It's the middle of December - it must be rape.

[JDog]

I have previously posted that I am not the greatest exponent of winter rape shooting. It has normally been ..'one bang and they are gone...'.

 

This year appears to be slightly different. There is absolutely no beech mast, nor acorns and the hawthorn berries have been eaten up by pigeons, blackbirds and fieldfares. It would seem that the pigeons have little alternative to rape in this area at least.

 

Last Saturday supplied pefect conditions for winter shooting with a strong wind, overcast conditions and a flock of 300 to 400 pigeons feeding hard on a rape field. I took a chance to set up between two woods on a flight line and hoped that the wind would keep the birds moving. Between 11 and 12:30 I shot 37 pigeons which was good for me, especially as they were not easy floating aound as they were on the wind.

 

After I had packed up when the flight dried up I went to the other side of the farm and saw 500 to 600 pigeons sitting up in a long belt of trees and dropping down onto the adjacent rape field. Those birds will receive my attention next weekend - if they are still there.

[breeze]

I always struggle on winter rape. Around here (worcestershire) the crops are always planted in one big block, as you say one barrell and thats the day! so i havn't bothered the last few years however there does seem to be an unusual amount of birds about, flocks around 3 to 500. went out on some beans yesterday we shot around 30ish in a couple of hours. Any tips for shooting on rape? thaught maybe lots of bangers or something!?

[jonnys]

I'm pretty new to decoying, and very new to decoying over rape - secured my first rape fields a few months back. All the books I've read said that winter rape is nigh on impossible, one shot and that's it, don't bother with winter rape etc. BUT I've had loads of sucessful days on there - yes there are flocks of 500 plus, but there's also groups of 5-20 round and they come into decoy nicely, I've also had a few singles just drop in from nowhere.

 

Without winter rape I'd be bored sitting at home dreaming about pigeon shooting, so whilst it may not be as good as stubble in the summer, when you've been stuck in an office all week waiting to get out - it'll certainly do!

 

One thing I have started doing it bagging up with canes on parts of the fields I don't want them to land, and also on ajoining fields - works really well.

 

All the best.

[luckytrigger]

I'm pretty new to decoying, and very new to decoying over rape - secured my first rape fields a few months back. All the books I've read said that winter rape is nigh on impossible, one shot and that's it, don't bother with winter rape etc. BUT I've had loads of sucessful days on there - yes there are flocks of 500 plus, but there's also groups of 5-20 round and they come into decoy nicely, I've also had a few singles just drop in from nowhere.

 

Without winter rape I'd be bored sitting at home dreaming about pigeon shooting, so whilst it may not be as good as stubble in the summer, when you've been stuck in an office all week waiting to get out - it'll certainly do!

 

One thing I have started doing it bagging up with canes on parts of the fields I don't want them to land, and also on ajoining fields - works really well.

 

All the best.

 

Im on the rape tomorrow morning. There is a banger one end of the field with no pigeon on it but the other end had a good sized flock lift off as i walked around. Lot of birds seemed to be going onto the rape then sitting in the nearby hedgerows. Hopefully get a few.

Edited December 28, 2012 by luckytrigger