Dead birds on the magnet

[Smokey 1]

What do you guys use ? I have a pair of hyper flappers out on the magnet this afternoon and swapped them over for two fresh shot pigeons on them bouncer cradle things, problem was they kept twisting and at one point even came off. The fresh birds did seem to pull them in a bit more but I wasted a lot of time trying to sort them out on the cradles. Any ideas ?

 

Cheers

 

Smokey

[-Mongrel-]

Always dead birds on the magnet for me, occasionally I use foam winged decoys on the floaters, but not on the flapper or magnet.

[sitsinhedges]

Hypaflaps at the right speed but prefer the compactness and lightness of turboflappers in place of a magnet now.

[Guest stevo]

dead birds .

[Davyo]

What I do is I freeze 2 birds after de breasting and take em out the night before shooting.This way you dont waste any meat and they are lighter on the magnet.

[The Ghost]

What I do is I freeze 2 birds after de breasting and take em out the night before shooting.This way you dont waste any meat and they are lighter on the magnet.

+1

[Bobba]

What do you guys use ? I have a pair of hyper flappers out on the magnet this afternoon and swapped them over for two fresh shot pigeons on them bouncer cradle things, problem was they kept twisting and at one point even came off. The fresh birds did seem to pull them in a bit more but I wasted a lot of time trying to sort them out on the cradles. Any ideas ?

Cheers

Smokey

Not sure what you mean by "cradle thing" and why they are twisting.

For real (dead!) birds the ends of my magnet arms and bouncer arms are the same in principle i.e. a central rod with a "V" spreader with wing nut for tightening it in place on the rod. You shove the rod up the backside of the decoy until it lodges in behind the skull. Then slide the spreader up behind the bird and tighten in place with the wing nut and spread the wings over the "V" and secure them open by pushing onto the fixing pins. They should not swivel. If they still do then it could be one of two problems. You are not tightening the wing nut sufficiently or the wing nut is a tad short and not tightening enough on the rod and needs to be replaced by one slightly longer.

HTH

[missmoreandmaster]

Not sure what you mean by "cradle thing" and why they are twisting.

For real (dead!) birds the ends of my magnet arms and bouncer arms are the same in principle i.e. a central rod with a "V" spreader with wing nut for tightening it in place on the rod. You shove the rod up the backside of the decoy until it lodges in behind the skull. Then slide the spreader up behind the bird and tighten in place with the wing nut and spread the wings over the "V" and secure them open by pushing onto the fixing pins. They should not swivel. If they still do then it could be one of two problems. You are not tightening the wing nut sufficiently or the wing nut is a tad short and not tightening enough on the rod and needs to be replaced by one slightly longer.

HTH

hi Bobba

I had the same prob. because the "v" spreaders where plastic where the wing nut went through you could'nt get it good and tight, I had several made up by local work shop always take them all with me and mount fresh shot birds at the end of day to freeze down for next time out and ready to go ( without having to remember the night befor)

Regards Martin

[filzee]

Not sure what you mean by "cradle thing" and why they are twisting.

For real (dead!) birds the ends of my magnet arms and bouncer arms are the same in principle i.e. a central rod with a "V" spreader with wing nut for tightening it in place on the rod. You shove the rod up the backside of the decoy until it lodges in behind the skull. Then slide the spreader up behind the bird and tighten in place with the wing nut and spread the wings over the "V" and secure them open by pushing onto the fixing pins. They should not swivel. If they still do then it could be one of two problems. You are not tightening the wing nut sufficiently or the wing nut is a tad short and not tightening enough on the rod and needs to be replaced by one slightly longer.

HTH

 

 

This is exactly how to do it. I'v never had one twist yet. Up the bum = magnet fun

[sandgrounder]

If they're twisting just set your birds u at home and see where the butterfly screw is locking on then file that bit flat. Stop them twisting and gives a much firmer lock.

[cocknee]

Dead birds every time and personally I only take 2 dead birds no decoys it doesn't take long to build up a pattern if you have done your reconnaissance properly and are in the right place at the right time.

[JDog]

When I have been out shooting quite a bit I save six birds in the fridge, two for the magnet and four to start the pattern off. I put the four on spikes in the 'heads up' position.

Edited September 24, 2013 by JDog

[Smokey 1]

If they're twisting just set your birds u at home and see where the butterfly screw is locking on then file that bit flat. Stop them twisting and gives a much firmer lock.

Cheers for that, I will have a look at them this weekend and see if the magnet arms need filing down a bit.

 

Smokey

[delburt0]

Foam decoys until my 1st pair are shot to replace the foam

[Smokey 1]

hi Bobba

I had the same prob. because the "v" spreaders where plastic where the wing nut went through you could'nt get it good and tight, I had several made up by local work shop always take them all with me and mount fresh shot birds at the end of day to freeze down for next time out and ready to go ( without having to remember the night befor)

Regards Martin

That might well be the problem, I will file them first if they need it. Anyone know where abouts I can get some non plastic cradle jobs ?

 

Smokey

[-Mongrel-]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WING-SPREADER-FOR-PIGEON-MAGNET-OR-BOUNCER-PAIR-V-SEC-/200473010920

 

Just realised I need to replace one anyway!!!

[THE MEK]

Every time on stubble this year the magnet has been out for about half an hour, then packed away.

Cannot get birds to come in confidently with it

[JDog]

A good observation and one which many have come up against this summer.

 

I always start with the magnet but in the first fifteen minutes or so if I find that the birds don't like something I take it in and rely on 'stand ups'.

[motty]

A good observation and one which many have come up against this summer.

 

I always start with the magnet but in the first fifteen minutes or so if I find that the birds don't like something I take it in and rely on 'stand ups'.

I don't give up on the magnet quite so early. I've had days when the pigeons were reluctant to decoy early on. Leaving the magnet out has always worked in the end.

[Bobba]

That might well be the problem, I will file them first if they need it. Anyone know where abouts I can get some non plastic cradle jobs ?

Smokey

Shootwarehouse.co.uk

[-Mongrel-]

I don't give up on the magnet quite so early. I've had days when the pigeons were reluctant to decoy early on. Leaving the magnet out has always worked in the end.

I'm with Jdog on this one. I have days, especially recently when a magnet has had the opposite of the desired effect with birds looking at range then flaring off. Lose the magnet and just a flapper and/or floaters has worked more often than not for me.

[motty]

I'm with Jdog on this one. I have days, especially recently when a magnet has had the opposite of the desired effect with birds looking at range then flaring off. Lose the magnet and just a flapper and/or floaters has worked more often than not for me.

I've had a couple of days in the last year that are prime examples of what i pointed out.

Last year on barley stubble i was not getting much interest from passing pigeons. A less experienced (or a more tinker-prone) decoyer, may have come to the conclusion that the pigeons were being spooked by the magnet. Later in the afternoon, the pigeons responded as expected and piled in like the magnet decoys were their best pals. I killed 123 that day.

On drilled barley this year i was being watched by a pest controller. Again, in the morning the pigeons were hit and miss. The pest controller watching, phoned a friend who passed on his message to 'take down that magnet!'. I ignored the advice and enjoyed the pigeons piling in - 163 killed.

 

I just think that we can jump to conclusions at times and really we should not be too quick in altering patterns.

[yickdaz]

never use anything else other than dead birds

I,m with motty on this and have been for a few years now , just last sunday I was off the flightline by 200 yards but managed 60 with the magnet pulling them off the flighline, at first a few birds were flaring off, but I know if you move it around either to one side left or right or closer to the hide you will get them to decoy eventually in this case to one side and closer to the hide ,, its very rare I take it down completely

[THE MEK]

I don't give up on the magnet quite so early. I've had days when the pigeons were reluctant to decoy early on. Leaving the magnet out has always worked in the end.

[THE MEK]

So you would leave it out even when every bird is flaring off within 30 yds of the pattern?

I reckon I could of Added another 12 to 15 birds to my tally if I had'nt set it up from the start