ADVICE ON FLIGHTLINES

[G.I. countrysports U.K. GARY]

FLIGHTLINES

 

Woodpigeon shooting professional, Gary Wilson from G.I. Countrysports U.K. deals with the subject of flightlines.

 

Flocks of feeding Woodpigeon move from their roosting woods to the fields in which they feed using well-established flightlines. These regularly travelled routes have been used by generations of pigeon and are well known by all. Every area where woodpigeon are found has these flyways in the sky. The serious decoy shooter knows all the flightlines in his area of operations like the back of his hand. He also understands how this knowledge can be used to his advantage when conducting reconnaissance prior to a day's shoot, and also the superb sport those lines have to offer, especially during winter when flight shooting.

 

The Grandfather of Woodpigeon shooting, the late Major Archie Coats, penned the phrase {any time spent conducting reconnaissance is never wasted} when dealing with the subject of recognising flightlines, never a more true word has been spoken.

 

Good flightlines tend to run parallel with natural features such as hedges, dykes, treelines, and rivers. Woodpigeon also use man made features for flightlines such as roads, and pylon lines. When crossing open country, the birds will also line themselves up using prominent features such as a small spinney or copse, the corner of farm buildings, a large prominent tree etc.

 

Prominent features and flightlines are used by the woodpigeon as navigational aids in order that they can operate many miles from their home base.

 

To a Woodpigeon, a flightline is used in very much the same way as we use roads in our cars to get from A to B. The closer we get to the roosting woods the more heavy the traffic will become along that flightline. In order for us to establish where good flightlines occur, the roost wood is where we must start to look first.

 

Mediums to large woods have several points where the pigeon will exit. This in turn means that a wood can have several different well-used flightlines that lead out on any point of the compass. Which flightline the birds decide to use on any given day, is governed by, firstly the wind strength and direction, and secondly where the best feeding fields are situated in relation to the wood.

 

In general, when the wind is strong, say over 30mph, the birds will tend to leave the wood on the downwind side. But when a really good feed field is on offer, such as a badly drilled field or laid Barley for example, the birds are more than prepared to battle against a good headwind. I have often observed birds' leaving the roost woods into the teeth of a gale in order that they may flight to such fields!

 

Commercially planted forests tend to be the preferred Woodpigeon roost woods. Conifers dominate in commercial woodland, and the pigeon seek out these densely planted places that offer them warmth and shelter from the wind. In my area, Larch plantations surrounded by hardwood stands hold the largest concentrations of roosting Woodpigeon. These woods are also the starting points of the best and most easily identifiable flightlines in my area.

 

In order for us to establish where the main flightlines are in any given area, we must first of all focus our attention on the local roost woods.

 

Arrive at the wood just before first light and park up on the downwind side, somewhere that offers a good view of the wood. Make a note of the wind strength and direction then wait for the pigeons to start moving. Watch the birds closely, make a note of the exact line they are all taking. Are they all heading for one prominent feature? Often they will leave the wood on exactly the same line flying quite some distance. Should the pigeon fly into the distance and out of sight, make a note of the last place you saw them, then watch closely for other birds to do the same. When you are quite satisfied that most of the birds are following roughly the same route, it is then a matter of driving to the nearest point where you last saw the pigeon disappearing into the distance. Park up again and watch what route the birds are taking from this new observation point. In no time at all you will quickly build up a picture of the flightline used from that wood, on that day, with the given wind direction.

 

Obviously, several trips to the wood are required to establish the flightlines on differing types of wind in order to build up a full and accurate picture. Also, should you carry out this process you will very quickly find where the birds want to feed on that day, and ultimately the best fields to shoot over.

 

Recently Iain and I took on some new land to operate on. Land that we were unfamiliar with. We spent four days conducting extensive reconaisance in exactly the same way as explained. This extensive reconaisance resulted in several really good shooting days, having established from the outset, all the flightlines from a large wood nearby. This new land is shot over by other pigeon shooters, but our selected hide sites, which were set up directly under these flightlines, had never been previously used.

 

While reconnoitring flightlines, you will often observe the birds setting out along a well used line, flying for quite some distance, then dropping off the line to alight in the same place every time. I call these places DROP-OFF POINTS.

 

Normally, the first drop-off points are within a mile of the roost wood. The woodpigeon fly to these places in order to carry out their own reconaisance. When the birds are using drop-off points, in general they are not sure where the best feed is for that day. Maybe, the day previous saw them going back to roost feeling hungry, the field of drilling where they followed the line to yesterday, was already picked over, and only a few grains of seed could be found. By flying to a drop-off point first of all, the pigeon can observe from this vantagepoint where other woodpigeon in that area are going out to feed. It is then a matter for them to join this line and follow it to its source.

 

Drop-off points explain why several different lines can turn up on a field when we are out shooting. You will no doubt recall during those elusive red-letter days, that the line to your field changed during the afternoon. What happened in effect, was that birds had congregated in various drop-off points along different flightlines during the morning, had then spotted a line of birds going out into the distance and joined in to follow it. This had led the pigeon to your selected field giving you the chance to shoot at fresh birds during the afternoon. When this scenario occurs shooting a good bag is always on the cards.

 

Several drop-off points can be found along the same main flightline. Make a careful note of these places for they can produce some of they very best sport, especially on those slow days.

 

Recently, I called in to see a retired headkeeper who is an old friend. He lives alongside a very good roost wood. I asked him if he had spotted any pigeon movement over the previous few days, (local knowledge is always the best) we went to the front of his house where he pointed out in the distance a couple of old dead trees. He informed us that that those few dead trees used to be a small spinney years ago, and that it was and still is one of the best places to shoot pigeon in the area. This man was born in that house and has lived there for over 65 years. The interesting fact was that I had previously spotted this drop-off point where every pigeon leaving the wood on the southern side flew. Woodpigeon have been using that same place for over 65 years and probably more. Such is the importance of finding these very productive places.

 

 

Often we will be out and about on our patch looking for feeding woodpigeon. The only problem being that we haven't got any really good fields that have hundreds of birds flocking on to them. To a certain extent, we are at a loss where we ought to set up, and if we do not find any pigeon soon, we will call it a day and get off home. Believe you me, the woodpigeon is in exactly the same boat for it can't find any really good fields in that area either. Look no further than those well used drop-off points. Armed with a set of lofting poles set up under the most used trees and enjoy, what is for me the cream of sporting shooting, the chance of a few shots at what are in effect, high driven woodpigeon. Bags will be modest, but every bird that is shot can be remembered.

 

Not every day out after the birds will result in big bags being shot. Enjoy the sport for what it really is, the chance of shooting at a truly wild quarry, and be satisfied with your modest bag knowing full well that your field craft and skill has outwitted the most sporting of all birds.

 

THE WOODPIGEON

[rb5037]

Good info there, thanks

 

Adam

[Vermin Dropper]

I was out today looking for the flight lines, and possible drop off points from a wood on a new farm shoot I aquired, true enough there they were.

Thanks for the sound advice.