Decoying problem

[Markt3815]

Hi all I'm new to the decoying game I went out on my permission Sunday morning set up my magnet and decoys horseshoe style, pigeons were coming in but spooking off at the last minute , any advice for me anyone by the way I was on clover..

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Fieldcraft?

 

Were you moving, could they see you?

 

Is your hide good?

 

Where are you?

[Markt3815]

Hide is very stealthy no way they could see me I'm in sheffield

[aga man]

If the birds could not see you, then the problem must of been with your decoy pattern. moving the decoys around and in particular the magnet can make all the difference some days, and sometimes even removing the magnet completley can make them decoy better.

[Markt3815]

Cheers I'll give it a try at weekend

[leftnright]

Not trying to offend or preach, but I would also think that some aspect of your field craft was off, this can be anything from exposed wires, decoy arrangement, poor hide build, magnet speed or possibly just in the wrong spot, can be a matter of metres from the golden spot...it may even be totally out of your control, I once had a similar experience only to find when i changed locations, that 60 m from me on other side of hedge was a ewe caught up in some brambles, it was enough movement out of the ordinary to put them off.

if anyone tells you they are 100% spot on each and every time with their set up they are telling porkies...best thing to do when you spot them getting spooked is move to new location if possible, unless the problem is obvious

atb

[marsh man]

Like the previous members said there could be several things that make the pigeons wary, when you set your pattern up go the other side of it and look towards your hide and see what it look like to you , do the decoys shine, do they look to regermental , to close together, did you support them above ground level,.... and that's just the decoys. With out being there its a job to say, it might be one of them days when there a bit nervous no matter what you do, might have been shot at the day before who knows. if you don't have any luck ask one of the members on here if they would mind you going along just to see how they do it........Where about are you ?

[Markt3815]

Like the previous members said there could be several things that make the pigeons wary, when you set your pattern up go the other side of it and look towards your hide and see what it look like to you , do the decoys shine, do they look to regermental , to close together, did you support them above ground level,.... and that's just the decoys. With out being there its a job to say, it might be one of them days when there a bit nervous no matter what you do, might have been shot at the day before who knows. if you don't have any luck ask one of the members on here if they would mind you going along just to see how they do it........Where about are you ?

[/quote. Thanks for the advise I'm in sheffield

[Cosd]

Hmmm, question nobody's has bothered to ask is at what distance were they spooking off?

 

If they head towards your pattern you're drawing them in which is the intention. Sometimes they just won't commit no matter what you do. The idea behind a pattern is to create a kill zone, that doesn't mean they have to commit to land before you take a shot. Ive had many days where the birds fly close enough to shoot but don't commit.

[Markt3815]

Hmmm, question nobody's has bothered to ask is at what distance were they spooking off?

If they head towards your pattern you're drawing them in which is the intention. Sometimes they just won't commit no matter what you do. The idea behind a pattern is to create a kill zone, that doesn't mean they have to commit to land before you take a shot. Ive had many days where the birds fly close enough to shoot but don't commit.

Pigeons got around 40yds away they actually turned and started to come down then wouldn't commit to land

[Cosd]

Pigeons got around 40yds away they actually turned and started to come down then wouldn't commit to land

It's difficult to give an answer without seeing the birds reactions, but with the little information I have I would have pulled my decoys in closer to the hide. If you move them 10 metres in and the birds continue their pattern, then they'd be spooking away at 30 yards which is a more comfortable distance to shoot.

 

If the birds were avoiding the decoys and going over my right shoulder just out of range, I'd move the pattern to the left. Again if they continue their pattern they'd then be flying closer to they hide and in shooting distance.

 

Watch the birds, not just until they stop coming toward you, watch what they do when they turn away. See if you can spot any patterns in their behaviour and see if there is anything you can change and to counter act that pattern with the aim to bring them closer.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Cosd

[yickdaz]

Pigeons got around 40yds away they actually turned and started to come down then wouldn't commit to land

there in range at 40 yards

[motty]

Not trying to offend or preach, but I would also think that some aspect of your field craft was off, this can be anything from exposed wires, decoy arrangement, poor hide build, magnet speed or possibly just in the wrong spot, can be a matter of metres from the golden spot...it may even be totally out of your control, I once had a similar experience only to find when i changed locations, that 60 m from me on other side of hedge was a ewe caught up in some brambles, it was enough movement out of the ordinary to put them off.

if anyone tells you they are 100% spot on each and every time with their set up they are telling porkies...best thing to do when you spot them getting spooked is move to new location if possible, unless the problem is obvious

atb

Really?

It's difficult to give an answer without seeing the birds reactions, but with the little information I have I would have pulled my decoys in closer to the hide. If you move them 10 metres in and the birds continue their pattern, then they'd be spooking away at 30 yards which is a more comfortable distance to shoot.

 

If the birds were avoiding the decoys and going over my right shoulder just out of range, I'd move the pattern to the left. Again if they continue their pattern they'd then be flying closer to they hide and in shooting distance.

 

Watch the birds, not just until they stop coming toward you, watch what they do when they turn away. See if you can spot any patterns in their behaviour and see if there is anything you can change and to counter act that pattern with the aim to bring them closer.

This is good advice.

[leftnright]

Yes really, seen a number of strange things the novice or unsure do when shooting & especially when decoying...not everyone is an expert like your good self.

Edited April 7, 2014 by leftnright

[Cosd]

Yes really, seen a number of strange things the novice or unsure do when shooting & especially when decoying...not everyone is an expert like your good self.

What does exposed wires actually mean, can you elaborate?

[leftnright]

as in uncovered, open to view, not as in plastic covering removed.

[Cosd]

as in uncovered, open to view, not as in plastic covering removed.

Sorry but I'm confused. Wires/cables from what?

Where are these wires

[bruno22rf]

Make sure that the magnet itself is not causing the problem-they can attract from a good distance but if the birds then fly close to them they can sometimes be spooked-more common if they are heavily shot at-try and position the magnet where the birds can see it but come to the pattern on the ground well before the magnet-just a thought.

[leftnright]

 

as in these wires..!

[Cosd]

 

as in these wires..!

Oh dear!!

 

I can't say that I agree with you. Poor advice to be giving to anyone. Covering up the wires will definitely do no harm but neither would leaving them exposed.

[leftnright]

Do you cover up or disguise as much of your kit as you can when decoying? or leave it all 'exposed' where possible, i was not offering advise he can do what he wants i was merely responding to his post & pointing out a number of things that may have spooked the birds he was after, as you well know any number of issues can and does put off the mighty pigeon..

[motty]

Do you cover up or disguise as much of your kit as you can when decoying? or leave it all 'exposed' where possible, i was not offering advise he can do what he wants i was merely responding to his post & pointing out a number of things that may have spooked the birds he was after, as you well know any number of issues can and does put off the mighty pigeon..

I think it's pointless covering up wires when a much larger thing (magnet) is clearly on show.

[fenboy]

Pigeon magnets are great , they will draw pigeon close enough for a shot and chances are you will get more shots than you might if your not using one.

 

But pigeon shooting with a magnet is a different ball game most of the time than decoying without one , chances are that when the pigeon gets close enough to suss out that his mates are flying around in a tight circle with a lump of steel up their backsides they are going to flare off and you need to be prepared to take them on as they do so .

 

To minimize this have your magnet fairly close to your hide and upwind of your decoys, you want the pigeon getting to the decoys before the magnet , not the other way round .

 

You will still get days when the pigeon seemingly want to land on the magnet , especially when the young birds are about in numbers.

 

If they are close enough to be scared by a magnet wire then they are close enough to be dead

[Markt3815]

Thanks for the advise chaps I'm going to start to Change

A few things around and see what happens ill report back.

[kitchrat]

Do you cover up or disguise as much of your kit as you can when decoying? or leave it all 'exposed' where possible, i was not offering advise he can do what he wants i was merely responding to his post & pointing out a number of things that may have spooked the birds he was after, as you well know any number of issues can and does put off the mighty pigeon..

I cover everything I can, to the point of being ridiculed by posters on here. Especially on a day when they are giving trouble. (most days round here).My magnet has a kind of loop just below the bearing for the swivel. Long rass goes through here to hide the motor. I hide the battery and the wires. Clear up big heaps of feathers. Hide all kit such as trolleys, pole bags etc. Don't let anything show outside the hide, even spent shells (More riducule!) I'm told pigeons are a bit colour-blind (like me) but don't know how much. Someone posted that they had used a red hide without trouble, that would decoy me too. But they have some colour vision, otherwise they wouldn't have yellow bills. White is clearly important to them - neck and wing marks. I'm also told that UV light is more important to birds - hence the white. Blue also shows up well in UV, so blue shells on the ground??? Don't know but I clear them up anyway, you have to at the end..

I know I will get comments on this but do recall reading Archie Coates' book years ago. He advised hiding the cut ends of branches where you made your hide by smearing mud on the white cut bits... What's good enough for Archie.....

OK, on a good day, none of this is required but if you can turn a blank into a 10-20 bag or a 10-20 into a 50, that's justification.

During the winter rape season, with all the problems of low bird numbers etc etc, I never blanked this winter, worst bag is 8.

QED!!