Fair weather decoyers.

[JDog]

There are an increasing number of posts with the theme that there are pigeon shooters out in every harvested field at the moment. We all know that when crops are taken off the spilt grain is a major draw for pigeons and importantly for some that getting to the chosen hide position is much easier.

 

Where are these people in the winter months protecting the winter rape crops? Surely if someone has a strong interest in pigeon shooting they should be out decoying at all times of year not just in the late summer when the weather and the bags are likely to be better?

 

Last winter I had consecutive bags of 0, 0 and 3 on a new piece of land but I was out doing my bit to keep the farmer happy and the pigeons off his fields. He knew I was there in all weathers. In the late spring I shot over 1,000 birds on the same estate.

[ironhorse]

I quite agree with you my shooting mate and I were talking about this only yesterday, the fact that you don’t see anyone during the winter, now suddenly there all coming out the wood work , but it has been noted by the farmer this year, he told us he is going to get rid of quite a few of them this year.

[sako751sg]

Whinge,whinge,whinge.

I shoot doos probably 8-10 times a year as that's probably as many times as I can manage with them,and have some great hours in the winter too but I prefer this time of year when the bucks have slowed doon,theres no fowl yet and the game season hasn't started.The reason I don't really bother at other times is because unlike you I haven't the spare time to dedicate three ooutings for bags of 0,0 and 3 and can only say the birds couldn't have been a problem at that time if that's all you managed.My farmers phone when they are a problem,so I don't go showing face and keeping the birds off his ground when there obviously are not many to create a problem.If I see someone shooting on one of my places,ill sit and watch and hope they get a decent bag as there is plenty to go around if we look hard enough.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

There are an increasing number of posts with the theme that there are pigeon shooters out in every harvested field at the moment. We all know that when crops are taken off the spilt grain is a major draw for pigeons and importantly for some that getting to the chosen hide position is much easier.

 

Where are these people in the winter months protecting the winter rape crops? Surely if someone has a strong interest in pigeon shooting they should be out decoying at all times of year not just in the late summer when the weather and the bags are likely to be better?

 

Last winter I had consecutive bags of 0, 0 and 3 on a new piece of land but I was out doing my bit to keep the farmer happy and the pigeons off his fields. He knew I was there in all weathers. In the late spring I shot over 1,000 birds on the same estate.

 

 

That's how we do it, get out there and keep them moving, as a return for having permission on the farms and get out promptly when called by the farmer.

[malkiserow]

I guess we just don't shout out about rubbish bags!

 

People only give out the good news..... doesn't mean we treat our permissions with contempt.

[JDog]

Whinge,whinge,whinge.

I shoot doos probably 8-10 times a year as that's probably as many times as I can manage with them,and have some great hours in the winter too but I prefer this time of year when the bucks have slowed doon,theres no fowl yet and the game season hasn't started.The reason I don't really bother at other times is because unlike you I haven't the spare time to dedicate three ooutings for bags of 0,0 and 3 and can only say the birds couldn't have been a problem at that time if that's all you managed.My farmers phone when they are a problem,so I don't go showing face and keeping the birds off his ground when there obviously are not many to create a problem.If I see someone shooting on one of my places,ill sit and watch and hope they get a decent bag as there is plenty to go around if we look hard enough.

 

Was the whinge thing really necessary? Just give your opinion without the other stuff.

 

I don't whinge when I read your posts containing that bastardised english you come out with.

Edited August 15, 2013 by JDog

[kitchrat]

There are an increasing number of posts with the theme that there are pigeon shooters out in every harvested field at the moment. We all know that when crops are taken off the spilt grain is a major draw for pigeons and importantly for some that getting to the chosen hide position is much easier.

 

Where are these people in the winter months protecting the winter rape crops? Surely if someone has a strong interest in pigeon shooting they should be out decoying at all times of year not just in the late summer when the weather and the bags are likely to be better?

 

Last winter I had consecutive bags of 0, 0 and 3 on a new piece of land but I was out doing my bit to keep the farmer happy and the pigeons off his fields. He knew I was there in all weathers. In the late spring I shot over 1,000 birds on the same estate.

Agree 100%. One of my farms has a clash of interest with the gamekeeper, so I am restricted to one end of the farm. Although I only managed to get 1 good bag and a few dribs and drabs, "my end" of the farm is the only part where the rape did not fail and get ripped up or re-drilled. This point is not lost on a farmer!!

[eccles]

I'm one of those If i get a call that a farmer is having trouble with crows mostly,and it is raining i will go next dry day. Done my fair share of wet weather shooting over 40+ years and now paying the price for it,aching joint etc. I get your point though,have had blank days and some cracking days in the rain. atb Terry

[the pigeon man]

I love this place argu over anything ha

 

But I agree with jdog

 

Am always out all weathers tuck under a tree when raining or cut my way into a bush

[superspark]

Beginning of this year I was out shooting them as the snow was falling. Mainly crows as theres not many pigeon where I live.

[sako751sg]

 

Was the whinge thing really necessary? Just give your opinion without the other stuff.

 

I don't whinge when I read your posts containing that bastardised english you come out with.

 

I think english should have a capital E at the beginning fella,well it does in my bastardised English.

I think the whinge was as necessary as the fair weather decoyers comment.Like your comment is your opinion,mines my opinion so don't get your panties in a twist because you don't like mine.

[Cranfield]

Keep it pleasant gentlemen, disagree, but drop the personal comments.

[eccles]

Keep it pleasant gentlemen, disagree, but drop the personal comments.

[Cranfield]

This subject comes up every year and it can be irritating to go to a "good" field and find a summer shooter in residence.

 

As I shoot all week and have a fair bit of shooting land, the occasions are not too many, but there is an "unfair" air about it.

 

A few years ago two of the farmers I shoot for started the policy of written annual permission.

If you are not seen about in the winter, then the permission is not renewed.

That has weeded a few out.

[woody walloper]

combine chasers

[dolphin]

got to agree don't see anyone shooting crows round any of my perms but another couple of weeks and there will be

guns out everyday for the pigeons and geese but that suits me just fine

atb dolphin

[motty]

I do agree with you JDog to a certain degree, but i go pigeon shooting to kill pigeons. This doesn't mean that i only shoot in summer- far from it- but i will not be a mobile pigeon scarer. One of my farmers told me that there was several hundred on his rape during last winter. I checked the field and there were hundreds there. I went back with the intention to shoot only to find 0 pigeons. I tried to find them with no success. I wasn't going to sit on the first field and hope for something to turn up, so i went home.

[pigeon controller]

I have a fair few decoyers who appear on our permissions it can be frustrating but it would appear that there is always the Farmers shooters and the Keepers shooters ( beaters) . I usually check if they have permission as a form of security but I'm lucky that I usually can move on to another farm it is very rare that I will set up if another shooter is already shooting. It's a fact of human nature that when its nice weather people shoot, fish and even play tennis in the summer. Stubbles give the casual shooter the best possibility of a good bag .

[yod dropper]

Perhaps they've nothing to report over the winter, certainly nothing that looks that impressive when posted. I spent many barren hours out last winter in some pretty bad conditions. Getting my reward now though, I reckon I shot more birds yesterday than I did the whole of last winter.

[The Essex Hunter]

Easy just set up in the middle of the field and cut them off lol

 

 

TEH

[JDog]

When I posted it was not to report my own experiences but to collate those of other posters. I have exclusive rights over all of my land so the question of other decoyers being there before me never arises.

 

Some have indicated that there is nothing much to report in the winter. That is fine as long as they are going out to have a look. We can all stay in bed in the dark days of the winter and imagine that ...'there is nothing doing'.

[chrisrob2804]

its the same round my way but it is only a few, a couple of guys out my way are out all the time so I guess you could say that they are haunting the place and ruining it for everyone else. each to their own if you ask me. aslong as the farmers are happy cause if it wasn't for us god knows what the price of veg oil,bread etc would be.

[sitsinhedges]

I mostly roost shoot through the winter as soon as the leaves are off the trees. I will decoy if it's worth it but it rarely is in winter. At the minute it's a bun fight with decoyers popping up all over the place and usually beating me on to any particular field. All you can do is get stuck in if there's birds in a particular place before you lose it to someone else.

 

It's bloody annoying but I have to be grateful of some good bags earlier this year and that I have other land opening up soon.

 

The land I have keeps increasing too which is helpful B)

[-Mongrel-]

I have to laugh at this thread, but only because I've just had my first 'game shooter' turn up on our biggest farm. We've been shooting this one since last Christmas because the game syndicate hadn't been doing what they agreed to do...which was keep the crows under control. We've been regularly hitting the crows and now the pigeons and had some decent bags.

 

Our Game syndicate friend turned up a few days ago with his daughter and spent the whole day over standing crop...for two birds!!! I have no idea what he was doing wrong but there have already been two 100+ bags off this field, it has 3 major flightlines running across/along it and the pigeon have been landing on the crop in their dozens. I was there this eve for a couple of hours and ground out a dozen...but the neighbouring farms have just harvested and I'm pretty sure that's where they are at the moment.

 

It doesn't concern me, there are potentially a dozen of them, and even if they all turned up, they still wouldn't have the inside knowledge that comes with being on the farm at least 3 times a week, (often just for a recce, but I try and shoot once or twice a week) and while one or two may get into a decent day, they'll not shoot enough to make any real difference to me..

[dawntredder]

There are an increasing number of posts with the theme that there are pigeon shooters out in every harvested field at the moment. We all know that when crops are taken off the spilt grain is a major draw for pigeons and importantly for some that getting to the chosen hide position is much easier.

 

Where are these people in the winter months protecting the winter rape crops? Surely if someone has a strong interest in pigeon shooting they should be out decoying at all times of year not just in the late summer when the weather and the bags are likely to be better?

 

Last winter I had consecutive bags of 0, 0 and 3 on a new piece of land but I was out doing my bit to keep the farmer happy and the pigeons off his fields. He knew I was there in all weathers. In the late spring I shot over 1,000 birds on the same estate.

tell me about it a never see anyone until harvest am there all year round pretty much..when the fields come down they pop up regular as clockwork(saddo's)and the farmers agree with.me.al be down this wkend and every wkend ,plus midweek and if tha on any fields I've been recon on they will be moving on..thats a promise!!!

Edited August 15, 2013 by Robbie Forster