motty Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Lately I've been getting fed up with no decent looking pigeon shooting situations. Yes, there have been pigeons hitting a few rape fields, but with no particular pattern of behaviour, I've mostly let them be. On Friday I decided to have another look on a sugar beet field that was harvested some time ago and was the venue for my previous best bag of the year - 15. The field sits on the end of a fairly big block of rape (that I don't have permission to shoot, yet) that has had pigeon activity for several weeks, now. Many hundreds of birds have been visiting and I've seen them frequenting the sugar beet. So I arrived at the field and moved a few pigeons and crows on. This was at 11.30 am. By 12.00pm I had chosen my spot and got everything set. I had a dozen fuds and 20 flocked shells out, along with a magnet and hypa flaps. The hypa flaps weren't looking great in the strong wind and the pigeons that passed by showed no interest. It took me an hour to shoot 2 pigeons (one flighting and one decoying) so I could then put them on the magnet. It may have been a coincidence, but from that moment on, the pigeons came in. Very often the pigeons overflew my field, only to turn and track back into the wind and drop over my shoulder (right to left) and on into the decoys. It was a great feeling to suddenly expect the pigeons to decoy, rather than just hoping. I left the pigeons where they dropped and this didn't put off the next birds to come in. The action lasted for around 3 hours and I managed to shoot pretty straight, reminding myself that I CAN still shoot. I connected with a couple of birds on the way back from the rape. Their crops were packed with the stuff. A very enjoyable few hours ended with me killing 46 pigeons. Driving off the field, I wasn't thinking and ended driving through the only really soft part of the field. A few feet either side and I would have been fine. My truck sunk and sat on it's belly. My dad came in his Navara to try and tow me back out. No joy. I tried digging it out ( the mud was like quick sand) with the same results. After 3 hours I had to call on a local farmer to pull me out with his tractor. My nightmare was over! Last night I went roost shooting in a local wood with a mate. It started off slowly, but after a while the pigeons piled in. It was very testing shooting, but some nice shots brought a few birds crashing down. My mate provided the pick of the shots. Most of the pigeons were full to bursting with clover and seeds, with some packed with a mixture of rape, ivy berries and maize. The pigeons are clearly hungry around here. We shot a nice little bag of 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner warrior Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 good one Motty, hopefully the start of things to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooterluke Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Good shooting motty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Lately I've been getting fed up with no decent looking pigeon shooting situations. Yes, there have been pigeons hitting a few rape fields, but with no particular pattern of behaviour, I've mostly let them be. On Friday I decided to have another look on a sugar beet field that was harvested some time ago and was the venue for my previous best bag of the year - 15. The field sits on the end of a fairly big block of rape (that I don't have permission to shoot, yet) that has had pigeon activity for several weeks, now. Many hundreds of birds have been visiting and I've seen them frequenting the sugar beet. So I arrived at the field and moved a few pigeons and crows on. This was at 11.30 am. By 12.00pm I had chosen my spot and got everything set. I had a dozen fuds and 20 flocked shells out, along with a magnet and hypa flaps. The hypa flaps weren't looking great in the strong wind and the pigeons that passed by showed no interest. It took me an hour to shoot 2 pigeons (one flighting and one decoying) so I could then put them on the magnet. It may have been a coincidence, but from that moment on, the pigeons came in. Very often the pigeons overflew my field, only to turn and track back into the wind and drop over my shoulder (right to left) and on into the decoys. It was a great feeling to suddenly expect the pigeons to decoy, rather than just hoping. I left the pigeons where they dropped and this didn't put off the next birds to come in. The action lasted for around 3 hours and I managed to shoot pretty straight, reminding myself that I CAN still shoot. I connected with a couple of birds on the way back from the rape. Their crops were packed with the stuff. A very enjoyable few hours ended with me killing 46 pigeons. Driving off the field, I wasn't thinking and ended driving through the only really soft part of the field. A few feet either side and I would have been fine. My truck sunk and sat on it's belly. My dad came in his Navara to try and tow me back out. No joy. I tried digging it out ( the mud was like quick sand) with the same results. After 3 hours I had to call on a local farmer to pull me out with his tractor. My nightmare was over! Last night I went roost shooting in a local wood with a mate. It started off slowly, but after a while the pigeons piled in. It was very testing shooting, but some nice shots brought a few birds crashing down. My mate provided the pick of the shots. Most of the pigeons were full to bursting with clover and seeds, with some packed with a mixture of rape, ivy berries and maize. The pigeons are clearly hungry around here. We shot a nice little bag of 20. Great stuff Motty (except getting stuck!!) We might be turning the corner down here too, I got some positive decoy responses on my way to a 2014 high-bag of 24 over rape on Friday and the 4 I roost-shot last night (VERY quiet) had crops full of rape...... PLEASE let things be changing at last!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Great stuff Motty. On the lighter land around you they will be drilling this week if it stays dry which could be good for next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Well done Motty It gives me a bit of heart when all you big baggers are struggling to get it all together. Its so quiet down here in the south, hardly a pigeon to be seen. Hopefully a few more weeks and things will pick up My biggest bag in the last few moths was 10 This time last year, I'd had a ton up on the corvids Ah well, that's what keeps us suffering the pain of the quiet days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Well done on shooting those hungry pigeon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Nice write up motty, certainly pigeons about now. we have seen hundreds on rape today, frustratingly they wouldn't decoy and we only managed 18 all day but encouraging to see the numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Great stuff Motty. On the lighter land around you they will be drilling this week if it stays dry which could be good for next weekend. I hope it won't be too long. Some fields are still a little wet at the moment. I expect the field I shot on will be drilled with barley when it dries a bit. But if it doesn't dry, i'm sure there will be another day on there before it's drilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actionpigeons Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) Well done shooting pigeons Edited February 24, 2014 by Actionpigeons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Well done shooting pigeons I knew you'd be pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Well done shooting pigeons I knew you'd be pleased. nice one motty it looks like its going to turn round for yer up your neck of the woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Does this mean there is a truce at the moment lol TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Does this mean there is a truce at the moment lol TEH HOPEFULLY, we''ll all be too busy shooting pigeons to snipe at each other!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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