jonnys Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Hi folks Only been shooting for a few years and have worked really hard to build up a number of farms with different crops successfully. I had a good Autumn/Winter shooting on the rape but now everything seems to be dead. I went on Saturday with the intention of decoying some rape, found plenty of low patches where I thought I mind find some pigeons but nothing. I ended up just walking round the rape with the odd pigeon popping up giving me at least a bit of Saturday afternoon sport. I also have fields with wheat, barley, carrots etc but they're a complete waste of time for decoying atm. I absolutley love my pigeon decoying, and have recently had my A400 fitted and cannot wait to get out there and try it. But it seems so slow at the moment, I might just pack up for a few weeks and wait till the harvest? Trouble is if I keep going out and trying to shoot will poor results it's easy to become disillusioned if find. I haven't got an pea fields, so am think I might be better to dust the fishing rods off, get the HMR out, or do something else for a few weeks until things pick up........... I suppose what I'm asking is are most people stuggling atm, is it just not a great time of year for decoying.... When will things start to pick up again? I assume the next time I can shoot rape is when it's harvested? when's that on winter rape in Norfolk, roughly? Cheers, Jonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I,m the same as you mate no peas on my perms, get the rods and HMR out and wait till harvest time, ATB Flynny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnys Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Thanks for that flynny, good to hear someone else is sharing my problem! I'm on a lovely river fishing syndicate for barbel/chub, so only got a couple of weeks and start fishing. I think I'd be better to pack up for a few weeks, and get back to it fresh at harvest time, rather than slog it out and become totally fedup and disillusioned with it all. Jonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Again, no peas on any of my permissions, got the fishing rod out for the first time last week, had a nice Tench and a mixed bag of other bits and pieces. I was fishing on the boundary of one of my farms and spent the afternoon watching the pigeons and corvids moving around. Went back the next morning and only got a couple of each! Roll on harvest time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I think we are all having a poor time at the moment. We have been able to do a bit with the rabbit population so not been idle. Most people are expecting things to pick up, but we have been saying this since Christmas. You will soon know when to get your decoying gear out.....just stay tuned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubby Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 are you just turning up and looking for bare patches or pigeons, or checking out feeding areas the day before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraivi Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I have watched all last week on peas. I have access to 5-6 adjacent pea fields alongside rape. Looked good and with a number of birds feeding i decided to go setup on saturday am. After 9hrs looking at empty fields and skies I packed up. There was nothing moving around the area so upping and moving would not have helped. In the end I fired 3 shells, got 2 crows, drank 1.5l of tea and smoked 8 fags. Saw 4 woodies tanking off at altitude. Just one of those days but still enjoyed. You got to be out there to get 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnys Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Thanks for your replies, seems like we're all in a similair boat! Just text a farmer to ask if he's got ANYTHING they are on and he said no, but has put me onto a farmer friend of his with peas - so going to follow that up. Stubby - tbh I am just turning up on the day and trying my luck, but I work full time Mon - Fri, all my perms are 20-30 miles away, and I only really get Saturday to shoot. I really do appreciate the benefit of getting out there and watching and I do this as much as I can but it's just not practical for me unfortunately. Ghost - yeah I'm all over the rabbits atm, had about 300 out of one farm with the HMR, shoot my best ever the other day - 24 in 3 hours! Think you're right, going to keep on with that. Thanks again for all your replies, think I'll concentrate on some of my other field sport disciplines and get back on the decoying when the time is right..... I have to say - I do love this forum, never joined one before but it's great to be able to speak to people about the hobby and resolve problems such as this in a matter of minutes rather than spending hours staring a rape feild and scrathing my head! LOL! Jonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazed Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I have had a few days but not great numbers. I went to a friends sat in the garden I counted more pigeons than I have seen all year on the field Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnys Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I have had a few days but not great numbers. I went to a friends sat in the garden I counted more pigeons than I have seen all year on the field LOL! Yeah I drove pass a horse paddock at the wknd and there must of been about 200 in there feeding, god knows what on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Yes it is dead this time of the year....there are exceptions, and you do hear of guys having good days on paddocks and mullered areas of rape....unless i want a peaceful day i dont go out until end of june....i have a couple of areas where there is countryside managment strips down the edges of the fields, and put up a few deeks and a flapper, and just think about the stubble shooting to come...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 LOL! Yeah I drove pass a horse paddock at the wknd and there must of been about 200 in there feeding, god knows what on! If they are in the horse paddock then they will be feeding on clover.... We have loads on the clover at present but you can not really shoot when the horses are out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigman Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Out yesturday to have a go as its been very quiet on my permission , set up on a barley field that had small patches of self set rape coming though that hadn't been sprayed yet , there was around ten pigeons down feeding when I arrived sat for 2 hours with nothing returning , gave up went home and cut the grass If they are in the horse paddock then they will be feeding on clover.... We have loads on the clover at present but you can not really shoot when the horses are out Iv got a 410 hushpower if you fancy giving it ago sometime Nick ? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Out yesturday to have a go as its been very quiet on my permission , set up on a barley field that had small patches of self set rape coming though that hadn't been sprayed yet , there was around ten pigeons down feeding when I arrived sat for 2 hours with nothing returning , gave up went home and cut the grass Iv got a 410 hushpower if you fancy giving it ago sometime Nick ? :-) Would love to but these horses are worth over £100k each and as good a friend as the owner is if I go anywhere near them with a gun he will go ape..... saying that they are due to come in during the evenings so I may get a little dabble then..... Thanks for the offer though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigman Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 100k each , I'd not even breath in there direction then if it was me ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 same every where no pigeons about, i have hundred of acres of peas, and beans and rape, and nothing on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 talking about peas.....last year on one of my areas 2 fields of peas were sown....the next day 500-600 birds were on them......so we went out the next morning...nuttin allll day ....any way we found out when they were havesting and the morning after 4 of us turned out early doors to get them on the halm.........not a bl**dy bird insight all day................so much for peas..........and in the past years i have had some cracking days on peas...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Think its the same for everyone really at the moment ,tho there are some signs of improvement in my neck of the woods . Now the rape has shot up with the good weather its leaving bad areas to the birds and not full fields . sent stu nesling off pw to such a spot yesterday afternoon and he bagged 33 . Have really noticed there feed times are late afternoon or at first light . Bags will start to go up but you need to find them first .Im shooting mainly over spring rape young sugar beet and patches of rape ,bags in the last few weeks have been ,26 off rape patch , 23 on spring rape ,18 on young beet and 48 off patchy rape and now 33 on patchy rape so much better than the 15s and 18s a few weeks ago . plus seeing a few young birds . Keep watching your bad areas of rape as they could come good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 They are feeding early and late, especially on the low areas of rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caeser Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 It's always a similar story at this time of year. I get my bass rod out, and go get a few of my favourite sea fish, from a different type of scenery. Just got back from a couple of days away. 4 of us fishing, 27 bass between us, nothing massive ,but still decent fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Very nice, how do you cook your bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caeser Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 (edited) Very nice, how do you cook your bass? Mainly whole in foil, because it's quick and easy, but I've had it in every way you can think of. I love the stuff. If I have spare time on my hands, I'll fillet them on the beach, then they become very versatile. Even coujons in a cider batter, that is beautiful. The cider batter idea was courtesey of Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall. Edited May 28, 2013 by caeser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 All sound very good to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonraider Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 IM GLAD TO HEAR SOME MORE SHOOTERS ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS ME I TOO HAVE PUT THE GUN AWAY AND PULLED OUT THE FLY RODS AND TAKLE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Thanks for that flynny, good to hear someone else is sharing my problem! I'm on a lovely river fishing syndicate for barbel/chub, so only got a couple of weeks and start fishing. I think I'd be better to pack up for a few weeks, and get back to it fresh at harvest time, rather than slog it out and become totally fedup and disillusioned with it all. Jonny river Wensum,?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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