Is it too sunny to shoot?! Where have they all gone??

[CanneyKnight]

Hi...newbie to the forum

 

I have been shooting for approx 15 yrs mainly on clays and picking up with my spaniel but recently got back into pigeon shooting. I am based right on the essex/cambs/herts border where I permission over a number of farms (approx 1500 acres) but only rape and wheat is grown with a few fields of beans.

 

I thought I had found a good flight line where approx 100 pigeons were feeding all week on rape. However yesterday I was out at 9am with magnet and decoys very keen, but saw nothing! Shot 1 crow and that was it...Moved after 1.5 hrs onto another field of rape about 1 mile away but same story (but no crow this time!).

 

Three questions I have;

 

1. When it is perfectly clear and very brights/sunny do people find pigeons are not as keen to feed/ take flight? I could barely see anything flying let alone coming into my pattern.

 

2. Is April generally a very slow month because of breeding? I saw approx 30 pigeons over approx the 1500 acres i have permission on!

 

3. Are people finding pigeons are feeding much later in the day, mid afternoon to early eve?

 

Thanks...any advice greatly appreciated, losing my patience with these cunning birds!

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

They do tend to feed later in the day now.

Also they are pairing up and are getting at it now.

The bright conditions might have put them off.

I shot a few on rape yesterday afternoon not great though.

[motty]

Bright conditions will not put pigeons off feeding!

You may find that birds will come to a field later in the day, reconnaissance may give the answer.

Pigeons are feeding in the woods right now and they are busy building nests and breeding. Keep an eye on the rape - i'm sure they'll be back.

[CanneyKnight]

Thanks for info...I think I may have been a bit too keen, maybe lunchtime onwards would have been more successful. Might also wait a few weeks as I hope the numbers will start to come back out of the trees and onto fields again.

 

Did also wonder if my magnet on a clear day stands out like a sore thumb, might try bringing it in next time as an experiment.

[The Essex Hunter]

Thanks for info...I think I may have been a bit too keen, maybe lunchtime onwards would have been more successful. Might also wait a few weeks as I hope the numbers will start to come back out of the trees and onto fields again.

 

Did also wonder if my magnet on a clear day stands out like a sore thumb, might try bringing it in next time as an experiment.

I went late afternoon (yesterday) over beans, there were birds flighting out of the trees along the head land. I clapped them off as far as I could because that is not my ground, and then set up 200yds to shoot away from the wood with a plan not to shoot behind me!!

First bird comes in and yes you guessed it drifted behind…bang it came down and 400/500 lifted up from the back of the wood!!

Out of the 13 I shot 4 had straight wheat 2 had drilled barley the rest where empty…

Plenty of beans on the ground and easy picking but the main flock split in 2 and left.

With only lookers drifting back in..You could never predict they were in there and only resting in the trees and still in a big flock….!!!!

 

TEH

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

Don't leave it to long before you retun to the rape

as its growing real fast now. Look for them feeding on

bald or backward patches. Reconnissance is the key.

Know you enemy. Good luck.

[turbo33]

I think they have their mind on other things in this warm weather

[CanneyKnight]

Thanks guys, will be back to have a look on thurs....hopefully they will have stopped 'gettin it on' and come to have a look at my very appealing decoys!