Jigsaw fitted!

[kitchrat]

After the last few weeks of frustration and moaning on this forum about how my birds don't build up, don't decoy and premature cultivation of stubbles, you may have thought I was just a Grumpy Old Man!! (Quite right!!)

Well, all the reccy work and fuel paid off at last.......

Two of my perms have a total of 5 adjoining fields of peas. Last Wednesday, farmer A cut his 2 fields. By Saturday there was very little interest in the stubble as there was very little crop spilt (He has a new, state-of-the-art combine) Farmer B was starting to cut his and birds were feeding on the standing crop - can't shoot it because I'd do massive damage dropping birds into dry brittle pods. He says he will finish it Sunday midday and rip it up on Monday morning, So, with little interest in stubble (it's getting ripped Monday anyway so no time to build up) I decide that the plan is to shoot it Sunday pm after church (there is one nearby!), when the birds coming in, expecting to feed on standing crop, instead of going elsewhere, will be fooled by my decoys into thinking it was business as usual.

So I set up under some pylons in the middle, tiny hide, they won't see me.

IT WORKED!!

Now the excuses-

No set flightline so birds could come from anywhere, usually where you are not looking (how do they know?)

Many birds didn't commit fully, giving the sort of rangy shot that Big George can hit all the time and Crowman most of the time (Kitchrat SOME of the time)

Wind made them swirl about.

Wires made them swirl about.

Sun in eyes,

Erratic shooting, sometimes I can't miss (10 in a row), sometimes I can't hit even the gimmies (5 in a row).

 

However, I ended with 103 picked plus about 10 lost in ditches and hedges where I couldn't retrieve, for under 200 shots.

Thank you Lord!!

 

By the way, any upside-down bodies had a big negative effect on commitment (re some previouse post)

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well done!

 

Now you've had your good day will things return to normal?

[kitchrat]

I wish!

But, as you found today, it's much less automatic these days to get good bags on stubble. It really is a jigsaw, 1 bit missing = no result.

Good luck!

[motty]

Well done on your well deserved success.

 

I did a bit of a test while i was out on some rape stubble yesterday. I placed seven dead birds on their backs and easily visible to any birds wanting to join my decoys. They were placed in a line right in the centre of my pattern. Pigeons came in fine and i shot 50 in just over 2 hours.

 

My only conclusion is that maybe pigeons are chased around more in your area and are less settled.

 

When you say that it is less 'automatic' to shoot good bags on stubble these days, what do you mean by 'these days', exactly?

Edited August 12, 2013 by motty

[JDog]

Sorry I missed this post earlier.

 

Yes your plans seemed to work and it sounds as though you will be busy in that area for some time.

 

Remembering some of the threads of last week I left some upside down birds out at the weekend and pigeons which looked as if they were committed to the decoys veered off 60m away. When I turned them over or placed them in the pattern normal service was resumed and they came where I wanted them to.

[kitchrat]

Well done on your well deserved success.

 

I did a bit of a test while i was out on some rape stubble yesterday. I placed seven dead birds on their backs and easily visible to any birds wanting to join my decoys. They were placed in a line right in the centre of my pattern. Pigeons came in fine and i shot 50 in just over 2 hours.

 

My only conclusion is that maybe pigeons are chased around more in your area and are less settled.

 

When you say that it is less 'automatic' to shoot good bags on stubble these days, what do you mean by 'these days', exactly?

Maybe 2010 onwatrds, I've found it much harder. As you say about upside down birds, it seems to depend on how keen they are. Yes the birds up here are chased about, the farm managers have only got to see 2 birds and the gas guns come out!!

Back in the old days (1999??), I had spent all day trying to decoy on a large block of rape. Whatever I did, they veered off and went elsewhere in the block. Tiny hides in ditches, lying covered up in ditches, they veered away. Then, at close of play they started to play ball. Although they were STUFFED with rape (crops burst up when they hit the deck), they couldn't resist my decoys as they headed to roost. Birds upside dowm, no problem. Gamekeeper turned up on his ATV having heard the noise, I came out of the hide to talk to him and we took turns to shoot, just standing beside the ATV. And they were already stuffed.

Makes no sense does it??

[motty]

Maybe 2010 onwatrds, I've found it much harder. As you say about upside down birds, it seems to depend on how keen they are. Yes the birds up here are chased about, the farm managers have only got to see 2 birds and the gas guns come out!!

Back in the old days (1999??), I had spent all day trying to decoy on a large block of rape. Whatever I did, they veered off and went elsewhere in the block. Tiny hides in ditches, lying covered up in ditches, they veered away. Then, at close of play they started to play ball. Although they were STUFFED with rape (crops burst up when they hit the deck), they couldn't resist my decoys as they headed to roost. Birds upside dowm, no problem. Gamekeeper turned up on his ATV having heard the noise, I came out of the hide to talk to him and we took turns to shoot, just standing beside the ATV. And they were already stuffed.

Makes no sense does it??

That's very interesting. Though there is no lack of pigeon shooters where i am, i can usually find a situation where the birds are fairly settled and will respond well to decoys - certainly at this time of year. Looking back over recent years, i haven't struggled for a few good bags on stubbles, having had 200+ bags on wheat, barley, bean and rape stubbles.

I've shot pigeons in Essex (you shoot in Essex?) a few times and i've had some good bags there. I found the pigeons co-operative enough.

I hope you have some more success on the stubbles. Good luck.

[kitchrat]

That's very interesting. Though there is no lack of pigeon shooters where i am, i can usually find a situation where the birds are fairly settled and will respond well to decoys - certainly at this time of year. Looking back over recent years, i haven't struggled for a few good bags on stubbles, having had 200+ bags on wheat, barley, bean and rape stubbles.

I've shot pigeons in Essex (you shoot in Essex?) a few times and i've had some good bags there. I found the pigeons co-operative enough.

I hope you have some more success on the stubbles. Good luck.

Thanks Motty, but I've just spent all day trying to follow up my success. I've looked at 100's of acres of rape, rape stubble and cultivated rape stubble plus barley (all three situations) plus wheat (all thrre) plus peas (all three). I've got no beans ripe yet.

My best bet for tomorrow looks like cultivated rape stubble, there were a few on one field (40?) a fair bit of movement ON the field (which I suggest means there is lttle food) but little additional coming and goings of birds.

I expect to stuggle to get "a pie" (8 birds!!)

I'm the Dunmow -Chelmsford area of Essex. I know there are birds there, they just don't seem to be bothered to build up on anything, there's enough food about with no special draw situation??

JK

[motty]

Thanks Motty, but I've just spent all day trying to follow up my success. I've looked at 100's of acres of rape, rape stubble and cultivated rape stubble plus barley (all three situations) plus wheat (all thrre) plus peas (all three). I've got no beans ripe yet.

My best bet for tomorrow looks like cultivated rape stubble, there were a few on one field (40?) a fair bit of movement ON the field (which I suggest means there is lttle food) but little additional coming and goings of birds.

I expect to stuggle to get "a pie" (8 birds!!)

I'm the Dunmow -Chelmsford area of Essex. I know there are birds there, they just don't seem to be bothered to build up on anything, there's enough food about with no special draw situation??

JK

I've shot in Kelvedon a few times and somewhere near Rettendon when i've been out with Peter Theobald. They seem very good pigeon areas.

I'm hoping for a decent day tomorrow. The farmer on a good pigeon farm has said the half cut rape stubble will be left alone for me to shoot. There must have been a few hundred on the field at 3pm, with plenty more joining.

I