anser2 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 For the second time in the last week I have just spent the morning searching for wood pigeon over my 7000 acres of shooting. The weather was perfect , bright , sunny with a stiff breeze , just the conditions to keep pigeons on the move. Only one small flock of 10 seen on the dozen rape fields a max of 2 on the five clover fields and just a scattering of singles and pairs totaling less than 20 birds in the three woods I looked in. With maybe 25 birds getting out of roadside trees and ivy that was all I could find in the 140 miles of roads and farm tracks I covered. The last three saterday roost shoots only produced a 4 , 6 and a blank in a wood that I would expect high teens to 50 birds in a roost shoot. It all adds up to a very poor outlook for the spring drilling that is just getting underway. My part of mid north Norfolk seems almost empty of birds. In contrast there are reasonable numbers on th coast 15 miles away. The acorn and beech mast was a complete failure last autumn and the birds seem to have wandered off in search of better feeding and as yet have yet to return. It looks as though my pigeon decoying gear is going to remain in the shed this winter\spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark74 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 I spent saturday on my much smaller 200 acres, and set up on ploughing to see if I could bag a few passers by and sat there for a few hours and didn't see a pigeon only crows! I'm hoping for better luck when the peas get drilled etc But a nice day was had in fresh air anyway :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 (edited) I know what you mean, I'm currently sitting in a hedge between 2 rape fields waiting in the vain hope that a flock of 100 -120 pigeons, that lifted when I turned up, will come back. I've been here 2 hours and had 0 shots. It is so frustrating that there have been no pigeons here for so long and now they are here they are impossible to decoy. At least its sunny though. Edit: moved position 3 times following the flock but ended the day with only 4 pigeons. That's the biggest bag I've had all year... Edited February 24, 2014 by FalconFN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 This makes me feel a bit better, at least some folks have it worse than I do111 (sorry!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 don't get too dispondent fella, in the coming weeks things are bound to change. once the farmers get some fertiliser on the rape and hopefully the sun comes out, the rape will knee high very quickly. pigeons feeding will have to change and don't forget pigeons will travel many miles for good food sources. your clover fields could become invaluble soon. also as you say theres spring drilling starting in some areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 For the second time in the last week I have just spent the morning searching for wood pigeon over my 7000 acres of shooting. The weather was perfect , bright , sunny with a stiff breeze , just the conditions to keep pigeons on the move. Only one small flock of 10 seen on the dozen rape fields a max of 2 on the five clover fields and just a scattering of singles and pairs totaling less than 20 birds in the three woods I looked in. With maybe 25 birds getting out of roadside trees and ivy that was all I could find in the 140 miles of roads and farm tracks I covered. The last three saterday roost shoots only produced a 4 , 6 and a blank in a wood that I would expect high teens to 50 birds in a roost shoot. It all adds up to a very poor outlook for the spring drilling that is just getting underway. My part of mid north Norfolk seems almost empty of birds. In contrast there are reasonable numbers on th coast 15 miles away. The acorn and beech mast was a complete failure last autumn and the birds seem to have wandered off in search of better feeding and as yet have yet to return. It looks as though my pigeon decoying gear is going to remain in the shed this winter\spring. If you take a drive down the A148 towards Kings Lynn, you may well see a lot of pigeon activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 if i send you some stamps MOTTY can you post a few up here please !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 if i send you some stamps MOTTY can you post a few up here please !! Should I get the chance to shoot at a few pigeons, i'll be sure to scare them in your direction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 .....Oooh you are such a tease big mat.... whilst youare at it send me a picture of them as i have forgot what they look like ............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Hi Anser2......I was also out having a look round, were a bit further south than you round the Yarmouth area , the first field I looked at had about 80 to 100 on it and that was on old beet land walked them off , sat in my motor and had a cup of coffee and in half a hour saw next to nothing Moved on looked at two big rape fields just up the A47 no Pigeons but counted 246 Swans I left them where the were as it is a waste of time walking them off . Then moved on again a few more miles at another rape field and I did see about 200 in the trees they hadn't been shot at but they were very jumpy as soon as you stepped on the field they were up , same thing another drink and this time I did some come back all from the same direction so might be worth having a couple of hours but that will have to wait till tomorrow as it was gone three o clock when I saw them. ,so we have a few more than you but still far and few between at the moment. With the roost shooting I shoot a little carr down on the marsh and with the mild weather it was a bit better than other years and the pigeons were in good condition having been in the parks and gardens feeding. Been four times ,bags were 14 16 17 and 7 first three weeks blowing hard and last Saturday it had calmed down a bit. Hope things improve for you soon . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpw222 Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Maybe it's because the weather is so mild that they are not hitting the rape guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightymariner Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Sorry to tell you this but no shortage of birds in Lincs wolds, last time I went roost shooting we saw serious numbers, we never seem to lack birds but suffer the same problems as everyone trying to decoy them on rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Maybe it's because the weather is so mild that they are not hitting the rape guys AARRGGHH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 AARRGGHH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 AARRGGHH! +10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Trouble is Motty all my shooting is to the east of Fakenham not the Kings Lynn side . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Trouble is Motty all my shooting is to the east of Fakenham not the Kings Lynn side . I've been to Wells today. I don't know the name of the road from Fakenham to Wells, but there was plenty of big flocks flying around as I drove along it today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Not a huge amount my way to be honest , I had a roost shoot last night and got six and a couple of crows , there was a few more about but had too much wood to cover myself. Main reason for my lack of pigeon is lack of rape though On the plus side was having a chat with the farmer yesterday before the roost and looks like I will have about eight pea fields to go at this year some of which will be in areas that have offered decent sport before so fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 It's ok boy's I saw a couple of scout's yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 It's ok boy's I saw a couple of scout's yesterday. Don't start talking about them again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Not a huge amount my way to be honest , I had a roost shoot last night and got six and a couple of crows , there was a few more about but had too much wood to cover myself. Main reason for my lack of pigeon is lack of rape though On the plus side was having a chat with the farmer yesterday before the roost and looks like I will have about eight pea fields to go at this year some of which will be in areas that have offered decent sport before so fingers crossed. Even peas don't work like they used to over here. Maybe they are just over-shot in Essex? In the US there is a serious debate about whether hunters are selectively breeding a race of super-smart coyotes, by only being able to shoot the "dumb" ones. Now there's food for thought........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Albert Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Went out at the start of last week to see if I could find some pigeons. Went to six farms - saw only about 6 the whole time and they ain't small farms. It's getting depressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Guys.......We are hearing odd bags being shot here and there, but I imagine the bulk of us are thinking there are less Pigeons about now than there have been for a while ,we have got some here but not on the scale you would expect to see around at this of the year. What would be interesting is to know how the Pigeon guides are finding it, there the guys who are doing it for a living. Also if there are any Game Dealers on this site, are they getting more Pigeons in or less at the moment because most of the pigeons shot end up there. If the birds are not in the area when they start drilling all the barley, peas ect it isn't going to make much difference with the numbers we see, never mind someone will come up with an answer im sure of that bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Even peas don't work like they used to over here. Maybe they are just over-shot in Essex? In the US there is a serious debate about whether hunters are selectively breeding a race of super-smart coyotes, by only being able to shoot the "dumb" ones. Now there's food for thought........... I think with peas, it matters quite a lot where and when they are drilled, if there is to be any successful shooting on them. I don't think that pigeons are getting any smarter, but perhaps they are being chased more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi Guys.......We are hearing odd bags being shot here and there, but I imagine the bulk of us are thinking there are less Pigeons about now than there have been for a while ,we have got some here but not on the scale you would expect to see around at this of the year. What would be interesting is to know how the Pigeon guides are finding it, there the guys who are doing it for a living. Also if there are any Game Dealers on this site, are they getting more Pigeons in or less at the moment because most of the pigeons shot end up there. If the birds are not in the area when they start drilling all the barley, peas ect it isn't going to make much difference with the numbers we see, never mind someone will come up with an answer im sure of that bit. I know it varies from region to region, but I can honestly say there is as many pigeons around in my area as ever. I have been for a look around a few rape fields today (some I haven't looked at this year) and there are pigeons everywhere. Shooting them will be a different matter altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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