JDog Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 We've all been waiting for harvest to shoot pigeons. It certainly means easier access to the chosen hide position, possibly better weather and the chance of good bags. However just because the peas have been taken and there are loads on the floor or there is a barley or rape stubble does not automatically mean that there will be sufficient pigeons on those fields to shoot a decent number. I have read posts asking how long stubbles should be left before shooting and the answer should surely be until there are plenty of birds using those fields and entering on good flight lines. This may be the day after harvest or even weeks later but it is pointless going out unless the birds are using the field in numbers. One field of rape just outside my village had hordes of pigeons on it before it was harvested. Now three days after harvest there is not a bird to be seen at any time of day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 With the big farmers around me the problem is they are 3 weeks behind, so the cultivator is literally following the combine... yes the birds will still pick on that ground but with this heavy rain and Essex clay the turned over ground will be very sticky.... Hard to judge at the moment...... TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Last Friday on the way home from work I saw two large fields being harvested and on the way to work this morning they had already been ploughed. Still waiting on my permission to spray as it has been too windy and knowing my luck it will all happen while I am away with the kids..... I wonder if they have much in the way of pigeon shooting around Rotterdam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 I had been waiting for the winter drillings (2012), nothing, rape in the winter..usual story and not many birds. Ok for the first time in many years they spring drilled here like most of the rest of the country....still nothing I have been optimistically expecting a glut of pigeons at each stage of the farming calendar. So thinking there must now be thousands of un shot pigeons about, I eagerly awaited the laid cereals... and still hardly anything about. 3 years ago, I had some fabulous bags over a 2 week period on the laid cereals. The few pigeons that are about, and I'm talking of 120-150 or so on this particular farm are just behaving like the winter rape birds. Completely un decoyable. So I was thinking maybe we might get a decent stubble shoot, but the ground is being turned over faster than you can say 30grms of no6 Apart from a couple of good ones, generally the bags on pw are the lowest I've seen for years. My last four outings have been with the air rifle as I see little point in dragging all the decoying gear out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Reality strikes!!! As I said last week, there is no longer a Holy Grail. Pigeon shooting is changing and it ain't getting easier - that's why I'm sitting here typing............................ There are plenty of birds this year, they just don't want to follow the "rules"!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Reality strikes!!! As I said last week, there is no longer a Holy Grail. Pigeon shooting is changing and it ain't getting easier - that's why I'm sitting here typing............................ There are plenty of birds this year, they just don't want to follow the "rules"!! BINGO! Being living things, they, the pigeons can and will change their behaviour depending upon the weather, available food and mirriad other factors! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 (edited) yickdaz 2841 posts Joined 27-February 10 From:a field somewhere in the northwest pigeon shooting Posted 30 July 201yickdaz Members 3 - 05:57 PM they are more than likely in another area feeding, you will find not all stubbles will attract birds they have certain fields they like going on year after year and completley leave others alone, I know of quite a lot of fields we shoot when harvested will produce bags every year and some that won,t even get a sniff basc member I,ll stick with what I said above in the is the stubble the holy grail thread, and agree with jdog in this one Edited August 5, 2013 by yickdaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Reality strikes!!! As I said last week, there is no longer a Holy Grail. Pigeon shooting is changing and it ain't getting easier - that's why I'm sitting here typing............................ There are plenty of birds this year, they just don't want to follow the "rules"!! Change the rules then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Reality strikes!!! As I said last week, there is no longer a Holy Grail. Pigeon shooting is changing and it ain't getting easier - that's why I'm sitting here typing............................ There are plenty of birds this year, they just don't want to follow the "rules"!! I don't really agree with this. Although it has been a tough year for serious decoyers, there has still been chances to shoot good bags - that is if you have enough land to shoot in decent pigeon areas and also put the effort in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightymariner Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Agreed. I think there are more pigeons than ever, it's just finding them at the right time at the right spot. In some cases I have found them hard to decoy, but often that has been down to other shooters shooting the same field and location over and over again. I have just avoided these as it has been pointless trying to shoot when you know someone has been at the same spot every other night. It's hard to explain that a better bag may be made by letting the birds build in confidence to some. The worst spots have been those close to town as they are easy for shooters to pop out too, so again I go further afield. One of my farms which is great for pigeons is a disappointment at the moment as the part time keeper keeps bringing foreign shooters every time a promising situation arises - so frustrating as the farmer will text me about some pigeons, I will make plans to go, only for him to txt me to say the keeper has just turned up with a couple of guns. I am lucky as I have plenty of land and unfortunately you just have to put up with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 I had a look at the pigeons shot totals so far for 2013 and they are down about 3,000 on last year, looking back at numbers shot gives us no answers. I have lost count of the amount of days this year where I expected a big bag of birds, to then finish the day in single figures. I have just got back after some recon for a days shooting tomorrow, and as ever I have picked a couple of sites to shoot based on the pigeon traffic....how confident am I on a big bag or some very good shooting....not very. Flight lines have been harder to find this year and pigeon leaving fields never to return has proved the norm, I hope that shooting on stubble brings better days ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 The whole 'Pigeon shooting is getting harder' thing makes sense, we've all been busy shooting the stupid ones, and soon the only ones left breeding are the "**** that I'm going to turn off at 400 yards" ones.I reckon when I'm an old man I'll be shooting pigeons at 125 yards with a 4 bore punt sticking out of the hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hushpower Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 motty and yikdaz after a long hard winter and late spring i reckon they are more interested in geting their oats bigtime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 motty and yikdaz after a long hard winter and late spring i reckon they are more interested in geting their oats bigtime seen a few on oats they are around trust me on that they may not be in your area but bet your bottom dollar there will hundreds going on thousands in another area somewhere, they come and go on the land we shoot, won,t see a bird or very little one month and then the place is lifting with them few months later then off they go again not to be seen for another 5 or 6 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby dazzler Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Lot of birds around gloucestershire area last year dident have much luck at harvest but this year is a lot differant getting some good bags now on peas barley stubble getting regular bags of 100 plus now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete1dart Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 We had 100,s on the peas last week. Since all the other farms have been cutting there barley and a couple on the rape, no pigeons to be seen on our patch. They will be back when we cut our rape. Then go again until we cut our wheat. It's just the way it goes. I believe pigeons are like fox. They will find the easiest way to there food and the way to get there. To the un experienced, I mean a fox will use a gateway to the field. A pigeon will use a flight line, staying in a wood over night if they have had to travel a mile or two. A fox will use the gateway over a hedge with a ditch in the way. The easiest route and less energy used means a healthier bird/animal. And more time to feed. Hoping we cut the rape tomorrow. I will be out with the combine foe a fox. I know roughly where they will run, I also know what pigeon in the area will be using a certain flight line across the field. Hoping for a bumper day with fox, pigeon and rabbit on the agenda. Almost a mac nab day!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 BINGO! Being living things, they, the pigeons can and will change their behaviour depending upon the weather, available food and mirriad other factors! Glad someone agrees with me. All this stuff about just find a flightline, or just find the right field or just this or just that just shows how different various parts of the country are. When I see Crowman Crow building a hide the size of a two-bed house in the middle of a field or Big George Digweed standing up, head and shoulders out of the hide with a silly Xmas hat on, both shooting like mad, I can see the differences. (unless they are baiting the field for two weeks??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I have always said that standing in the hide and bobbing around watching for incoming pigeons looking over the net is not such a good idea. Better to sit down and look through a top layer of netting of about 1' which is see through which is what I do. My argument is of course shot to pieces by the exploits of Crowman and Digweed who never sit down and who seem to shoot a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I don't really agree with this. Although it has been a tough year for serious decoyers, there has still been chances to shoot good bags - that is if you have enough land to shoot in decent pigeon areas and also put the effort in. Yes.it's still possible, I had a 35 and 40 off the same field the other week, just birds dropping into the wheel tracks. I'm lucky enough to be in a group with 10's of1000's of acres to shoot and I spend several days each week (and £100 of fuel) looking for birds. The above bags were all I could muster, except the odd single-digit efforts to keep farmers happy. There are lots about but I don't get excited unless I see more than a dozen or so going in during an hour of watching any particular field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I have always said that standing in the hide and bobbing around watching for incoming pigeons looking over the net is not such a good idea. Better to sit down and look through a top layer of netting of about 1' which is see through which is what I do. My argument is of course shot to pieces by the exploits of Crowman and Digweed who never sit down and who seem to shoot a few. Different area? Different behavoir?? The way they carry on they wouldn't get a shot round here, even Big G can't hit a pigeon that's over the horizon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Change the rules then! To what then ?? Baiting fields? - Can't afford it and the farmers would hate it "Don't bring them ******'s onto MY farm" Land mines? Anti-personnell mines?? (that might work for large flocks on rape in the winter...) Any other ideas, I'm open to almost anything....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Different area? Different behavoir?? The way they carry on they wouldn't get a shot round here, even Big G can't hit a pigeon that's over the horizon!! Agreed in full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Change the rules then! Just thought of the answer! Win the Euro lottery, big-time. Buy all the farms in Essex. Farm them just for shooting reasons. Laid wheat - no problem, send out the roller. Badly drilled peas, don't use a drill, use a fertilizer spreader Need wires, with decoys - build them, just leave out the 100,000 volts. The right crops in the right place at the right time. 100 men with gas guns etc moving birds off the 99.99% of Essex you are not actually shooting at the time, for three days before you go out. Big bags for sure............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I have always said that standing in the hide and bobbing around watching for incoming pigeons looking over the net is not such a good idea. Better to sit down and look through a top layer of netting of about 1' which is see through which is what I do. My argument is of course shot to pieces by the exploits of Crowman and Digweed who never sit down and who seem to shoot a few. I must admit, i also do this a lot. Birds just don't spot me. I don't think pigeons' eyesight is as good as many people believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I think if you keep the movement to a minimum and are spotting pigeons some distance away, you can get away with looking over the net. Also, if your hide is offset from your layout, the incoming birds should be focusing on that, not you. However, I have stood up many times in the hide to take incoming birds at 35yards away and they have carried on into the decoys, taking no notice of me at all. It seems the first Rule is there are no rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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