Gully Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 I went out to the woods yesterday afternoon to try my hand at roost shooting for the first time. There were a few birds already in the trees and I found that if I disturbed them they would loop round and come straight over my head. I've read lots on here about being sure what you're raising your gun to. I am only interested in shooting for the pot and found it diffuclt to ID them as woodies, some were probably stock doves. Do the two species mix in flocks? How do you spot them from a dark wood against a lighter sky? Does it come down to the style of flight? I was so uncertain I held back and came home empty handed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 To be honest, you should really know what you are looking at when you shooting, but only time in the field will allow you to distinguish birds in flight. I have seen Stockies in 2's and 3's but never in big flocks, but granted, in flight, they do look very much like woodies. Presumably the wood you shoot has a problem with pigeons, that why you're there in the first place. Get some good binoculars...watch them coming in late afternoon, and ID them......It is likely that that they are woodies as stockies are not as numerous..... Get to know your quarry bud..............but even then accidents do and will happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted February 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Get to know your quarry bud..............but even then accidents do and will happen Yeah, that's what I am trying to do. The woods are usually teeming with pigeons and there's droppings everywhere - its an extansion of his garden and his kids play in there. I've only ever seen woodies there before but last night I just wasn't sure. You're right, time to dig out the binoculars and put some bird watching in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Unlikely to be stocks, they do fly with Woody but it'd be rare for them to roost with Woody. They tend not to gather in large flocks although I have seen them 30-40 in groups. If in doubt stocks are smaller birds, have no white neck ring or wing bars, have a distinctly 'roman' nose and different flight, quick successive wings beats. It isn't easy to distinguish them but it's the old story, experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Some years ago I heard a fusillade of shots coming from a local wood and curiosity made me go and have a look. The farmers son and a friend were roost shooting, but the flocks of birds coming over the woods (fortunately too high for them to hit) were fieldfares. Knowing his father, I was able to drive up to the wood and correct his bird identification. It was a genuine error by two young lads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted February 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Well these were definitely pigeons - the usual clatter as they took off. I could see that some were woodies but others just looked too dark with no white on them. I've been spending a lot of time watching how ferals fly compared to woodies and am pretty sure I can tell the difference. What I was looking at last night had the look of dark ferals but flew like woodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Stock Doves & Woodies don't mix together in the way you describe, it's possible they could have been Fieldfares, there's plenty of them around at the moment feeding on hawthorn berries. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted February 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Yes, I have fieldfares in my garden - no way I'd mistake a fieldfare for a pigeon though ( I think!). I'll go and have a good look at what's sitting in the trees. Like I said, I'd always taken them to be woodies but when I was actually lining up a shot on one I couldn't see any of the grey or white. Oh well, I'll go and try again next weekend. Maybe they were ferals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 Very unlikely to be ferals, they tend to roost in buildings or under bridges etc, I'll come along and identify them for you one evening. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin.y Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 quiet possible collared doves ,slightly smaller and uaually quicker wingbeat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger Mouse Posted February 5, 2007 Report Share Posted February 5, 2007 They should'nt be ferals mate, they don't roost in trees! The feral is a decendent of the "Rock Dove" and preferes cliffs and buildings that are a "substitute" cliff! When you are in the woods look at the bird and you may just see a reddish brown of the wood pigeons chest, they are larger than ferals so it should'nt be a problem mate.. As the other guys have said though, be careful of the Fieldfares! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisNicholls Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 I am still seeing a few juvenilles about, young woodies are a bit smaller and occaisonally a bit darker too and have no white on the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 If you watch them flight in as others have already said, you will easily be able to tell the difference, the woodie sticks his chest out proudly whilst the other forms of pigeon/doves are slim and stand almost straight. Talking about mistakes, the other weekend whilst decoying with FB111, we were in the hide with a low rising sun coming up from the right, my side of the hide. I saw movement and turned to see what I thought were five Woodies coming into the Birds, but unfortunately like Japanese Kamikaze pilots straight out of the sun. I waited and was sure they were woodies so mounted and fired the first barrel. Luckily I am ****, and I missed because as they flaired and split they were indeed five racing pigeons Mistakes do happen even when you are sure you know what you think they are. how many times have you heard of someone firing at what they thought was a cock bird Pheasant on a cock only day only for it to hit the ground and transform into a hen bird. I have mounted on Skylarks, when seeing them at close range out of the corner of my eye, only to realsie in time what they are. In fact I did this twice at the weekend, luckily I try and make sure rather than snap shooting like some. Accidents will happen in the field, and anyone who says they haven't done something similar is lying, we have all done it to some extent. Another case I had, albeit with an air rifle at night, was I stood at the front door at 2am having a fag, when there was a movement that caught my eye the other side of the shared driveway (about 10-15 foot) under the neighbours cactus bush. I watched and every now and again in the outside light I could see what I thought to be a Rat. I watched it for sometime, flitting in and out of the bush, and my wife who was there as well was convinced. (Not unusal as we live in the country and I have caught numerous rats in the garden in traps and the other neighbour has chickens). I went and got the underlever springer and loaded up. Took careful aim (open sites only) and waited as the "RAT" stuck his nose and head out from behind the bush. I fired just behind it's head, expecting a squeal. Nothing, the head disappeared. So loading up again in case it was injured, I ventured forth with a torch along the length of the barrel. As I walked towards it, it moved again so I gave it another pellet. thinking I had definately killed it this time, I walked up to find that I had perfectly shot an Ash leave, that everytime the wind gusted, flapped up to be trapped against the cactus plant looking all the world like a rats head and ears. Lesson learned, in this case yes, but I know that will be other times, although I hope not too many. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted February 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 Cheers S/S, makes me feel a bit better. At least I'm mixing birds of the same species! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tosspot Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 Out roost shooting the other evening, taking the odd rook aswell as a few pigeons a large black shape glided through the tree tops, i was about to mount when it made a most perculiar noise as it got into full view it was obvious it wasn't a rook or an oversize crow, but in fact a Raven i like to think my bird identification is up to speed but this was a new one to me the moral of the story if in doubt, leave it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 Human error will never totally be eradicated, but if we all think about what it is we're shooting (as should be the case), then these incidents will rarely happen. I just remembered another incident i was told by some of the lads i went to scotland with. It seems that the weekend before we went some of them were out on the club marsh wildfowling, when a small skein of geese which to a man they all declared were Greylags (One was shot as well) flew just infront of and above them along the sea wall. There were other guys not with them further down and they took shots at these birds, but missed. As the skein came closer two of the lads, mounted and fired. One managing to take the third bird down as well as the Greylag in front of oit. When they went to retrieve it, they found to their horror that it was an extremely large Brent mixed in with the Greylags, anybody else seen this?. These guys are very experienced having been wildfowling for many years and know the difference and I would trust them enough, but still it happened to them. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 I will admit I did the exact same thing a few seasons ago, I shot a brent goose which was quartering towards me at half light in the morning. Right up to the point where I picked it up I was convinced it was a greylag. Still never mind they all look the same in a roasting tray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted February 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 OK, OK, Shall we stop this now before we all incriminate ourselves. Suffice it to say I didn't go home empty handed. I've had plenty of PM's from those who got the gist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oly Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Professional birder's use an acornym called GISS (said "Gizz"!) Stands for General Impression, Size and Shape Three useful points to remember before taking the shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Mistakes do happen even when you are sure you know what you think they are. how many times have you heard of someone firing at what they thought was a cock bird Pheasant on a cock only day only for it to hit the ground and transform into a hen bird. I wish some of these guns!! would learn to id what they are shooting at The antis would love stuff like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Out roost shooting the other evening, taking the odd rook aswell as a few pigeons a large black shape glided through the tree tops, i was about to mount when it made a most perculiar noise as it got into full view it was obvious it wasn't a rook or an oversize crow, but in fact a Raven A) Your location 'sarf coast' isn't the place you'd usually expect to see a raven, you sure? The anti's might want to make something of the shooting mistakes and maybe with things like ravens they could have a point but shooting (by accident) a brent mixed in with greys is another matter. I'm not saying it's OK just that sometimes genuine mistakes can be made and should be allowed for. Unless of course you happen to be a saint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Mistakes do happen but IDing before mounting is better than having to explain yourself to the authorities. The information super highway has lots of good bird sites as well, so get on them and learn then go back out and use the information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 As I said before, those who state that they can identify everything at first and even second glance and have done so throughout their shooting life are liars. We have to admmit that we are all human and error. Nobody who is a law abiding citizen intentionally goes out to shoot the wrong type/sex of bird and certainly nobody that I know or those I have met has ever gone after something that is protected. I understand what others are saying about the anti's loving this kind of information, but to be honest if we were all going out and there was a mass slaughter of quarry out of season/protected etc, then I could see the point, but as these are one off occassions then I feel it is important to let others on the site know that we are not all "holier than thou" and can't always be right. And indeed we are mentioning this subject to help benefit those of us who are new to the sport. I agree we should all know our quarry identification, but at halflight, when roost shooting, wildfowling, etc sometimes genuine errors are made. There is, however, no excuse even then and especially for those who lamp at night with no thought to the type of animal whose eyes they have seen and still end up shooting a cow/sheep/pig and in more recent cases human beings. The old adage of "if in doubt, don't shoot" should always be applied, but in the heat of the moment, and in the nanosecond it takes for the brain to register what the eyes perceive to be legitamate quarry, then mistakes will always occur. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 I can honestly say that I have never shot anything, that was not what I thought it was. Whenever I have been in doubt, especially duck flighting, I have not shot, its as simple as that. That doesn't make me "holier then thou", just very careful and perhaps a bit lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.