yidoharry Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi, as a novice to the sport I was hoping that some of the more experienced shooters on here could point me in the right direction regards this. What, or is there a preferred decoy set up to use in conjunction with a turbo flapper......should I be putting out as many decoys as I can or keep it tight into one small area using only a few?? Im going on my 2nd trip out tomorrow so all advice would be welcome, thanks in advance. We are probably shooting a choice of 4 large fields over rape or do have the option of shooting 3 woodlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 On rape I use as many decoys as I have set out in a good wide pattern , the flapper I would place at the front on the area I would like the birds to commit to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 As Fenboy says, get as many as you can in a pattern. I place a flapper at or near to the point I want the birds to commit to. Move on to the woods to finish your day with a roost shoot. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttab Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 On rape I use as many decoys as I have set out in a good wide pattern , the flapper I would place at the front on the area I would like the birds to commit to. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yidoharry Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 As Fenboy says, get as many as you can in a pattern. I place a flapper at or near to the point I want the birds to commit to. Move on to the woods to finish your day with a roost shoot. Good luck. So effectively I cant "over do it"??And I assume a horseshoe or "u" shape pattern is the way to go?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 So effectively I cant "over do it"??And I assume a horseshoe or "u" shape pattern is the way to go?? It's a good starting point, you need to find where the pigeons want to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Bottoms Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Yes a horseshoe pattern is a good place to start but if that's not working then you should always go out and change what you can just to see i it works. I have recently started using a comma pattern with my decoys and a bouncer just outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 No you cannot over do it as long as you leave them room to drop into the pattern U shape is a good starting point , but patterns can be changed until the pigeon are happy to commit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yidoharry Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 That sounds like good advice to me then! just one last thing though.....Would it be worthwhile adding bouncers or a rotary machine or better to stick with one of them and the decoys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr pigeon Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 (edited) My best days on the rape have come using 3 flappers, a rotor with dead birds, 4 floaters and 48 fuds. I added every dead bird until I had over 100 out there. Then pretty much every pigeon that could see the pattern committed. On those days it worked for me, plenty of movement and it looked like a flock from a distance. Also worth remembering is to check the rape. If its been nibbled off by the pigeons that's the place to be. Edited January 7, 2014 by Mr pigeon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yidoharry Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 My best days on the rape have come using 3 flappers, a rotor with dead birds, 4 floaters and 48 fuds. I added every dead bird until I had over 100 out there. Then pretty much every pigeon that could see the pattern committed. On those days it worked for me, plenty of movement and it looked like a flock from a distance. Also worth remembering is to check the rape. If its been nibbled off by the pigeons that's the place to be. nice....I keep hearing my dad and his 2 mates tell me how good it gets and they'll be times I wont know which one to aim for!!! going again tomorrow so would love to try something myself rather than rely on others ....will certainly give it a good go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE MEK Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 He forgot to mention the one shot and nothing else days though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Birds favour a clear space to land so I tend to use a pattern with a kill zone to suit the wind as they prefer to come into it, you cant always have the wind on your back. I scatter the decoys in a couple of areas with the rotary to one side head to wind and set my flapper in the other area, one thing I have found is if you keep running out of the hide fiddling with decoys any birds coming in will turn away early and others could follow them much in the same as birds will follow decoying birds coming in to your set up. You hide is the place you have chosen to shoot from so stay in it until the birds stop coming or there is a lull in the flight line then dash out tidy up and back to the hide... TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camojohn Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 As we are discussing the subject, is it bad practise to mix different types of decoys. I have 6 FUD and 10 shells. My new shells look bigger and brighter than my older FUDs, and I just wondered if that might put the pigeons off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 As we are discussing the subject, is it bad practise to mix different types of decoys. I have 6 FUD and 10 shells. My new shells look bigger and brighter than my older FUDs, and I just wondered if that might put the pigeons off. It shouldn't put pigeons off, but you are in Hertfordshire. I've heard them pigeons are special down your way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yidoharry Posted January 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 It shouldn't put pigeons off, but you are in Hertfordshire. I've heard them pigeons are special down your way... Special??? In what way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Special??? In what way? I was being facetious. I've heard some say that pigeons are a bit cleverer in Herts, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yidoharry Posted January 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 I was being facetious. I've heard some say that pigeons are a bit cleverer in Herts, that's all. :lol: Yes they're much better educated down here!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 As we are discussing the subject, is it bad practise to mix different types of decoys. I have 6 FUD and 10 shells. My new shells look bigger and brighter than my older FUDs, and I just wondered if that might put the pigeons off. I have 18 FUDs, four full bodied and six half shells and I maix them up all the time. If using lots then make sure you leave plenty of space for the pigeons to land and try and replicate what you see in the field. Pigeons do not sit in a straight line, do not like to sit on top of each other and do not all face in the same direction. They do tend to face into the wind and they do tend to feed in groups. When I arrive at a field I watch to see where they land, how they group and try and mimic this. Practise and watching fir fields will help alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottk Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) Sorry to hijack the thread slightly but I normally use 2 bunches of decoys with a gap in the middle for the pigeons to land and worked pretty well in the past. Just invested in 2 bouncers and a1 decoys air pro decoys to go on there ( spinning wing design) and a mororised pecking pigeon, where would people suggest to put the bouncers in that pattern type? Or alternatively do I need to switch to a horseshoe and where would there be best placed? Unfortunately no rape for me normally savoys, cabbage, peas, potatoes, barley are the main crops. Thanks Scott Edited January 13, 2014 by scottk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Sorry to hijack the thread slightly but I normally use 2 bunches of decoys with a gap in the middle for the pigeons to land and worked pretty well in the past. Just invested in 2 bouncers and a1 decoys air pro decoys to go on there ( spinning wing design) and a mororised pecking pigeon, where would people suggest to put the bouncers in that pattern type? Or alternatively do I need to switch to a horseshoe and where would there be best placed? Unfortunately no rape for me normally savoys, cabbage, peas, potatoes, barley are the main crops. Thanks Scott Very difficult to answer these questions. I would personally put the air pros in the bin. The rest (for me) would depend on wind direction and flightlines etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Another vote for the bin with the air pros , they are cack , bouncers are normally put well out fron the pattern to try and chanel the birds where you want them . I cant say I bother much with them though, there are better ways to get bird into the pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottk Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Lol! Glad I just bought the air pros then! Whoops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Lol! Glad I just bought the air pros then! Whoops! we all make mistakes , I brought some years ago a £50 a pair ! thats how I know they are cack , the rattle as the wings go round is enough to drive you nuts . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottk Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 we all make mistakes , I brought some years ago a £50 a pair ! thats how I know they are cack , the rattle as the wings go round is enough to drive you nuts . Lol! Looks like they may turn into target practice if the birds don't like them then! Cheers for the response guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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