kitchrat Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 All this winter several of us posters have struggled to agree on what pigeons will and won't do. Now, having see that picture of Motty on his stumps (sorry knees) in the middle of a desert but surrounded by dead pigeons, I will try one more time to shed what I think is some light on this. This (if it works) is a typical view near my house. As you can see, there are trees all around the place - ideal for stopping in before comitting to the field. This is just what they do. I am told that their eyesight is up to 10 x as good as ours so it's like looking around with the binoculars. So, they WILL spot any obvious hide, shooter or bad set-up and go elsewhere. This clearly cannot apply to Norfolk, they would have to hover like a kestrel for 20 minutes to clear to way in. Also, Motty, from these vantage points, they can watch other birds in their vantage points and see what is going on over there. A system like wartime watchtowers can soon cover a large distance, one lot of birds sees happyily feeding birds drop onto the crop, a mile away and they head on over there, others, another mile away see that and follow. I've see birds pulled out of a wood almost out of sight to me, with the bins! Next, with all these trees, woods, copses etc, roosting birds are scattered all over, so when heading out to feed, even if they have a target field in mind, they come from all directions to different sitty trees - so I have no flight lines as such to get near. Lastly, in the 3-mile or so radius from my house that I (or Mrs Kitchmouse on her push bike) can cover, there was only 1 field with a spring drilling (wheat) - 1 day and that was cleaned up. On the (lots) of farms I can shoot, NO farms were going to drill spring wheat or barley - it was all winter st.uff. We do have some beans and peas but they have been quiet so far, really well drilled, no loose seed (when they chit perhaps?). Anyway, round here there is no chance of a decent bag on drillings, it can't be more different from what I read is happening elsewhere. So, enjoy yourselves Guys, shoot a few for me!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootnfish Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Bloodyhell sounds like the sas in pigeons round your way with watch towers an all that. Soon they will be shooting back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 I've said it before we have winter and summer farms that produce pigeon at different time of the year. Watching one of my farmers drill peas yesterday the mean machine he was using in rough plough just pulverised the soil and put the peas well under the surface . I looked at the field and it had no surface peas at all . This particular farm is a winter farm and although he was planting peas the birds will not get on them till the stubble and not in great numbers but in the winter time he has hoards of birds on his rape in fact this farm has twenty plus gas guns to try and prevent damage and we still manage to get good bags as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) Mr Kitchrat, you seem to like mentioning me so I thought I should reply. Firstly, I think the pigeon eyesight think is totally exaggerated. If pigeons can really see that well, it is a surprise that we can shoot any at all. I still think you give pigeons more credit than they deserve, you seem to believe they go about their day to day lives like some kind of military operation. Clearly you have never been to Norfolk. There are trees all over the place, so if pigeons want to land and have a look about, they can. One of the fields where I have shot somewhere in the region of 20 100+ bags is surrounded by trees. How could I have managed that? The picture you've taken could quite easily be a picture of Norfolk. Your observations just seem bizarre. By the way, that wasn't me pictured in the photo you mentioned. Edited April 13, 2014 by motty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Notice the trees behind the hide. There is plenty of scope for pigeons to land and have a look. Over 100 pigeons killed on that day last summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Another example (me in the picture). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 kitchrat, As motty says that picture could quite easily have been taken in norfolk. I popped by to check on a couple of fields today and they are both very similar to photo you posted with some large belts of trees on one side. Yes there are some areas in norfolk which lack trees but in general we have plenty of them, often little spinneys. I am personally of the opinion that pigeons do not stop off in trees before commiting to a field. I have, on numerous occasions, watched pigeons lift off the fields, fly past all the trees and land on another field to feed. They are not as smart as you give them credit for, if their eyesight is so good, then how why when i have been roosting, stood there with nothing covering my hands or face, the pigeons have commited to come into the trees despite being able to see me from 100s of yards away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hi Kitchrat...............Yes Norfolk can be flat, where I live at one time the sea came over 4 miles inland which is now mostly marsh land, but it don't mean to say there isn't any trees because there are loads of them, the estate where I worked employed 2 woodmen full time and a lot of the trees they cut down ended up as pit props for the mining industry. If you ever go around Thetford area you will see huge areas of fir woods that stretch for miles, so as you can see your problems with trees are the same as what most of us have to contend with, but maybe us Norfolk boys don't give trees a second thought we just get on with the job in hand and adjust if necessary. What did intrigue me was how did they find out that pigeons can see 10 times to what we can see........., now that is clever. I tried to imagine a pigeon in Spec Savers having his eye sight tested ..................Well this is the happy hour guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) Mr Kitchrat, you seem to like mentioning me so I thought I should reply. Firstly, I think the pigeon eyesight think is totally exaggerated. If pigeons can really see that well, it is a surprise that we can shoot any at all. I still think you give pigeons more credit than they deserve, you seem to believe they go about their day to day lives like some kind of military operation. Clearly you have never been to Norfolk. There are trees all over the place, so if pigeons want to land and have a look about, they can. One of the fields where I have shot somewhere in the region of 20 100+ bags is surrounded by trees. How could I have managed that? The picture you've taken could quite easily be a picture of Norfolk. Your observations just seem bizarre. By the way, that wasn't me pictured in the photo you mentioned. OK, so it's not just down to geography then!! Just an idea to stir up debate whilst I wait to be allowed to drive again. Still there are very few drillings around my patch, I'm waiting for the peas to chit. I can't video pigeons landing in the trees etc, just take my word for it!! Great bag of birds from that hide in the middle of the field - absolutely amazing to me, I have no proof on the eyesight bit, just what I've been told. As for the military operation, I'd be a bit more careful of my lifestyle if you were trying to shoot me!!! Cheers, John Edited April 14, 2014 by kitchrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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