rizzini]

Hi all

Today was a total disaster, was setup by 8am and had plenty off pigeon flying over head but with the low/zero wind the birds where staying very very high and not showing any interested in the decoys as the field was covered in frost, We then packed up at 12 and went and got some food and came back at 1:30 and stayed until 4 but the birds didn't show any interest in landing apart from one young bird. We also got another pigeon and 2 crows which where streaming through the sky.

 

The problem? I believe the biggest problem was that the frost didn't lift all day and that the wind was nowhere to be seen, What do you guys reckon.

[Actionpigeons]

Oh well that's pigeon shooting. better luck next time.

[yickdaz]

Hi all

Today was a total disaster, was setup by 8am and had plenty off pigeon flying over head but with the low/zero wind the birds where staying very very high and not showing any interested in the decoys as the field was covered in frost, We then packed up at 12 and went and got some food and came back at 1:30 and stayed until 4 but the birds didn't show any interest in landing apart from one young bird. We also got another pigeon and 2 crows which where streaming through the sky.

 

The problem? I believe the biggest problem was that the frost didn't lift all day and that the wind was nowhere to be seen, What do you guys reckon.

to quote action pigeons thats pigeons for yer, did you have your rotary out today i found birds very finicky today myself they were flying high in big flocks not settling on any particular field just moving from one to another with a few flightlines scattered about,so i set up on one of the lines reason i ask if you had the rotary out, is they wouldn,t come within 100 yards of me with just decoys and turbo flapper out but as soon as i set the rotary up they started diving in from great heights only managed 20 but the rotary saved the day for an hours shooting

[vampire]

If you set the same pattern as in your picture,i am not surprised nothing came to it,its to cluttered and rotary is in the way for a clear path in,personaly i would have had (as some else mentioned) two groups in a longer pattern,with a hand full of decoys on the tail end of the wind then a gap and then a larger body of decoys,the gap in the middle is the kill/landing zone,your hide postion could be anywhere from the middle back towards the tail,the rotary should be kept well away from the flight line in and over to one side.

There is nothing better than watching the birds before and on the day for at least half an hour,at least you will know what fields they are feeding on and only have to determine the days flight lines,better still you will get a better idea of landing patterns and how they look for the middle gap and fly right over the tail enders but never the front end.

On a different note,i took my brother out pigeon shooting today,the first time he has shot a gun and he got 13 pigeons in 3 hours on the drill for about 40 shots.

[Mr Rizzini]

had the pattern totally different from in the picture and had a few different patterns than in the pic that were well spaced out etc but the birds just weren't interested today.

had to get things in scale etc on a comp, I also used some of archie coats patterns but seemed the frost was to bad for them.

what would you have done vampire? (perhaps a pic will help me and others)