Decoys better than dead birds

[Actionpigeons]

Interesting topic. I used to think that decoys had a slight advantage over dead birds because of the movement you could get with them. These days i firmly believe you can't beat the real thing. I don't think it matters too much whether they are head up or down, if pigeons are set on the field, they'll come in.

I've also heard it said from one or two that you can have too many decoys in a pattern. I think that's rubbish. You can certainly have too little, but never too many. I have shot over a ton with over 100 decoys in the pattern. That amount of decoys probably wasn't necessary, but it certainly looked convincing. On the other hand, i shot 154 on peas this year using approx 8 dead birds and a magnet. No dead birds were added - they weren't required. Every pigeon that entered the 10 acre field came to have a look. That amount of decoys may not have worked so well on a field three times as big.

Sorry to disagree with you but I do think you can have to many dead birds out. I would never have more than 50 dead birds out when shooting.

my reasons:

Firstly, I want to decoy the pigeons in to an area to shoot them, if you was to have a 100 or more dead birds out they would be over a large area and some birds that decoy may well decoy to the edge of the pattern as they do with a smaller decoy pattern.

secondly, I always shoot with my dog/dogs and quite often shoot from permanent hides that the dog cant see out of. once I have set a bird my dog wont touch it, so I just send her out and she will find the retrieve without instruction.

thirdly, once I have set 50 birds I am lazy and don't like getting in and out of my hide, I would rather let the dog get on with her job, sending her out and just putting the birds behind me in a pile.

hay but what ever works for you keep doing it

Edited December 22, 2012 by Actionpigeons

[Hamster]

You can definitely have too many, once the birds are proving to decoy well to say 20-40 dead birds or decoys setting up 100 serves no real purpose. Apart from making it harder for yourself to gather up at the days end, not to mention giving the incomers too much choice of where to land.

[subsonicnat]

When on cut wheat etc, why bother with spikes, plonk them down and put the cut stalk in its mouth looks great and come in lovely:

Bike spokes in the head when its rape..

[chrispti]

Thats the beauty of decoying, there is no 100% correct way of doing it. What works one day may not work on another.

 

 

Interesting topic. I used to think that decoys had a slight advantage over dead birds because of the movement you could get with them. These days i firmly believe you can't beat the real thing. I don't think it matters too much whether they are head up or down, if pigeons are set on the field, they'll come in.

I've also heard it said from one or two that you can have too many decoys in a pattern. I think that's rubbish. You can certainly have too little, but never too many. I have shot over a ton with over 100 decoys in the pattern. That amount of decoys probably wasn't necessary, but it certainly looked convincing. On the other hand, i shot 154 on peas this year using approx 8 dead birds and a magnet. No dead birds were added - they weren't required. Every pigeon that entered the 10 acre field came to have a look. That amount of decoys may not have worked so well on a field three times as big.

 

I agree mate.

 

Iv had a few 200+ days, I leave most of the birds out, just pop out every now and again to tidy the pattern up if the birds start to flare off.

 

I also dont bother with heads up or down, I just lay the birds on the floor.

 

Thats the beauty of decoying, theres 101 ways of doing it.

[motty]

You can definitely have too many, once the birds are proving to decoy well to say 20-40 dead birds or decoys setting up 100 serves no real purpose. Apart from making it harder for yourself to gather up at the days end, not to mention giving the incomers too much choice of where to land.

You simply can't have too many out! All the decoys are in range of the gun. I agree that it may not serve a purpose when the birds are all decoying well, but that doesn't mean there is too many out.

I'll try to find a picture of when i've had over 100 decoys out and post it.

[Hamster]

I've had days where after a while it became obvious I'd made matters worse by having too many out, dragged a few into the hide and made it easier for the birds to channel themselves in where I wanted them rather than too many skirting the outer edges and dropping in or flaring off out of shot. At the end of the day you're trying to bring them in to a specific area, having 300 decoys out there will certainly turn a lot of birds towards your general direction but that isn't necessarily what kills the most.

 

PS. 100 was just a number, I've had close to that out myself but just saying sometimes you can have too many.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Hamster

[cooooper1]

don`t think you can beat dead birds but first you need them dead birds at some stage,i personal love fud`s for me total unbeatable.

[The Essex Hunter]

I think it all depends on the day and your situation, I have around 40 flock shell decoys when they are spread out in a random pattern they cover quite a large area.

With the winter rape shooting and the large flocks leaving a field all together, the opportunity’s are a lot less so I tend to leave them where they lay and not leave the hide unless the birds keep flaring from one upside down.

I have set out 30+ birds amongst the shells when on beans/wheat stubble which made a vast difference in the numbers coming in.

From a weight point of view then the half shells win every time but I do believe a well presented dead pigeon looks so much better. If you can drive close to your set up and you have a cold store then I would use them but with the distance to the correct place to shoot compared to the easy place to set up and see birds landing 200/300 yards from you then I will stick to the flock half shells.

 

TEH

[David 686]

Just a question, not being toooooo contentious.

 

If the pattern works and attracts the birds, why do you need to add to it?

 

Have you ever tried stting shot birds in cradles and placing them on a fence line or hedgerow so they look a little like sentry birds?

 

Sorry to high jack Cos, but you know what I am like.

 

Terry

 

Just a question, not being toooooo contentious.

 

If the pattern works and attracts the birds, why do you need to add to it?

 

Have you ever tried stting shot birds in cradles and placing them on a fence line or hedgerow so they look a little like sentry birds?

 

Sorry to high jack Cos, but you know what I am like.

 

Terry

[David 686]

Shot birds in cradles on the fence or in the hedgerow. Terry that's a fantastic idea. Where did you find out about doing that. :-)

[lakeside1000]

I think the best idea is no idea at all, take each day as it comes, weather patterns, wind directions all have an effect, I start with the same pattern each time, two lofters in a nearby tree or tall bush, 6 flocked full bodied and 12 shells, 2 floaters and the magnet set as close to the hide as i can, each spot I shoot I vary the pattern to make the best of the area, one thing I have found is putting a few full bodied up on 24 inch posts in the center of the pattern seems to catch their eye from all directions, especially if the rape is beginning to get thick at ground level, what dosnt work one day will work another, if the pattern is not working make small adjustments as the day proceeds, I only start to fill the pattern with dead birds if it stops pulling them in, but I never have more than 35 or 40 decoys including dead ones out at a time, the most important thing i find is keeping that center kill zone absolutely free of birds,they will always come straight to the center of the pattern if they have an open landing area, Ive never used fuds or socks, to be honest I cant afford them, Ive collected my decoys over time, cheap as I can find, ebay etc, even made a few of my own, its not what youve got, its how you use them.