Pigeon decline

[ironhorse]

The decline in pigeons in the south has continued, year on year we kid our self’s oh the pigeons are feeding in the woods, and yes in the past maybe 3 years they have, to a degree!! we see a flock of 50 or so start to fly out of a wood and hope this is a sign of better things to come, but is it, I don’t think so, winter sets in what rape that can be planted is hurriedly put in trying to avoid more rain, early November suddenly pigeons are everywhere, thank ---- for that they are here, but it’s all very short lived these flocks soon disperse or is it they are migrating , things back to normal chase a few pigeon field to field for a few hours, maybe ambush a few, but wait there are pigeon on the rape must be 60+!! Don’t slam the car doo--r Oh to late, maybe if I don’t look at them they won’t fly away, told you not to ware that aftershave. Bloody pigeons

[ditchman]

are the permissions being shot too regular ?....in my area in the last 2 years number of pigeons are doubling each year...same ammount of shooters.. i havnt known pigeonshooting like this for 10 years or so !

[ironhorse]

Hello Ditchman

Well I have shot the estate for around 20 years now, it is a very big estate I try to get out there at least once a week during the week not weekends, I drive the estate which takes a couple of hours to see what’s going on and just keep track of things, I know the keeper has a couple of intermittent shooters and some weekends there are a couple of people out making noise with a gun.

Edited December 25, 2012 by ironhorse

[Alanl50]

I dont think there on the decline its they have so much to choose from now, too effectively target an area you need a number guns to work the area in unison to keep them moving, its all dependant on crops, not really cold enough for rape, there still feeding from the hedgerows whats not rotting, they were on winter wheat the otherday next to the rape! I shot 33 the other day and there crops had a total mixture when dressing them out.

I been told oxfordshire is the area for pigeons at the moment, so Ill meet you there lol

Alan

[ironhorse]

You are right when you say more guns are needed to keep them on the move, part of trouble down here is so many farms have removed hedges between fields and now have one large expanse of rape, what pigeons do drop in simply move to another part of the field or go elsewhere, when 3 or 4 guns would cover a field in the past, now you need double and treble the amount, which brings its own problems.

[motty]

The decline in pigeons in the south has continued, year on year we kid our self’s oh the pigeons are feeding in the woods, and yes in the past maybe 3 years they have, to a degree!! we see a flock of 50 or so start to fly out of a wood and hope this is a sign of better things to come, but is it, I don’t think so, winter sets in what rape that can be planted is hurriedly put in trying to avoid more rain, early November suddenly pigeons are everywhere, thank ---- for that they are here, but it’s all very short lived these flocks soon disperse or is it they are migrating , things back to normal chase a few pigeon field to field for a few hours, maybe ambush a few, but wait there are pigeon on the rape must be 60+!! Don’t slam the car doo--r Oh to late, maybe if I don’t look at them they won’t fly away, told you not to ware that aftershave. Bloody pigeons

I don't understand the bit about not slamming the car door.

[fenboy]

I cant see that they are in decline , I have seen more this year than I can remember around here .

I have a sitty tree in the field behind my house which I shoot under just a few times each year in the 12 years I have been doing this my best bag was 42 (I only shoot for a afternoon)

In the three goes I have had in 2012 I had 54, 60 and 72.

I had also never shot a 100+ bag on the fields around my house in this time , this year however I had a bag of 125 and my shooting partner 112 off the same field in the same day !

[TJ91]

Not as many on my permissions this year. Not seen as many in the area either

[hawkfanz]

weve had more this year than ever b4 in south lancs/cheshire border,but they,ve all dissapeared again,barley stubble still not turned,wetter than ever on the fields.

[fielddweller]

Never seen so many around here 1000s of them,could be that we have plenty of wheat that didnt get combined.That said a few of us are out tomorrow so ive been out reccying today and spent an hour watching at least a 1000 on a rape stubble field.Shot alot of birds in the last month and hardly seen any with rape leaf in them.

atb

Fielddweller

[Fisheruk]

Pigeons galore in my area. The sky is thick with them together with the noise of wing beats. Never seen so many.

[diddy]

Hardly any in Suffolk on my permission

[Cranfield]

In my part of Kent they are very numerous, probably more pigeons about than I have seen for years.

Although with the continuous wet weather, they have competition from the slugs as to who is going to eat all the rape first.

I am just waiting for a Farmer to ask me to go out after dark with a torch and a packet of salt.

[army646]

Plenty in Yorkshire at the moment. Much better than last year. Wonder if they have moved a bit further north this year?

[blackfive]

very very few up here like, most that are about are in the towns !

On the wing, in the fields, & in the woods very very few.

Its s..t to be honest for every thing.

No rabbits, no pigeons, & even the greys squirrels are keeping there heads down!!!

[TJ91]

Plenty in Yorkshire at the moment. Much better than last year. Wonder if they have moved a bit further north this year?

Where in yorkshire are you if I may ask? Not as many as usual in my area (ryedale/scar)

[bongaanie]

here near spalding there are hunderds of them went down yesterday must have been 500+ on the sprouts and around the same amount on the rape