fenboy Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Just had a ride out to check my permissions hoping for a day tomorrow and not a pigeon in sight ! My game covers have been ploughed in and the rape is pigeon free That's the second week running , I have gone from lots to zero in those two weeks Covered 50 miles looking for anything worth knocking on a door for but still nothing. I hate not going at least once a week but have been shooting long enough to know when I would just be wasting my time , I do start to get withdrawal symptoms though . Hopefully things will improve with pea season quickly approaching now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigman Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Got the same problem mate , just nothing about on my permissions have to go on payed days just to get a shoot :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I saw about 3/400 this morning flying in and out of some fir trees....very near HMP..... two fields away was some rape but non feeding on it. In the fields near the pigs (S.O.S) Loads of them had 20 to 50 birds feeding on bits of rape or old cut wheat....most r/h side of fields. Seems to be plenty here, but that has been the case all winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunny_blaster Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I clocked up over 120 miles yesterday looking for birds and saw very little. Probably no more than 350-400 altogether. Most of the birds were on clover either in people's big gardens or on horse paddocks in small bunches between 5-40. It seems to of gone very quiet all of a sudden Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I've been seeing quite a few on grass fields, after the clover i should think. The **** land down the bottom of my garden, 30 of them at least most of the time. They just know the 12 bore is too much for the garden, maybe time for a .410 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakin stevens Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Done the same myself, Rape is that slow due to being drilled to late last year they is nothing on it, plenty of fertilizer going on this weekend so when it starts moving might see a few drift back. to many gas guns out as well due to the fact farmers can't afford crop damage on a already poor crops of rape, bring on the drillings! never had big bags on rape in the winter usually shoot plenty in early spring on bare patches on rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Done the same myself, Rape is that slow due to being drilled to late last year they is nothing on it, plenty of fertilizer going on this weekend so when it starts moving might see a few drift back. to many gas guns out as well due to the fact farmers can't afford crop damage on a already poor crops of rape, bring on the drillings! never had big bags on rape in the winter usually shoot plenty in early spring on bare patches on rape. yes I too normally shoot plenty on bare patches , trouble is this year the crop is so poor there is going to be far too many poor bits the birds will not get concentrated on smaller bare patches like they normally would . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 And this is why I joined an ft club years ago so atleast I can have a shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Our club was roost shooting in north Northumbria yesterday. With eight booked in when I left four had never fired a shot, others one or two pigeon best by then was six, pigeons are just not on our ground now where they were once abundant. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard.Hosgood Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 went out this morning bright and early, to a new permission where the rape has been hammered by huge numbers of pigeons over the last few days, so i was full of expectation - a dusting of snow overnight and they seem to of all foxtrot oscared elsewhere, didnt see a bird, move twice, still no luck, gave up and went home - very odd! gonna go back tomorrow and look in passing enroute to work and see if they are back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 yes I too normally shoot plenty on bare patches , trouble is this year the crop is so poor there is going to be far too many poor bits the birds will not get concentrated on smaller bare patches like they normally would . I went to 3 farms on Saturday and in total i must have seen over 3000 pigeons. I had a little go but it was a waste of time. I'd keep an eye on those poor rape fields, they may well come good in late may/june when all else has grown away. I've had some cracking days in the last couple of years on some backwards rape where it was one of the only available options for the pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty* Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 we seem to have plenty round near me at the moment but if there isnt a few of us out keeping them moving about its wasting your time. they move from game strip to rape to freshly ploughed land ect. but when you can keep them moving it can all come together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 A lot of ploughing going on at the moment. They'll be on the drill soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 went out today on one of my perms, just been ploughed,, put decoys , 2x bouncers and a magnet out,, not one single bird was about also put some crow decoys out and a total blank after 5 hours total waste of time, felt sorry for the guy i took with me barley going in , in next fortnight so can only pick up surely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrawny40 Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 went out yesterday to new permission, 5-600 birds about. so set up for a couple of hours, had 13 woodies and 2 crows. watched them go back and forth between 2 rape fields, using the same flite lines. so next week ill set up under flite line and have a full day at it. mite turn out a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 A lot of ploughing going on at the moment. They'll be on the drill soon enough. Very little spring drilling goes in around here other than peas, not a big barley growing area . A bonus is that the field behind my house may be peas this year as the wheat crop has had so much slug damage that the farmer thinks he will have to plough it in and re-drill with peas. Last time he had peas on that field he swore never again as it attracted so many pigeon ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenny Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 praying for peas peas and more peas in that field Fenboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 praying for peas peas and more peas in that field Fenboy Yup me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Greylag like Peas, can clear a field in a day or so....Should have shot more Geese when you had the chance lads. Loads of Geese here now, will stay until about August....whats your plan B? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pboro shot Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 we have 1000s of birds at the min been caining the rape for a bit now there is drillings they are bouncing between the 2 a few areas of grass/clover are pulling big numbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 I clocked up over 120 miles yesterday looking for birds and saw very little. Probably no more than 350-400 altogether. Most of the birds were on clover either in people's big gardens or on horse paddocks in small bunches between 5-40. It seems to of gone very quiet all of a sudden Ben Hi Ben , yes since the snow came the and went so did the pigeons, They will be back.!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnys Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 It's cronic here in Norfolk, I went out to look at the rape over the wknd and the pigeons are either no where to be seen or in flocks of 1000+. I've recently had my guns fitted/adjusted and can't wait to get out with it. Roll on spring drillings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 apart from a few bags on stubbles and a few decent roost shoots its been very poor all winter on the rape local to me and on land 20 or so miles away we shoot on, never seen it so devoid of birds i,m counting the days till the drilling starts i think it will come good march/april Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 apart from a few bags on stubbles and a few decent roost shoots its been very poor all winter on the rape local to me and on land 20 or so miles away we shoot on, never seen it so devoid of birds i,m counting the days till the drilling starts i think it will come good march/april It seems the opposite round here - massive flocks of birds every few miles when driving around. Doing something with them is another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 totally dead around the north wales area,cant wait for the barley to go in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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