theshootist Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Hi, I had an interesting day shooting over a field drilled for peas yesterday. It was the second time I've shot over this field. Last time I used a magnet (with hypaflap decoys) and had little success. Yesterday I forgot the battery for my magnet and just shot over static decoys and a couple of "angels", this was much more successful and I had a good afternoon's shooting taking about 30 birds (don't laugh this is pretty good for me!). Does anyone else find that on a seeded field the magnet is less successful? Of course any number of things could have made the difference, but I was left thinking that the magnet wasn't necessary or actually put birds off on a dark earth field where the decoys stand out so well. I would be interested to hear thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Magnets work in any situation. I'm not saying it is always necessary to use one, but i use one on pretty much every outing and i shoot a few. I think what happened to you was purely coincedence and you would have shot just as many (maybe more) had you been using a magnet. A week ago i shot 163 on drilled barley (the pictures are on a post in 'Talk from the field'. A local pest controller was watching from over the field as the birds weren't co-operating early on. He phoned a mate who then phoned me. The pest controller had said to him that i should take the magnet down as the birds are swerving away. I replied that i knew what i was doing. The moral of the story is, magnets work on drilled fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshootist Posted April 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Thanks Motty, I'll give the magnet another go then as I will be back again next Saturday for some more. I may try it off to one side rather than straight in front of me (I am setting up with my back to the wind and with a U shape pattern to my front). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Well, we were out yesterday afternoon and left the magnet in the car! They can make a difference but are not the answer to every situation. A good clear pattern on the freshly rolled field and a flapper brought birds in to the "killing zone." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshootist Posted April 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 It was so windy yesterday the magnet could have been blown over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Its impossible to do a "scientific" test, as no two days are the same. If the birds aren't coming in to the decoys, I put a rotary out. If there is a rotary out and birds don't come to the decoys, I take the rotary in. If that doesn't work, I start fiddling with the pattern. If that doesn't work,........................................etc., etc., If that doesn't work, I go home, tomorrow is another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 No pea drillings yet, I've got to work till the weekend so my luck says he'll put them in tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Magnets work in any situation. I'm not saying it is always necessary to use one, but i use one on pretty much every outing and i shoot a few. I think what happened to you was purely coincedence and you would have shot just as many (maybe more) had you been using a magnet. A week ago i shot 163 on drilled barley (the pictures are on a post in 'Talk from the field'. A local pest controller was watching from over the field as the birds weren't co-operating early on. He phoned a mate who then phoned me. The pest controller had said to him that i should take the magnet down as the birds are swerving away. I replied that i knew what i was doing. The moral of the story is, magnets work on drilled fields. Motty, how would you have dealt with the pest controller if he had wandered across to your hide position to offer his expert advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Its impossible to do a "scientific" test, as no two days are the same. If the birds aren't coming in to the decoys, I put a rotary out. If there is a rotary out and birds don't come to the decoys, I take the rotary in. If that doesn't work, I start fiddling with the pattern. If that doesn't work,........................................etc., etc., If that doesn't work, I go home, tomorrow is another day. You could post something similar in every thread that requests guidance on so many aspects of pigeon decoying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Motty, how would you have dealt with the pest controller if he had wandered across to your hide position to offer his expert advice? I would have been polite, as i may be able to get more land to shoot that way. I would have told him that i was confident in what i was doing and to see how many birds i end up with. I've had this sort of thing before. I've been told my hide sticks out like a sore thumb and that my decoys were too close to me. I asked these people to then explain how i managed to have a big pile of dead birds next to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 (edited) I would have been polite, as i may be able to get more land to shoot that way. I would have told him that i was confident in what i was doing and to see how many birds i end up with. I've had this sort of thing before. I've been told my hide sticks out like a sore thumb and that my decoys were too close to me. I asked these people to then explain how i managed to have a big pile of dead birds next to me. should of said go on pw and look at my signature to the op shot 93 on barley drilling yesterday with the rotary out the whole 4hrs of the session at times blowing a gale and I honestly believe we wouldn't have got half that without it, Edited April 15, 2013 by yickdaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 It is rare that I do not use a rotary. I did not use one last Wednesday on barley drillings as I felt that the line in was just too strong for me to go wrong and so it proved. I did use one on Saturday on bean drillings and there is no doubt that pigeons on two separate flight lines going elsewhere came to have a look before veering off. The rotary was not to blame for the veering off I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superspark Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 At the end of the day all these methods can work well just as in fishing if something is not working you try changing it a little or move untill you find what is right for that day as one day will never be the same as another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karpman Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 As much as I like a magnet and I do, if I forgot the battery no biggy would carry on. Now if I forgot the flapper I would go home lol Karpman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted April 18, 2013 Report Share Posted April 18, 2013 Have to say birds in my area have gone right off the magnet and decoy so much better without 1 . having said that i still like the magnet and will be using it again soon on the younger birds which will soon start to show up . ive shot plenty over the magnet on drilling and will still use when it works . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshootist Posted April 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2013 Well I'm going to give the magnet a go on the same drillings tomorrow. This is several hundred acres of peas and beans so there is plenty there for them. I understand another chap shot 88 on Tuesday, as well as 169 and 68 the previous Sunday and Saturday! I've obviously got a lot more to learn. I also picked up two floaters and will have my flapper on a timer. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaz Posted April 19, 2013 Report Share Posted April 19, 2013 I tried a magnet for the first time during the week, it pulled birds from 400yds out but then when within 60mtrs out they all jinked of, pulled it in and the birds started coming back into the pattern. Then the bouncer started putting them of, pulled that in and just left deeks out and they decoyed even better. Guess each day is different so experiment and if it don't work change it - just like fishing I suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srspower Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 I decoyed over a freshly seeded field last sunday (check my video) didn't get a bag like yours and I must say don't be modest that's an impressive bag! I was pleased with eight, that's good for us! But anyway the magnet definitely works the pigeons decoyed really well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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